What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
IFS helps you turn toward yourself with curiosity, not judgment, so you can live from your truest Self.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a gentle, evidence-based approach to personal growth and healing. It’s based on a simple yet powerful idea: we all have different “parts” within us, like the inner critic, the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the worrier, the dreamer. These parts form for good reasons, often to protect us, especially during times of stress or pain.
In IFS coaching, we don’t try to get rid of these parts, we get to know them. We listen to what they need, understand where they come from, and begin to build trust between them and your deeper Self, the wise, compassionate center within you.
From this grounded place, lasting change can happen, not by forcing or fixing, but by gently re-aligning your inner world.
Why IFS?
I have found that IFS especially helps those of us struggling with relationships around them. By befriending the parts within ourselves, we gain access to do the same with those around us. Learning that skill leads to resolution and happiness within our relationships.
Orlee’s IFS sessions are trauma-informed and include some mindfulness, self-compassion, equanimity, and optional yoga movement.
Session Overview
Our first session (or consultation) is all about getting to know you and the parts of you that may be asking for support. Through a series of thoughtful questions and prompts, I’ll learn more about who you are, what you’re currently navigating, and how I can best support your healing and growth.
In ongoing sessions, we’ll begin by checking in with the parts we explored previously:
Have they shown up again in your daily life?
What did that look or feel like?
Is that still where you'd like to focus, or has something new come up?
This kind of reflection helps us understand what happens when certain parts take over and opens the door to exploring how that can shift.
When a part of you arises that needs attention, perhaps a feeling like sadness, anxiety, or a younger inner part, we’ll gently connect with it. That might mean noticing where it lives in your body, sensing its energy, or visualizing it in your inner world. From there, we move slowly and compassionately, getting curious without overwhelming your system.
As we build a relationship with these parts, you’ll begin to “map” how they interact, who’s trying to protect you, who’s feeling hurt, and how they influence your thoughts, behaviors, and choices. This process supports insight, emotional clarity, and greater self-leadership.
Between sessions, practices like journaling, reflection, or creative expression can help you deepen your connection to your parts and bring this awareness into daily life, so you feel more resourced and responsive, even outside of our time together.
For teens and young people, we explore emotions and inner experiences by learning how to notice different “parts” of themselves, like the anxious part, the part that feels pressured to be perfect, or the part that feels alone. We get curious about what those parts are trying to say, and how to work with them instead of against them.
This work helps teens build emotional awareness, confidence, and tools to handle stress or challenges. It’s gentle, nonjudgmental, and always at their pace.
Sessions are available via Zoom, FaceTime, or in person.
Who is Life Coaching with IFS For?
Life coaching with an Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach is for anyone who wants to understand themselves more deeply, build inner trust, and live in alignment with their true Self. Whether you’re navigating change, feeling stuck, or longing for a more authentic life, this kind of coaching creates space for meaningful transformation.
IFS-informed coaching is especially helpful for:
High achievers and perfectionists who struggle with burnout, self-criticism, or the pressure to always “keep it together”
People in transition—career shifts, relationship changes, new identities, seeking clarity and grounded next steps
Those with a loud inner critic who want to quiet the negative self-talk and cultivate more self-compassion
Sensitive or deep feelers who carry old wounds or shame, and are ready to gently tend to those parts
Those in recovery from addiction or disordered eating, working to build a more compassionate relationship with their body, emotions, and inner world
Children and adolescents learning to navigate complex emotions, identity, and relationships with support and curiosity
People facing medical challenges or chronic illness, who want to care for the emotional and inner impact of their experience
Those grieving a loss, whether recent or long-held, and needing space to process and honor what’s been lost
Individuals with trauma or PTSD, looking for a safe, non-pathologizing approach to healing and integration
Those who struggle to trust others or themselves, and are ready to rebuild connections from the inside out
People living with anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm, who want tools to find more ease and inner stability
Anyone navigating relationship difficulties, from communication breakdowns to attachment wounds
Those who have experienced suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and are seeking compassionate, nonjudgmental support for the parts that carry pain
You don’t need to have prior experience with therapy or IFS, just a willingness to get curious about your inner landscape and meet yourself with compassion.
Ready to meet yourself with more compassion and clarity?
Whether you're navigating pain, inner conflict, or simply want to deepen your self-understanding, IFS coaching can help you connect with the parts of you that are ready to heal.
All parts are welcome