What is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is an evidence-informed therapy developed by psychologist Richard Schwartz. It offers a compassionate and increasingly popular way of understanding the mind: not as a single unit, but as made up of different parts, each with its own feelings, beliefs, and role.
Most of us know this experience already. A part of you wants to speak up while another part holds back. One part drives you hard while another longs to rest. There is an inner critic, an anxious part, a part that shuts down when things get too much. IFS sees all of these parts as trying, in their own way, to protect you, even when their efforts cause difficulty. At the core, beneath all the parts, is what IFS calls the Self: a calm, compassionate, wise centre that is the natural source of healing.
At Integro Health, IFS is delivered by trained practitioners in a warm, non-judgemental environment in South West WA, in person or online.
How IFS works
In IFS, no part of you is bad, and nothing needs to be got rid of. Even the parts that cause the most trouble, the harsh inner critic, the part that reaches for old ways of coping, the part that overwhelms you with anxiety, are understood as protectors, doing what they learned to do to keep you safe. Often they are guarding younger, more vulnerable parts that carry old pain, which IFS calls exiles.
IFS helps you get to know these parts with curiosity and compassion rather than judgement or conflict. As you build a relationship with them, from the calm, grounded place of your Self, the protective parts can relax, the wounded parts can be heard and healed, and the whole inner system can settle. This is deeply relevant to trauma and childhood experiences, where parts often become stuck carrying old burdens.
The result, for many people, is less inner conflict, more self-compassion, and a stronger sense of being led from a calm and steady centre.
How IFS works in practice
IFS is a gentle, respectful way of working with your inner world. It unfolds through building relationships with your parts, always at a pace that feels safe.
Getting to know your parts
Together, we gently get to know the different parts of you, the critic, the anxious part, the protector, with curiosity rather than judgement, and come to understand what each is trying to do for you.
Leading from the Self
We help you access your Self, the calm, compassionate centre beneath the parts, which is the natural source of healing and the place from which the work is done.
Understanding the protectors
Rather than fighting the parts that cause difficulty, we come to appreciate how they have been trying to protect you, which allows them, over time, to relax their grip.
Healing what parts carry
From the safety of the Self, the more vulnerable parts that carry old pain can be heard, understood, and gently unburdened, in a way that brings real relief.
A calmer inner system
As the parts settle and trust the Self to lead, inner conflict eases, self-compassion grows, and you feel more whole and steady in yourself.
Meet our practitioners
At Integro Health, IFS is delivered by qualified psychotherapists and clinicians with genuine warmth and years of experience. Take a moment to read about our practitioners and find the right fit for you.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What IFS can help with
Trauma
Gentle, trauma-informed therapy that helps you work through the past at your own pace, so it stops running the present.…
Trauma →
Complex PTSD
Careful, relational therapy for complex trauma that builds safety and trust first. Support in Bunbury or online across the South…
Complex PTSD →
Childhood Trauma
Gently understand how early experiences still shape you today, and rework the patterns they left behind. Therapy in Bunbury and…
Childhood Trauma →
Anxiety
Practical, evidence-based help for worry, racing thoughts, and constant unease, so you can feel safe in your own life again.…
Anxiety →
Depression
Warm, judgement-free support for depression and persistent low mood, helping you find your way back toward feeling like yourself. In…
Depression →
Low Self-Esteem
Build a steadier, kinder relationship with yourself and quieten a harsh inner critic. Psychological support in Bunbury and online across…
Low Self-Esteem →Why Integro Health
Registered, experienced clinicians
Your therapy is delivered by qualified psychotherapists and clinicians trained in the approach. Experience and genuine care come as standard.
A whole-person approach
We look at every part of you, your thoughts, feelings, relationships, and circumstances, because difficulties rarely sit in just one area of life.
The right approach for you
We use IFS where it genuinely fits, and draw on other evidence-based approaches when they would help, rather than forcing a one-size formula.
In Bunbury and online
See us in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury, or by secure telehealth anywhere in South West WA and beyond. The choice is yours.
Is IFS effective? The evidence
IFS has a growing evidence base and is increasingly recognised as an effective, evidence-informed approach, particularly for trauma and difficulties rooted in painful early experiences. Research and clinical experience point to its value in reducing distress, easing inner conflict, and building self-compassion.
Part of its appeal is how respectful and non-pathologising it is. Because no part of you is treated as bad or broken, many people find IFS a gentle and profoundly compassionate way to work, especially with experiences that feel tender or shameful.
As with any therapy, IFS does not suit everyone or guarantee a particular result. It involves turning toward parts of yourself that may carry pain, which is done gently and at your pace. Where a different approach would serve you better, we will say so and tailor accordingly.
What to expect in IFS
IFS can feel different from more conventional talking therapy. Rather than only discussing your problems, your psychotherapist will help you turn your attention inward, to notice and get to know the different parts of you, often through a calm, reflective, and sometimes imaginative process.
You stay in control throughout, and nothing is forced. The work is gentle and respectful, always moving at the pace your parts are comfortable with. Many people find it a surprisingly compassionate and settling experience. Sessions run for around 50 minutes.
You can read more about what to expect on our first session page.
Is IFS right for you?
IFS may be a good fit if you experience a lot of inner conflict, a harsh inner critic, or parts of yourself that feel at war, or if you are working through trauma or painful early experiences and want a gentle, compassionate approach. Many people are drawn to how respectful it is, treating no part of them as bad or broken.
IFS is one of several approaches we offer, and for some people or difficulties a different approach fits better, or a blend works well. Where trauma is central, we might also draw on EMDR or schema therapy. If you are not sure what you need, reaching out is a good first step, and we can help you find the right path together.
Your questions answered
Not at all. Having parts is completely normal and human. Everyone has different parts, the part that wants to rest and the part that pushes on, the confident part and the anxious one. IFS is not about having a disorder. It is simply a compassionate and effective way of understanding the mind we all have.
No. IFS uses the everyday idea that we all have different parts or sides to us, which is a normal feature of every mind. It is not about dissociative identity disorder, and you do not need any diagnosis to benefit. That said, its gentle, parts-based approach can be very helpful for people working through trauma.
IFS provided by a registered clinician can attract a Medicare rebate if you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, which covers up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We are happy to explain what applies to you and talk through the options and costs before you begin.
This varies with what you are working through. Some people gain a lot from a focused piece of IFS work, while healing deeper, trauma-related burdens usually takes longer and is done gently over time. We move at the pace your parts are comfortable with, and review progress with you as we go.
IFS often involves turning your attention inward and noticing parts, which can include some imaginative or reflective work, but there is no right way to do it and nothing is forced. Some people experience parts vividly, others more as thoughts or feelings. Your therapist will follow your lead and make it comfortable for you.
Yes. We offer sessions by secure telehealth across South West WA and Australia-wide, as well as in person at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury. For most people online sessions are just as effective, and they are especially helpful if you are in a regional area or short on time. You can read more on our online therapy page.
No referral is needed to book a session. You can contact us directly to arrange a first appointment. If you would like to access a Medicare rebate through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, and we can guide you through that.
IFS helps with a wide range of concerns and is especially valued for trauma, complex PTSD, childhood experiences, inner conflict, a harsh inner critic, anxiety, and low self-esteem. If you are not sure whether it fits, we are happy to advise.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
