Heal the Parts Within You

What Exactly Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a cutting-edge, holistic therapy that heals attachment wounds, trauma, shame, and self-criticism — guiding people back to a place where they can respect, trust, and like themselves again.

IFS provides a clear, step-by-step model that helps you reconnect with your inner world, heal deeply, and transform how you move through life.

With IFS therapy, you can establish balance within your internal system by learning to understand your own motivations, conflicts, and emotional needs. As you begin to know yourself on this deeper level, you can heal, grow, and move forward with more confidence in your relationships, work, and life.

How IFS Therapy Works

IFS therapy is based on the concept of parts work — the idea that we are made up of many internal “parts,” each with its own feelings, beliefs, and needs.
Just as a family is made up of unique members with distinct personalities, your internal system is composed of different parts that interact with one another.

You might already notice this language in daily life:

“Part of me wants to go out, but another part wants to stay home.”
“Part of me wants to forgive them, but another part is still angry.”

IFS helps you get to know these parts and develop a compassionate, understanding relationship with each one — so they can work with you, not against you.

How IFS Therapy in Cincinnati Can Help

Sometimes our parts are at odds with one another.
Maybe one part of you wants to feel close to your partner, while another shuts down in fear. Or one part of you strives for success while another quietly sabotages your efforts because it’s afraid of failing.

These internal conflicts can create confusion, frustration, and emotional exhaustion.
They can strain relationships and leave you feeling disconnected from who you truly are.

IFS therapy helps you identify and communicate with these inner parts, creating harmony, balance, and self-leadership within your system. Through this process, you can heal old wounds, release emotional burdens, and begin living from your calm,confident, compassionate core Self.

Who Can Benefit from IFS Therapy

IFS therapy can benefit anyone who feels stuck, self-critical, or disconnected. It’s especially powerful for those working through:

Trauma or PTSD (including emotional neglect and relational trauma)
Anxiety, depression, and self-esteem issues
Relationship struggles or codependency
Addictive or self-defeating behaviors
Chronic stress and burnout
A desire for deeper self-understanding or personal growth

Many clients who have experienced painful or confusing relationships in childhood find IFS particularly helpful. Because IFS allows access to the emotional layers beneath cognitive thought, it helps you process memories and beliefs that were previously locked away — leading to true emotional integration and lasting relief.

What to Expect in an IFS Therapy Session

An IFS session looks much like a traditional therapy appointment, but with a deeper focus on your internal system.
Your therapist helps you identify and explore the different parts of yourself, gently guiding you toward understanding, connection, and healing.

IFS sessions are flexible and experiential — there’s no rigid protocol or need to “get it right.” You’ll simply follow your internal experience with curiosity and compassion.

IFS therapy can also be integrated with other modalities such as EMDR or somatic therapy, depending on your needs.

Unique Benefits of Internal Family Systems Therapy

Holistic Healing

IFS addresses the whole person — not just symptoms — fostering a deep sense of internal wholeness and harmony.

Empowerment

By reconnecting to your authentic Self, you begin living from a place of strength, clarity, and intention.

Trauma Recovery

IFS helps you safely access and heal wounded parts that traditional talk therapy can’t reach.

Better Relationships

Understanding your own parts enhances empathy and emotional attunement with others.

Lasting Change

When your internal parts understand and trust each other, self-destructive patterns dissolve, making space for growth.

An Alternative Approach

IFS can be especially powerful if CBT or DBT hasn’t been effective for you, offering a different path to self-understanding and healing.

Stress Reduction & Mindfulness

As you develop inner harmony, anxiety and tension naturally decrease — leading to more calm, presence, and self-compassion.

How IFS Therapy Can Benefit You

IFS provides you with tools for emotional awareness, regulation, and resilience.

You’ll begin to notice your inner world with compassion instead of judgment — recognizing why certain parts act the way they do, and helping them find new, healthier roles.

For example:

You may learn to comfort the part of you that wants to drink or overeat instead of shaming it.
You can understand why a part of you avoids social settings — and gently help it feel safe again.

Over time, this awareness leads to profound healing.
You’ll find yourself more self-assured, less reactive, and more at peace with your emotions.

“IFS helps you reconnect with your inner world — and, in turn, with the world around you.”

Common Questions About IFS Therapy in Cincinnati

Yes. IFS is recognized as an evidence-based approach that addresses the root causes of emotional pain, not just surface-level symptoms.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, IFS helps you access and heal unconscious emotional wounds stored in the body and nervous system.
No. IFS therapy sessions are billed at the same rate as standard talk therapy and are covered by most insurance plans.
IFS is a bottom-up approach that accesses emotional and bodily experience rather than relying solely on logic and cognition.
This makes it particularly effective for trauma, anxiety, and shame that can’t always be reasoned away through traditional therapy.
IFS and EMDR are both powerful, evidence-based therapies, but they focus on different aspects of healing.
- IFS helps you understand and harmonize your internal parts to achieve emotional integration.
- EMDR focuses on processing and desensitizing specific traumatic memories using bilateral stimulation.
Both can be highly effective on their own or integrated together for deeper trauma work.

Start IFS Therapy in Cincinnati

If you’re ready to reconnect with yourself, heal old wounds, and find compassion for every part of who you are, IFS therapy can help you rediscover your inner strength and clarity.

Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with one of our IFS-trained therapists.

Sheldon Reisman and Kelsey Harlow are trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy and offer IFS sessions in person and online.

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