The Internal Family Systems Model of Therapy (IFS)

By Noah Rubinstein, LMHC (he/him)

Updated March 1, 2026 The model of therapy I have been using for roughly 25 years is called Internal Family Systems (IFS), which was developed by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., LMFT, over the last four decades. IFS applies family systems principles and psychodynamic thinking to the inner worlds of individuals in a respectful and compassionate way. It focuses on relationships: how we relate to others and how we relate to parts of ourselves. Rather than simply relieving symptoms, this approach helps address the root causes of suffering and supports lasting change.

Some of the things I most appreciate about the IFS model are its guiding principles:

Innate Goodness

IFS recognizes that all human beings are born good and that the emotional and behavioral struggles we experience are largely a result of what we’ve been through, combined with legacy burdens and other predispositions. Essentially, everyone, including those who cause harm to themselves or others, is doing the best they can based on their experiences.

It is our personal suffering, combined with how we have learned to cope with it, that takes us off course, limits our access to the beautiful qualities of Self, and inhibits our natural freedom to change. By unburdening extreme beliefs and feelings and undoing the ways we have been hurt, mistreated, suffered, or traumatized, we gain access to our true Self, the indelible part of ourselves that is never damaged by life experience.

The Self naturally embodies qualities such as calm, curiosity, compassion, clarity, courage, confidence, connection, optimism, hope, trust, playfulness, appreciation, joy, and others. Healing occurs as people gain access to Self and begin relating to their parts from this grounded, compassionate place.

Non-Directive, Collaborative, Empowering, and Non-Pathologizing

IFS therapists recognize that people know themselves, or have the potential to know themselves, better than any therapist ever could. As a result, the therapist’s role is not to impose wisdom, insight, or diagnoses. The therapist's job is not to tell a person what their problems are or how to fix them. Of course, from time to time, all therapists may offer guidance, insight, and perspective. But the most meaningful and lasting change happens when a therapist helps a person to access their own inner wisdom, insight, clarity, intuition, knowledge, compassion, and other resources.

Rather than imposing interpretations or solutions, the therapist guides people through the process of learning from themselves and, later, through unburdening and transforming in a way that is aligned with their internal world. IFS therapists who have done their own inner work and are familiar with the terrain are particularly adept at guiding others in this respectful and gentle way, because they know what it's like to be a client and to have transformed and healed aspects or parts of their own personality.

There Are No Bad Parts

A core principle of IFS is that there are no bad parts. Every protective or wounded part of a person, even those that cause harm or distress, has a positive intention and exists for a reason. Rather than trying to eliminate or control parts, in IFS therapy we seek to understand them, build appreciative and loving relationships with them, and help them release the burdens they carry.

In IFS, symptoms are not treated as problems to be fixed, but as signals that protective parts are working hard to protect the system. Anxiety, depression, anger, self-doubt, self-criticism, pessimism, striving, attention seeking, compulsions, and all other defenses are understood as intelligent responses to perceived threats, not signs of pathology. As protective parts feel understood and are freed from extreme beliefs or emotions, they almost automatically soften and change.

IFS also understands that trauma, including intergenerational or legacy burdens, is carried by parts rather than defining the person as a whole. This allows healing to unfold gently and respectfully, without re-traumatization, and without framing the person as broken or damaged. To learn more about the kinds of the things I help with: What I Help People With. If you’re interested in working together, please begin by scheduling a free 15-minute initial consultation so we can make sure it feels like a good fit before moving forward.

Schedule Your Consultation