Getting to Know Your Inner Landscape: Exploring 'Parts Work' in IFS Therapy
When Inner Experience Feels Like a Crowd
At times, it can feel as though there are many versions of ourselves pulling in opposite directions.
The part that pushes forward to because it doesn’t know how to rest or stop.
The part that avoids to keep away from pain.
The part that wants to help but doesn’t quite know how.
A part that criticises to keep things in control.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that offers language for those inner patterns, and a way to understand these internal experiences. Rather than aiming to change or silence these parts of ourselves, it invites curiosity about why they exist and what they may be trying to do for us.
What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
Developed by psychiatrist Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s, IFS views the human mind as a system of “parts”, alongside a steadier capacity for perspective sometimes called the “Self.” In Australian practice, many clinicians use IFS concepts within broader, evidence-informed care; it is generally not offered as a stand-alone, first-line treatment.
Why “parts”?
When we talk about “parts”, we’re referring to patterns of thoughts, feelings, body cues, and learned roles. These patterns often formed to help us manage stress or threat, even if they now feel rigid or confusing. It’s metaphorical rather than a literal perspective of our inner world. Many people notice that when they are under stress, different reactions seem to take turns at the wheel. One part wants to push through, another to shut down, another might replay worries, memories, or harsh self-talk on repeat. Common groupings you may hear about
Managers aim to prevent distress. They might appear as the organiser, the perfectionist, or the inner critic.
Firefighters act quickly to manage pain, often through distraction or impulsive action, like shutting down, overworking, or numbing.
Exiles carry deep vulnerability, shame, fear, or sadness. Other parts protect them from being overwhelmed again.
These categories are terms to help describe what is happening, they are not diagnostic of any kind specific condition.
The Role of the Self: The 8 C’s
IFS describes an inner capacity as the Self that can relate to parts without getting swallowed by them. The self is recognised through qualities often referred to as the 8 C’s:
Calm , Clarity , Compassion , Curiosity , Confidence , Courage , Creativity , Connectedness
a Different View of “Negative” Thoughts
In many models of therapy, the goal is to reduce or challenge difficult thoughts. IFS suggests something slightly different: that these thoughts might be trying to help. For example:
A harsh inner critic may be trying to prevent rejection.
Avoidance may be an attempt to protect from overwhelm.
Hyper-vigilance may have once been essential in unsafe situations.
When these reactions are seen as protective rather than defective, it becomes easier to approach them with care instead of resistance.
The 6 F’s
In IFS when an uncomfortable part arises, rather than pushing it away, the approach is to get to know our internal world, through the 6 F’s:
Find – Notice a reaction, feeling, or pattern that’s active.
Focus – Bring gentle attention toward it.
Flesh out – Learn what it does, when it appears, and what it’s trying to manage.
Feel toward – Notice how you feel about this part (curious, frustrated, caring).
Befriend – Develop compassion and understanding, rather than judgment.
Fear – Explore what the part is afraid might happen if it stopped doing its job.
These steps focus on a increasing awareness and trying to build a respectful relationship, where protectors can relax, and exiles can be healed. Even small shifts toward curiosity can reduce confusion and shame.
What Does the Research Say?
IFS is considered an emerging psychological approach. It has a growing but emerging base of research, many studies have suggested the need for larger trials. In a lot of studies it has been recognised as integrative or complementary and it’s not yet the gold standard in any of the key areas. Australian guidelines emphasise IFS is best viewed as an integrative or complementary treatment and many psychologists in Australia combine IFS with evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, or Schema Therapy. It is not currently listed as a Medicare therapy, but its ideas may support broader trauma-informed or compassion-focused care.
Neurodivergence, Trauma, and Individual Differences
IFS can resonate with people who experience strong inner conflict, emotional intensity, or sensory overwhelm.
However, the “parts” language may not fit everyone, particularly for those who prefer more concrete or behavioural approaches.
Differences in how people process internal experience are not signs of resistance or deficit; they simply reflect that we all have a unique perspective and that it is important to select a therapy that fits your needs and your perspective.
When IFS Might Be Helpful
IFS may be relevant for people who notice:
Competing internal reactions (e.g., “part of me wants to speak up, another part wants to hide”)
A strong inner critic or self-blame patterns
A wish to understand emotional responses without forcing change
It is not suitable for all presentations, such as acute psychosis or mania, without specialist adaptation.
IFS in Practice: What It Might Look Like
It can be useful to have an awareness of different parts of yourself and while you don’t need to act from them, you can still learn from what they have to offer. For example, you might explore:
What is this part afraid of?
When did it first appear?
What is it trying to protect?
Metaphors can help:
A bus, where different parts might be trying to give directions, but you don’t need to let them drive.
A team, where each member has a role, but not all feel heard.
A family dinner, where everyone wants to be noticed, but some voices dominate.
These are ways to build understanding, not to force change or decide which part is “right.”
Ethical Use and Boundaries
In ethical psychological care:
Parts are treated as metaphors for our mental processes, rather than as literal entities.
Agency and responsibility always remain with the individual who is attending therapy, and you have the ultimate choice in how you want to guide your path.
Exploration proceeds at a pace that supports your feeling of comfort and understanding.
At the current moment IFS is not recognised as a substitute for crisis care, or structured trauma processing, but it can provide a language for understanding why different responses exist and how they may have once helped. You don’t need to agree with every part of a therapy or use any part of it all. Therapy should be your own journey.
It can be helpful to see which ideas resonate, which don’t, and which feel worth revisiting later.
A Way of Making Sense, Not a Requirement
IFS offers one map for understanding inner experience. Some people recognise themselves in it immediately; others don’t, both perspectives are valid. Psychological frameworks are tools, not rules. What matters is whether an approach supports your understanding of yourself. The goal is to help, reduce confusion, and fits with your person’s values and circumstances.
To Research Further
https://ifs-institute.com/
https://mindbeyond.com.au/
