IFS therapy in Denver with a team who genuinely specializes in parts work
Internal Family Systems (IFS) has become one of the most sought-after approaches to healing trauma, anxiety, and self-criticism — and My Denver Therapy has some of the most requested IFS therapists in the Denver area. Our team works with clients across Denver, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and Arvada, and via telehealth throughout Colorado.
What IFS therapy is
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based, holistic approach developed by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, PhD in the 1980s. Recognized for healing trauma, attachment wounds, shame, and self-criticism, IFS helps people reconnect with their core “Self” — the calm, compassionate center that exists beneath our protective parts.
Rather than viewing the mind as a single unit, IFS recognizes that we’re all made up of many inner “parts.” When these parts carry burdens from past experiences, they can create internal conflict, emotional pain, and patterns that feel impossible to break. IFS gently helps each part feel heard and understood — so it can release its burden and allow the whole system to heal.
It’s a fundamentally different experience from most talk therapy. Instead of trying to eliminate the parts of yourself you don’t like — the anxious part, the critical part, the part that shuts down — IFS helps you understand why those parts exist and what they’re trying to protect. When parts feel understood rather than fought against, they relax. And when they relax, real change becomes possible.
Understanding your parts
A central idea in IFS is that we’re all made up of multiple parts, each fulfilling a different role. Most parts fall into a few categories:
Exiles
These parts hold deep feelings of hurt, fear, and shame. They’ve often experienced trauma and become isolated — pushed away by the rest of the system in an attempt to protect you from painful emotions. Exiles can become desperate to be cared for, or to finally have their story heard.
Managers
These are proactive protectors. They keep things working in everyday life, focused on control and order. They try to manage situations and relationships to shield you from rejection, failure, or overwhelming feelings. The inner critic, the perfectionist, and the planner are often managers.
Firefighters
These are reactive protectors. When an exile’s pain breaks through, firefighters rush in to douse it — often through impulsive or numbing behaviors like overworking, substance use, bingeing, or dissociation. They’re not trying to hurt you; they’re trying to stop the pain, fast.
The Self
Beneath all the parts is the Self — your calm, curious, compassionate core. IFS holds that the Self is never damaged, no matter what you’ve been through. The goal of IFS therapy isn’t to create a healthy Self; it’s to unburden the parts that are blocking access to the Self you already have.
The 8 C's of Self-energy
When you’re leading from Self rather than from a protective part, you have access to what IFS calls the 8 C’s:
- Calm — moving through life’s ups and downs without being overwhelmed
- Connection — feeling accepted and safe being who you are
- Compassion — meeting yourself and others with warmth rather than judgment
- Creativity — finding new solutions and possibilities
- Clarity — seeing situations without the distortion of fear or defensiveness
- Curiosity — approaching your inner world with interest instead of criticism
- Confidence — trusting your ability to meet your own needs
- Courage — facing what’s difficult rather than avoiding it
These aren’t traits you have to build from scratch. IFS helps you clear away what’s covering them.
What to expect — the arc of IFS therapy at MDT
Getting to know your system Early sessions focus on understanding your parts — who shows up, what they do, and how they relate to each other. Your therapist helps you approach these parts with curiosity rather than judgment. There's no rush; building trust with your own system takes time.
Building Self-leadership As you get to know your parts, you begin relating to them from Self rather than being blended with them. This is a subtle but profound shift — moving from "I am anxious" to "a part of me feels anxious, and I can be with it." That shift is where IFS begins to create change.
Working with protectors Before approaching the vulnerable exiles, IFS works respectfully with the protective parts — managers and firefighters — asking their permission and understanding their fears. This is what makes IFS feel gentle rather than forceful. We don't storm past your defenses; we earn their trust.
Unburdening Once protectors allow it, you can approach the exiles carrying the original pain. Through the IFS process, these parts can release — or "unburden" — the beliefs and emotions they've carried, sometimes for decades. Clients often describe this as a felt sense of lightness or relief.
Integration As parts unburden, the whole system reorganizes. Protectors that no longer have to work so hard can take on healthier roles. You feel more like yourself, more of the time.
Most clients begin experiencing shifts in how they relate to their inner world within the first several sessions, though deeper unburdening work unfolds over a longer arc. We'll give you an honest sense of what to expect for your situation.What IFS therapy helps with
Our team uses IFS to help clients with:
- Trauma and complex trauma — IFS is especially effective for developmental and relational trauma
- Anxiety — understanding and calming the parts driving worry and hypervigilance
- Depression — working with the parts carrying hopelessness and heaviness
- Shame and self-criticism — transforming the relationship with harsh inner critics
- Attachment wounds — healing the parts shaped by early relationships
- Addiction and compulsive behaviors — understanding firefighter parts with compassion rather than shame
- Relationship struggles — recognizing how your parts interact with your partner’s
- Perfectionism — easing the manager parts driving impossible standards
If you’re interested in learning more about the 6 F’s, here’s a video that explains the 6 F’s in more depth.
Meet our IFS therapists
IFS is one of the most requested modalities at My Denver Therapy, and several of our therapists have made it a cornerstone of their clinical work.
Denver
Allie Evans (EMDR Certified | Level 1 IFS)
Allie is one of the most requested IFS therapists in the Denver area. She’s a Level 1 Internal Family Systems therapist who also brings EMDR certification, Ketamine-assisted therapy training, and Somatic Attachment Therapy to her work. She works with individuals, couples, and families navigating life transitions, emotional distress, self-esteem challenges, and trauma.
Lance Hill
Lance uses Internal Family Systems alongside EMDR to help clients honor and work with each part of themselves. His approach aims to accept and understand every part of a person rather than trying to eliminate the parts that feel difficult.
Nicole Hunka
Nicole uses IFS along with Brainspotting and Emotionally Focused Therapy to help clients explore what’s beneath the surface and uncover the deeper roots of their struggles.
John Hague
John integrates parts-based work into his practice alongside EMDR, with extensive experience supporting clients through trauma and relational harm.
Nicole Wolf
Nicole brings a parts-informed, compassionate approach to clients of all ages, working through grief and loss, identity issues, life transitions, anxiety, depression, addiction, emotional regulation, and relationship distress.
Greenwood Village
Leigh Anne Hague (EMDR Certified — EMDRIA | EMDR Consultant)
Leigh Anne integrates parts-based work with her deep expertise in EMDR — she’s an EMDR Certified Therapist through EMDRIA and an approved EMDR consultant. She has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families facing sexual abuse, grief, life transitions, anxiety, depression, and complex trauma.
Telehealth (Colorado-wide)
Courtneyrose Chung (LPC, LMFT, LAC) Courtneyrose is one of the only therapists in Colorado who simultaneously holds licenses as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Licensed Addiction Counselor. IFS is one of her core modalities, alongside EMDR, Ketamine-assisted therapy, DBT, CBT, Gottman Method, and EFT.
The evidence behind IFS
IFS is recognized as an evidence-based practice. It was listed on the U.S. National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) as an effective approach for improving general functioning and well-being. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Rheumatology found IFS effective in reducing pain and depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis — one of the few psychotherapies studied for its effects on physical as well as psychological symptoms.
Beyond the formal research, IFS has become one of the most widely embraced approaches among trauma therapists over the past decade precisely because it works with the mind’s natural structure rather than against it.
Frequently asked questions
Is IFS therapy evidence-based? Yes. IFS is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, and randomized controlled research has demonstrated its effectiveness for both psychological symptoms and, in at least one study, physical symptoms. It’s also become one of the most widely adopted approaches among trauma specialists.
Does having “parts” mean something is wrong with me? Not at all. Having parts is simply how the human mind works — everyone has them. IFS isn’t about diagnosing a disorder; it’s about understanding the internal system everyone has and helping the parts that are carrying burdens find relief.
Is IFS the same as having multiple personalities? No. IFS parts are a normal feature of every mind, not a dissociative disorder. The “parts” in IFS are aspects of a normal personality — the inner critic, the anxious part, the part that wants to withdraw. This is fundamentally different from dissociative identity disorder.
What does an IFS session actually feel like? Often quieter and more internal than traditional talk therapy. Your therapist guides you to turn your attention inward, notice a part, and get curious about it. Many clients are surprised by how much shifts simply from approaching their own inner world with curiosity instead of judgment.
Can IFS help with trauma? Yes — it’s one of IFS’s greatest strengths. Because IFS works respectfully with protective parts before approaching painful material, it tends to feel gentler than approaches that go straight at the trauma. It’s especially effective for developmental and relational trauma.
How long does IFS therapy take? It varies. Many clients notice a shift in how they relate to their inner world within the first several sessions. Deeper unburdening of long-held burdens unfolds over a longer arc. Your therapist will give you an honest sense of the timeline for your situation.
Can IFS be combined with other therapies? Absolutely. Many of our therapists integrate IFS with EMDR, somatic work, and other modalities. IFS pairs especially well with EMDR for trauma processing.
Do you offer IFS therapy online? Yes. We offer online IFS therapy for clients throughout Colorado. IFS translates well to telehealth since so much of the work is internal.
Other specialities
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Victor Frankl
Meet our therapists
As a therapist-owned practice, we care about helping you heal, grow, and thrive. We take a client-focused approach to counseling and approach each session with a commitment to your progress and growth.
Availability
We’re always accepting new clients at our conveniently located offices in Denver, Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, and Arvada. All of our therapists can meet with clients online.
We specialize in you
You are welcome here. Because we have a large team with a wide range of specialties and trainings, we work with clients of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages.
We can match you with a male or female therapist who matches your goals, location, and schedule. If you have a preference for gender, age, religious background, or a person with a specific type of training or life experience, we can match you with a therapist you feel comfortable with.
Trained in effective therapy modalities
To support your mental health journey, our team is trained in some of the most effective forms of therapy available today, including EMDR, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Brainspotting, CBT, DBT, and IFS.
Whether you’re looking for help with anxiety, depression, trauma, or want to better understand your relationship and attachment styles, we can help.
Insurance information
We’re out of network with insurance and Tricare and are unable to take Medicaid or Medicare.
Unlike many Denver therapy practices, we don’t charge separate intake or administration fees or charge more for your first session or specialized therapy methods like EMDR.
Get matched with a therapist
Contact us today, and one of our therapists will reach out to you directly, usually the same day.