Hope+Wellness
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Kind, effective and high quality treatment
Internal family systems in northern virginia, maryland, and dc
Internal family systems is a powerful, effective, evidence-based therapy that can be used for a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, substance use, and trauma.
Internal family systems (IFS) proposes that each individual is comprised of parts or “sub-personalities” that function like a family system, led by the Self.
You can think of the Self as the highest self within each person — the Self that is compassionate, calm, confident, caring, which is present within the core of each individual. Parts are things like painful emotions, like shame, anger, depression, anxiety, trauma, inner critics or inner child, which try to protect the Self from pain.
If our internal parts are meant to live together in harmony much like an orchestra, the Self is meant to be the leader and conductor. However, for many of us, our internal parts can take over and be at war or tension with each other in a way that may lead to an unhealthy internal dynamic within us — for example, a substance using part of us may serve a protective function for our Selves as it may not want us to be triggered by a deep trauma. A anxious or perfectionistic parts of us may try to over manage our lives to help protect us from potential failure and the shame that our Self would then experience. Parts of us may end up being exiled from our own selves even exile parts of ourselves in order to protect ourselves from feelings of shame, terror.
IFS reminds us that we are not our emotions themselves, nor the voice of our emotions or the thoughts they produce. Instead, within you is a true Self— and that to find harmony within ourselves we must develop a relationship with it to experience a sense of integration and wholeness.
IFS is a therapy that incorporates spirituality and also enables you to explore wounds that your inner child may be experiencing, or past traumas. It is a transformative and healing therapy approach — if you’re interested, please feel free to reach out and let us know about your interest in it!! :)
“Well-known neuropsychiatrist Dan Siegel has emphasized the importance of such integration in healing and has described IFS as a good way to achieve that. He writes, “Health comes from integration. It’s that simple, and that important. A system that is integrated is in a flow of harmony. Just as in a choir, with each singer’s voice both differentiated from the other singers’ voices but also linked, harmony emerges with integration. What is important to note is that this linkage does not remove the differences, as in the notion of blending: instead it maintains these unique contributions as it links them together. Integration is more like a fruit salad than a smoothie.” This, again, is one of the basic goals of IFS. Each part is honored for its unique qualities while also working in harmony with all the others.”
You are not alone. we can help.
At hope+wellness, we provide exceptional psychotherapy services to empower people to live happier, healthier lives. Our services are grounded in evidence-based treatments that suggest an important interconnectedness between mind, body, life experience, and wellness, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based therapies. Our offices are located in Northern Virginia and Washington DC, with in person and telehealth availability. We serve the greater Washington DC region. We will work together to help you heal and develop the skills to live fully aware, fully resilient, fully peaceful, mindful, and alive.