Internal Family Systems

As a clinician, for the first twenty years I utilized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as my primary modality. It definitely helped and I watched people grow and feel better. I always felt that something was missing and did more exploration and study in the popular mind body therapies. Internal Family Systems was a game changer for me. Personally and professionally.

Personally, I was able to finally start healing some early trauma that kept showing up in my life despite my own previous work. Professionally it has been a gift to watch people grow to understand and love themselves in whole new ways.

The Disney film "Inside Out" visually depicts the concept of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which suggests that our minds are comprised of multiple parts with distinct roles and motivations. The movie portrays these "parts" as personified emotions like Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, which guide Riley's experiences. IFS therapy encourages individuals to recognize and connect with these inner parts, fostering self-awareness and healing.