Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
IFS
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psychotherapy approach that aims to help people understand different aspects of their inner experience. If you are looking for an IFS therapist in Melbourne, Catherine Condon is a trained IFS Level 1 practitioner available in Hampton, Murrumbeena, and online across Australia.
What is IFS Therapy?
Developed by Dr Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, IFS is a non-pathologising approach to therapy grounded in a simple but profound idea: your mind is not a single entity — it is made up of many 'parts', or sub-personalities, each with its own perspective, feelings, and role in keeping you safe.
These parts communicate through your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. Some parts carry burdens from past experiences — pain, fear, shame — while others work hard to protect you from feeling those things. When parts are in conflict, or when they carry heavy burdens, you may feel stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected.
IFS helps you slow down, listen to your parts with curiosity and compassion, and work with vulnerable or distressed parts of life experience so that you can access your natural 'Self' energy — a state of calm, clarity, confidence, compassion, courage, creativity, curiosity and connection.
What Can IFS Help With?
IFS may be helpful for a broad range of experiences and goals, including:
- Anxiety, worry and panic
- Depression and low mood
- Trauma and PTSD
- Low self-worth and self-criticism
- Relationship difficulties
- Chronic pain and physical symptoms linked to emotional distress
- Personal growth and self-discovery
- Building confidence and clarity
What Does an IFS Session Look Like?
IFS therapy is gentle and exploratory. Sessions take place at a pace that feels right for you. Rather than re-living or re-telling painful experiences in detail, IFS guides you to tune inward — to notice what you're feeling and thinking, and to approach those experiences with curiosity rather than judgement.
Over time, you develop a compassionate relationship with your inner world. Wounded parts can release the burdens they've been carrying, and protective parts can relax and step back. The result is a quieter mind, greater emotional flexibility, and a deeper sense of who you are.
Is IFS Evidence-Based?
Research into IFS is growing. IFS was designated an evidence-based practice on the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) in 2015. Research has demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, depression, and improvements in self-compassion and emotional regulation. A 2025 scoping review published in Clinical Psychologist identified IFS as a 'promising therapeutic approach' for PTSD, depression, and chronic pain.
Catherine's Approach to IFS
Catherine has completed IFS Level 1 training and integrates IFS into a broader, trauma-informed practice alongside TRTP, ACT, Emotion Focused Therapy, Interpersonal Processing Therapy, CBT, and other modalities. She brings more than 30 years of experience as a registered psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist and a genuine commitment to creating a therapeutic space where you feel seen, heard, safe, supported, and empowered toward meaningful positive change.
Catherine sees clients as an IFS therapist in Hampton, and Murrumbeena, and is also available near you via telehealth — wherever you are in Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions — IFS Therapy
Q: What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy?
A: IFS is a form of psychotherapy developed by Dr Richard Schwartz that views the mind as made up of multiple 'parts' or sub-personalities. The goal is to help you access your natural 'Self' — a calm, compassionate inner leader — and develop a compassionate relationship with parts that to achieve greater sense of psychological ease or balance.
Q: How is IFS different from CBT?
A: CBT and IFS are both evidence-informed psychotherapies, but they differ in their approach. CBT focuses on identifying and modifying unworkable patterns of thinking and behaviour with the aim of achieving greater psychological flexibility and personal agency. IFS guides a person to curiously explore their internal experience (eg: thoughts, urges, emotions, sensory experiences) with the aim of developing greater self-awareness, self-compassion, psychological flexibility and personal agency.
Q: How many IFS sessions will I need?
A: IFS is generally a longer-term therapy because it focuses on creating a deep awareness of, and appreciation for your internal experience, and aims to achieve meaningful and long-lasting change. The pace is tailored to you. An initial assessment session will help Catherine understand your goals and suggest a realistic timeframe.
Q: Is IFS therapy suitable for trauma?
A: Yes. IFS has increasingly been applied in the treatment of trauma but does not require that a person has experienced significant trauma. It does not require you to re-live or recount distressing experiences in detail, which many clients find less overwhelming than traditional trauma therapies.
Q: Do I have to believe in 'parts' for IFS to work?
A: No. Many people find it helpful to use the language of 'parts' as a way of making sense of their inner experience, but it's not a requirement. What matters is your willingness to slow down and turn attention inward — the framework is just a tool to support that process.
Q: Can I do IFS therapy via telehealth?
A: Yes. IFS works very well online. Catherine offers telehealth sessions for clients across Australia.
Q: What is 'Self-leadership' in IFS?
A: Self-leadership refers to the state of accessing your core 'Self' — the calm, curious, compassionate, confident centre of who you are. IFS therapy aims to help you spend more time in this state, so that your 'parts' no longer need to take over and drive your thoughts and behaviour.
Q: What are exiles, managers, and firefighters in IFS?
A: IFS identifies three types of parts. Exiles carry pain, shame, or fear from the past and are often hidden away to protect the system. Managers keep things running and try to prevent exiles from surfacing. Firefighters spring into action when exiles break through — often through impulsive or numbing behaviours. IFS therapy helps all parts find less extreme, more harmonious roles.
Q: Is IFS therapy the same as hypnotherapy?
A: No. IFS is a structured, evidence-informed psychotherapy — not hypnosis. You remain fully conscious and in control throughout. Sessions involve guided inner attention rather than any altered state of consciousness.
Q: What is the difference between IFS and EMDR?
A: EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements) to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. IFS works differently — by building a compassionate relationship with different parts of yourself and healing the burdens they carry. Both are considered trauma-informed psychological therapies and the most appropriate approach depends on the individual’s history, goals and preferences.