IFS Therapy in Phoenix, AZ
IFS Therapy: Connect with your Authentic Self
Unlock a path to self-trust and self-kindness through IFS therapy in Phoenix in-person or telehealth.
Are you tired of feeling stuck in a constant tug-of-war within yourself? Do you ever experience that inner conflict where a part of you wants to take action while another part procrastinates or holds back? If you’ve been struggling to trust yourself with making the right decisions, and you find it challenging to set and enforce healthy boundaries for yourself and others, IFS therapy is for you. It will introduce you to powerful techniques and facilitate profound realizations for you to cultivate self-trust, nurture your inner being, and develop a deep understanding of your emotions and behaviors.
IFS Therapy, or Internal Family Systems, is an evidence-based holistic therapeutic approach. According to IFS Therapy, it is the nature of the mind to be subdivided into several parts, each with its unique purpose and characteristics centered around your authentic Self. By exploring these parts and learning to work with them in a compassionate and supportive way, you can gain greater self-awareness, overcome inner conflicts, and live a life of greater peace, fulfillment, and connection. This innovative approach to therapy has been helping people transform in my Phoenix office and telehealth, guiding them to unlock the depths of their inner Selves and create lasting positive change.
As an IFS therapist, I believe that our inner parts (called “managers”, “firefighters,” and “exiles”), just like members of a family, are sometimes forced – through external circumstances such as trauma – into extreme, polarized roles from their original, helpful states.
Managers in IFS Therapy
Managers are sub-personalities that maintain order and control in the individual’s life. They are responsible for setting and enforcing rules, often having a rigid, perfectionist approach to life. Managers are often highly critical of themselves and others and sometimes hold themselves and others to unrealistically high standards. They might struggle with flexibility and adaptability and become incredibly frustrated when things don’t go according to plan.
Managers might also avoid vulnerability and emotional expression, as they see these as signs of weakness or lack of control. They might struggle with intimacy in relationships and have difficulty opening up to others.
Managers can also suppress some of their own desires and interests, focusing instead on what they believe is “right” or “responsible.” As such, they might have difficulty finding joy and fulfillment in life, as they are focused on maintaining control and avoiding risk.
Firefighters in IFS Therapy
Firefighters show up when managers falter. When managers become overwhelmed and unable to maintain control and order, firefighters step in to suppress an emotion or distract you from the emotional pain. Firefighters can be seen as a backup mechanism that kicks in when managers can no longer maintain control. Their primary purpose is to shield you from the emotional pain experienced through the exiles.
Firefighters often develop compulsive behaviors or addictions as a way to alleviate the emotional distress caused by their perceived inner emotional burdens (exiles). These include substance use, eating disorders, shopping or spending addiction, gambling addiction, technology addiction, and workaholism.
Exiles in IFS Therapy
Exiles are sub-personalities that represent unresolved emotional pain, unprocessed trauma, limiting beliefs, or difficult memories from the past that you may have experienced in your life. These parts are formed as a result of difficult or overwhelming life events, especially during childhood. When these events occur, the managers and firefighters may “exile” these parts to protect you from feeling overwhelmed by their emotions and ensure your perceived survival and well-being.
In IFS Therapy, the mechanism of “exiling” refers to pushing away or hiding the parts of you out of your awareness as the protectors try to assume complete control. This often results in emotional avoidance, perfectionism, avoidant relationships, defensive behaviors, vulnerability avoidance, and control orientation. However, deep down, exiles may often experience shame, guilt, extreme vulnerability, sadness, helplessness, and abandonment. Therefore, IFS Therapy aims to work with these exiled parts compassionately, help them heal, and reintegrate them into your inner system, promoting emotional healing and wholeness.
The Self in IFS Therapy
The concept of Self in IFS therapy is an exciting and transformative idea that can help you connect with your deepest and most authentic Self. The Self is the essence of who you are, the place of calm, clarity, and wisdom within you that is always present, even when you are struggling with difficult emotions, thoughts, or behaviors.
When you are in Self-energy, you experience clarity, calmness, compassion, connection, and inner wisdom. The Self understands your experiences, regulates emotions, shows empathy, fosters meaningful connections, and guides personal growth and healing.
In IFS therapy, the goal is to help you connect with the Self and tap into its wisdom and compassion to better understand and manage your emotions and experiences. By working with the Self, you can develop a greater sense of self-awareness, self-compassion, and inner peace.
Connect with your IFS Therapist in Phoenix In-Person or Online
As an experienced Meadows-trained therapist, I’ve dedicated thousands of hours to my clients and honed the most effective evidence-based therapy approaches, including IFS. During our IFS Therapy sessions, we delve deep into the core of trauma, anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges, fostering elegant solutions and lasting change. Uncover the true essence of who you are and embrace a new way of being with the transformative power of Internal Family Systems.
Other Mental Health Therapy Services:
Internal Family Systems is one of the many services I offer in my practice in Phoenix, AZ. Other specialties in mental health services include trauma therapy, depression and anxiety therapy, couples therapy, EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, CBT, and others.
My office, conveniently located in Deer Valley in Phoenix, is easily accessible for those residing in Arrowhead Ranch, Anthem, Cave Creek, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, North Scottsdale, and other areas in Greater Phoenix. The same services, including IFS, are also available online. Whether you live in Flagstaff, Tucson, Yuma, or any rural area, you still have access to some of the best modalities that have been developed so far through online therapy in Arizona.