In-person in Walnut Creek & online across california
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Trauma & Anxiety
→Offering IFS therapy in Walnut Creek for trauma, anxiety, and self-criticism
Is part of you ready to heal, while another part isn’t quite there yet?
You may understand yourself well. You’ve done therapy, built insight, and worked hard to change—and still, something inside feels stuck or conflicted.
IFS might be a good fit for you if…
You feel like different parts of you want different things
Part of you wants closeness, while another part pulls away. Part of you wants rest, while another part pushes you to keep going. Part of you knows you’re safe now, while another part still reacts as if danger is present.
IFS gives us a way to slow down and understand these inner tensions with more compassion and clarity.
You’re tired of fighting with yourself
Many people come to therapy feeling frustrated by their own reactions. They wonder, “Why do I keep doing this?” or “Why can’t I just let this go?”
IFS helps us move away from shame and toward understanding. When we listen to the parts of you that feel anxious, critical, numb, overwhelmed, or protective, those parts often begin to soften.
You’ve already tried traditional therapy
You may have insight into your past and understand where your patterns come from. But insight alone doesn’t always create change.
IFS helps you build a different relationship with the parts of you carrying pain, fear, shame, or responsibility, so healing can happen from the inside out.
You want a carefully paced, nervous-system–informed approach
IFS is collaborative, non-pathologizing, and paced with care. We don’t force parts to change or push past your system’s protections. Instead, we listen, build trust, and help your inner system feel safer over time.
You’re in the right place.
IFS therapy helps you understand the parts of you that have been protecting you — and connect with the deeper Self beneath them.
What is IFS?
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is a therapy approach that views the mind as made up of different “parts.” These parts often hold different emotions, beliefs, memories, and roles.
Some parts may work hard to keep you functioning.
Some parts may criticize or push you.
Some parts may shut things down when life feels like too much.
Some parts may carry younger wounds, grief, fear, or shame.
IFS helps you get to know these parts with compassion, while also strengthening access to Self — the grounded, wise, curious, calm center within you.
The goal is not to get rid of parts. The goal is to help your system feel less extreme, less burdened, and more connected
How can IFS help with trauma?
Trauma often leaves parts of us carrying experiences that were too much to process at the time.
Some parts may stay on alert.
Some may avoid closeness.
Some may people-please to prevent conflict.
Some may hold pain from the past as if it is still happening now.
IFS allows us to approach these parts gently, without overwhelming your system. Instead of forcing you to relive painful experiences, we build enough safety and trust to help wounded parts feel seen, supported, and unburdened.
How can IFS help with anxiety?
Anxiety is often a protective part working overtime.
It may scan for danger, overthink every possibility, rehearse conversations, or try to keep you prepared for anything that could go wrong.
In IFS, we don’t treat anxiety as the enemy. We get curious about what it is trying to prevent, what it fears would happen if it stopped, and what it needs in order to relax.
As anxious parts begin to feel understood, many people experience more spaciousness, steadiness, and internal freedom and choice.
How can IFS help with self-criticism?
Self-critical parts can feel harsh, exhausting, and relentless. But in IFS, we often discover that these parts are trying to protect you from rejection, failure, disappointment, or vulnerability.
This doesn’t mean the criticism is helpful — but it does mean it makes sense.
IFS helps you relate to self-critical parts differently, so they no longer have to work through shame, pressure, or fear.
What makes this different?
This work isn’t about fixing you.
It’s about understanding the parts of you that have taken on so much—holding things together, anticipating, protecting, pushing through—and helping them no longer have to work so hard.
Many of the people I work with are already thoughtful and self-aware. They understand where their patterns come from. But understanding alone hasn’t shifted how things feel on the inside.
IFS creates change by working within your internal system, not just thinking about it.
Instead of trying to override your reactions, we slow down and listen to them—so the parts of you that feel anxious, driven, shut down, or self-critical can begin to soften.
When that happens, change doesn’t feel forced. It feels natural, steady, and more sustainable.
If you're looking for more focused, accelerated work, I also offer therapy intensives designed to support deeper, more sustained shifts.
1
Consultation
We begin with a consultation to talk about what brings you to therapy, what patterns feel stuck, and whether this approach feels like the right fit.
You’ll leave this conversation with a clearer sense of next steps, whether or not we decide to work together.
2
Getting to Know Your Parts
In sessions, we gently notice the parts of you that show up around anxiety, trauma, relationships, self-criticism, perfectionism, or overwhelm.
3
Building Trust and Healing
Over time, we help protective parts feel safer, connect with wounded parts that may be carrying pain, and support your system in moving toward more calm, clarity, and inner connection.
What you get
✓ A compassionate approach
✓ Therapy that honors your pace and nervous system
✓ Support for trauma, anxiety, shame, and inner conflict
✓ A deeper relationship with yourself
Imagine finally getting to…
Feel more at ease within yourself.
Understand why different parts of you react the way they do, and begin relating to yourself with more compassion.
Actually shift the patterns that have felt stuck.
Shift patterns that you may already understand intellectually but still feel emotionally stuck inside.
Experience more inner calm and clarity.
Respond to yourself, your relationships, and your life with more grounded choice.
Ready to take the next step?
If this resonates, the next step is a consultation. We’ll talk through what’s been feeling stuck, what you’re hoping for, and whether this approach feels like the right fit for you. There’s no pressure to commit—just a space to explore what you need.
faqs
Other IFS questions? I’ve got answers.
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No. IFS does not mean you have multiple personalities. It simply recognizes that all people have different parts of themselves — like a part that wants rest, a part that feels anxious, a part that wants connection, or a part that tries to stay in control.
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IFS can help with trauma, anxiety, shame, self-criticism, people-pleasing, perfectionism, relationship patterns, emotional overwhelm, and feeling stuck despite insight.
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IFS stands for Internal Family Systems. It is a therapy model that helps you understand and heal the different parts of your inner world.
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Yes. IFS is designed to move at the pace of your system. We do not force parts to change or push past protective responses. Instead, we build trust and safety over time.
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Yes. IFS and EMDR can complement each other beautifully. IFS can help us understand and work with protective parts, while EMDR can support deeper processing when your system is ready.
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The next step is to schedule a consultation. We’ll talk about what you’re hoping for, what feels stuck, and whether this approach feels like the right fit