What Is IFS Therapy LA? A Guide to Internal Family Systems for Anxiety, Trauma & Chronic Pain
- Apr 25
- 4 min read
Key takeaways
IFS or Internal Family Systems frames the mind as a family of parts — managers, exiles, and firefighters — each with a protective role
The goal is Self-led healing: accessing your calm, compassionate core so parts can unblend and release their burdens
When paired with somatic tools, clients in LA utilizing IFS often see shifts in anxiety, chronic pain, and trauma symptoms within the first few sessions
What is IFS therapy LA?
Richard Schwartz developed IFS in the 1980s after noticing recurring subpersonalities in his clinical work. The model treats the mind as an internal family, with three types of parts:
Exiles — vulnerable parts holding shame, grief, or early wounds
Managers — proactive protectors like your inner critic or people-pleasing drive
Firefighters — reactive parts that numb or distract through bingeing, dissociation, or rage
At the center of the model is the Self — described by eight Cs: calmness, curiosity, compassion, clarity, courage, creativity, confidence, and connectedness. The therapist's job is to help you access that state so Self can lead. Somatic practices like breath and grounding make this easier to reach, both in and between sessions.
The goal isn't to eliminate parts. It's to help them change roles.
How a typical IFS session unfolds
Sessions begin with a safety check and a shared map of what you want to work on. From there, sessions follow what's called the six Fs: Find the part, Focus on it, Flesh out its image and sensations, Feel what's present without merging, Befriend the part, and Face any concerns before going deeper.
Somatic cues — chest tightness, shallow breath, a sudden urge to change the subject — guide the pacing throughout. Sessions end with re-grounding so you leave feeling steady.
IFS for trauma and chronic pain
When I use IFA as a therapist, it is almost always paired with somatic work — because the body holds memory just as much as the mind does.
Trauma work follows three phases: first stabilizing the nervous system through grounding and breath; then carefully unblending protectors so an exile's story can be witnessed without flooding; and finally unburdening, using imagery or symbolic rituals to help parts release extreme beliefs like "I am broken."
For chronic pain clients, this matters especially. The fear-pain-bracing cycle often has protective parts at its core — and IFS gives those parts a way to be heard and shift, rather than simply managed.
What the research shows
The evidence base for IFS is growing steadily. A 2025 scoping review in Clinical Psychologist (Buys) examined 27 peer-reviewed studies and found IFS to be a promising treatment for chronic pain, depression, and PTSD.
A Harvard-affiliated randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Rheumatology (Shadick et al., 2013) found significant reductions in pain and improved physical function in chronic pain patients, with benefits sustained at one-year follow-up.
A 2021 pilot study (Hodgdon et al.) showed meaningful reductions in PTSD symptoms, depression, dissociation, and somatization in trauma survivors, and a 2024 study in Psychological Trauma (Comeau et al.) found that an online group IFS program significantly reduced PTSD severity, anxiety, and depression, with 92% of participants saying they would recommend it.
SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs rated IFS effective for general functioning and well-being. As with any modality, clinician training and how carefully your therapist tracks your progress matter most.
Try a simple parts work check in: Take three slow breaths. Notice one part — an inner critic, a worry, a heaviness — and gently ask: what do you need? what are you afraid of? Listen without arguing. Jot a word or two down afterward.
Bring what you notice to a session rather than treating this as standalone trauma work.
Frequently asked questions about IFS therapy in Los Angeles
What is IFS therapy and how is it different from regular talk therapy? IFS treats the mind as a system of distinct "parts" rather than a single unified stream. Where talk therapy analyzes what happened, IFS gets curious about who inside you is carrying the weight of it — and works with those parts directly, often alongside body awareness.
Is IFS therapy evidence-based? Yes. IFS is recognized as an evidence-based practice with peer-reviewed research showing reductions in PTSD, depression, and chronic pain. A 2025 scoping review in Clinical Psychologist examined 27 studies and found IFS promising across multiple conditions. Clinician training quality matters significantly though — not all practitioners have the same depth of experience.
How many sessions will I need? It varies. Some people notice shifts within the first few sessions; deeper trauma or chronic pain work typically unfolds over several months. Sessions at Sarah Bibbo Therapy are paced to your nervous system, not a fixed timeline.
Can IFS therapy help with chronic pain? Yes. Many chronic pain patterns have protective parts at their core — holding tension as a way of managing unprocessed stress or emotion. A Harvard-affiliated randomized controlled trial found IFS produced significant reductions in pain and improved physical function, sustained at one-year follow-up. IFS is typically paired with Somatic Experiencing to address the physical dimension directly.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail? No. IFS focuses on the parts carrying the burden of past experiences rather than re-narrating the story itself — making it accessible for people who've found traditional trauma therapy overwhelming.
Is IFS therapy available online in California? Yes. I offer virtual sessions statewide alongside in-person sessions in West Los Angeles. Book a free consultation →
Sarah Bibbo is a Psychotherapist (ASW) and Somatic Experiencing Trainee trained at UCLA's Child/Adolescent Anxiety, OCD and Tic Disorder Clinic and the UCLA RNH Intensive Partial Hospitalization program.
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