Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in Alberta
Understand your inner world, create balance within, and reconnect with the parts of you that have been working so hard for so long.
Part of you wants to rest, but another part pushes you to keep going.
One part wants to forgive, another clings to anger.
Maybe you’re confident at work but feel small and uncertain at home.
These inner contradictions can feel exhausting…like different “voices” pulling you in opposite directions. Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy helps you make sense of this inner world. It shows that these conflicting parts aren’t flaws; they’re protective patterns that developed from real experiences; often shaped by your family, relationships, and early environment.
At The Mental Health Clinic, we use IFS to help you understand how your life experiences have created different parts within you. When these parts work together instead of against each other, you begin to feel calmer, clearer, and more connected to who you really are.
(Online sessions available across Alberta, including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Fort McMurray.)
Do You Ever Feel at Odds with Yourself?
What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a practical, evidence-based approach that views the mind as an inner family system; a community of parts, each with its own feelings, roles, and intentions.
Some parts work hard to keep life under control; the planners, the perfectionists, the ones who never rest.
Others carry pain from the past, the hurt, scared, or rejected parts that were never fully heard.
And some step in to protect you when life feels unsafe; the angry or reactive parts that push others away or shut down completely.
All of these parts exist for a reason. They developed to help you cope, adapt, or survive, often shaped by how you grew up, what you learned, or what life demanded of you.
IFS doesn’t try to silence or get rid of these parts. Instead, it helps you understand them with curiosity and respect. Through guided dialogue, you begin to see what each part needs and how it’s trying to help, even when its strategy no longer works.
As trust grows within your system, inner conflict starts to settle. Clients often describe this as “finally understanding why I react the way I do” or “meeting myself for the first time in years.”
From there, you learn to lead from your Self, the calm, steady core beneath all the protective layers. This process doesn’t erase your history; it helps you make peace with it so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and self-trust.
Why Internal Family Systems Therapy Works
IFS works because it changes how you relate to your inner world. Instead of trying to fight, ignore, or fix uncomfortable emotions, it teaches you to understand and lead them.
Most of us spend years trying to silence the parts of ourselves we don’t like the anxious part, the angry part, the part that feels small or ashamed. But those parts don’t disappear. They simply work harder behind the scenes. IFS helps you turn toward them with curiosity, not judgment.
Instead of fighting symptoms or pushing feelings away, you learn how each emotion or behaviour developed for a reason. Many of these patterns once protected you from pain or disappointment. Once those protective parts are understood, they begin to relax naturally.
That’s what makes IFS so different. It replaces self-criticism with curiosity. As your relationship with your inner world shifts, so does your experience of daily life. You start to notice less reactivity, calmer, and a stronger sense of self-trust.
This process often leads to:
More emotional balance and confidence.
Clearer boundaries in relationships.
Decreased anxiety and overthinking.
A greater sense of purpose and connection.
In short, IFS doesn’t try to erase any part of you, it helps them work together. When your inner world feels more cooperative, life outside starts to feel that way too.
How IFS Connects to Family Systems Therapy
Internal Family Systems grew out of Family Systems Theory, which views every family as an interconnected system where each person’s emotions, roles, and behaviours influence the others. IFS takes this same understanding inward, recognising that our inner world functions much like a family too. Just as family members affect one another, your internal parts do the same.
The part of you that takes charge may echo an old caregiving role.
The part that avoids conflict may reflect early lessons about safety or belonging.
These patterns are often shaped by what family life required of you and they continue to influence how you think, feel, and relate today.
In therapy, we gently explore these links between your past and your present responses. Understanding both your inner system and your family system helps you see your reactions in context, not as flaws, but as learned strategies that once made sense.
This perspective brings powerful clarity. It helps you:
Recognise inherited emotional patterns without blame.
Develop healthier boundaries and self-leadership.
Communicate more clearly in relationships.
Feel steadier and more confident in how you relate to others and to yourself.
IFS doesn’t separate you from your history; it helps you integrate it.
When you understand where your patterns began, you can finally decide how you want them to continue.
Who Benefits from Internal Family Systems Therapy
IFS is widely used with individuals, couples, and families…anyone who feels “stuck,” reactive, or fragmented inside. It’s especially helpful for:
People navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or burnout.
Those struggling with shame, self-criticism, or perfectionism.
Individuals who feel they’ve lost touch with who they really are.
Adults from complex or high-pressure families who want to understand long-standing patterns.
Couples who want to explore how their internal parts affect communication and closeness.
Because IFS is gentle and non-pathologising, it works well whether you’re new to therapy or looking for a deeper, more integrative approach. IFS invites you to see that every part of you (even the ones that seem difficult) has wisdom and purpose. When these parts are understood rather than fought against, life starts to feel less fragmented and more whole.
What Happens in an IFS Therapy Session
IFS therapy feels different from traditional talk therapy. Rather than analysing problems from the outside, you and your therapist work together to explore what’s happening within; the internal conversations, reactions, and emotional patterns that shape your daily life.
Your therapist acts as a guide, helping you slow down and notice which “parts” of you show up during moments of stress, conflict, or emotional pain. You might identify a part that’s anxious about control, another that wants to avoid discomfort, or one that carries old hurt. Each part has a voice, a reason for being, and a story to tell.
As sessions progress, you begin learning to recognise when a part is active and how to engage with it from your calm, centred Self; the core of you that’s naturally curious, confident, and grounded. Through this process, clients often experience moments of deep clarity: “That part of me isn’t bad, it’s been trying to protect me all along.”
In practice, sessions may include:
Guided internal dialogue to explore your parts safely and gently.
Mapping exercises to understand how your parts relate to one another.
Compassion-based mindfulness to stay grounded while exploring emotions.
Reflective discussion about how internal shifts affect relationships and daily life.
Over time, you’ll notice more space between emotion and reaction; less automatic tension, more choice. As your internal system becomes more cooperative, you gain a greater sense of balance, trust, and self-leadership.
Why Choose The Mental Health Clinic for Family Systems Therapy
Therapists you can trust: Licensed professional with advanced training and 20+ years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families.
Evidence-based and results-oriented: Every session follows proven methods tailored to your goals, so you notice progress you can feel and measure.
Alberta-wide access: Meet from a private space via telephone or by using our encrypted video platform. Online sessions provide the same level of care and emotional connection as in-person therapy while allowing you to meet from the comfort of your own home. Whether you are in a large city or a small rural area, professional relationship support is within reach!
Flexible scheduling options with morning, afternoon, evening and weekend appointments available.
No waitlists so you can start when you're ready, not months from now.
Free consultations: Meet your therapist first, ask questions, and make sure it feels like the right fit before committing.
Learn more about how we work on About Our Clinic, or learn more about out Therapists.
Fees and Insurance Coverage in Alberta
As is standard with private counselling, fees are due at the time of your appointment.
Many extended health plans (e.g., Alberta Blue Cross, Canada Life, Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield) reimburse counselling with qualified providers; coverage varies by plan.
Health spending accounts can also be applied toward therapy costs.
We provide detailed receipts that include all necessary registration information for reimbursement.
If you’re unsure about benefits, it is best to contact your insurer and ask whether sessions with an Alberta-licensed therapist are included.
For more details, visit our Fees page.
Start Internal Family Systems Therapy Today
You don’t have to keep negotiating with the parts of you that pull in different directions. IFS Therapy offers a way to bring understanding, peace, and leadership back to your inner world and to the relationships that matter most.
Book your free 20-minute consultation today with our IFS and FS therapists, Karen and Daniel, to begin reconnecting with the parts of you that have been waiting to be understood.
Frequently Asked Questions About Internal Family Systems therapy
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Yes. IFS is supported by growing research showing positive outcomes for trauma, depression, anxiety, emotional regulation and more! While it’s newer than approaches like CBT, studies published in journals such as Frontiers in Psychology and the Journal of Clinical Psychology have found that IFS improves emotional balance and self-leadership by reducing internal conflict and shame.
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IFS goes beyond simply discussing problems, it helps you experience and understand the parts of you that drive emotions and reactions. Rather than analysing your life from the outside, you build a relationship with your internal system. Many clients describe it as feeling more interactive and self-reflective than standard talk therapy because you learn how to work with your emotions directly instead of just describing them.
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Absolutely. IFS adapts well to online therapy because it focuses on guided awareness and reflection rather than physical techniques. Many clients across Alberta find virtual IFS sessions just as effective as in-person ones — and often more comfortable, since you can explore your inner world from a private, familiar space.
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Every client’s system is unique, but many people start noticing shifts in awareness and emotional calm within 4–6 sessions. Deeper integration or work with long-standing patterns can take several months. What matters most is consistency and your comfort with the process. IFS moves at the pace your system is ready for.
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Yes. IFS is often used for trauma because it helps clients build safety within themselves before revisiting painful memories. Rather than re-experiencing trauma, you learn how to approach the parts of you that carry those memories with care and curiosity. Many Alberta trauma therapists now use IFS alongside EMDR or somatic work to deepen integration.
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Yes! IFS is often used to improve relationships because it helps you understand how your inner parts influence the way you connect with others. For example, a part that fears rejection might pull away during conflict, while another tries to please or fix things to avoid tension. In therapy, you learn how these parts respond in relationships and how to lead from your calm, grounded Self instead. Many couples and families in Alberta use IFS to improve communication, empathy, and trust by creating more authentic, balanced connections at home and at work.
Our Team of Licensed Alberta Therapists are Here to Support You
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AMY
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DANIEL
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KAREN
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SAMANTHA