Is IFS Therapy Good for Anxiety?
Healing isn’t linear.
Like many paths we walk in life, it can be winding, curving, confusing.
At times, you may feel like you’re regressing, only to find you’ve come full circle once again.
At The Witch’s Therapist, we understand.
We’re a collective of psychotherapists in London Ontario with a variety of offerings for those on the path toward wholeness.
In particular, we offer a number of approaches to anxiety counselling and therapy that can help.
Every journey is unique, and therapy is never a one size fits all approach.
That said, one approach you may find useful is that of internal family systems therapy, or IFS therapy.
Today on The Witch’s Therapist blog, we’ll take a closer look at internal family systems therapy, and how an IFS therapist can help with anxiety.
What Is IFS Therapy?
We’ve already covered IFS therapy in depth on this blog before.
For a closer look at it, see the link below.
RELATED: What Is IFS Therapy, and How Does it Work?
For today’s purposes, we’ll just offer a brief overview.
IFS, or Internal Family Systems, is a type of therapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s.
It’s built on a simple but powerful idea: that our mind is made up of many different parts, and each part has a role to play.
Rather than trying to get rid of the parts we don’t like, IFS helps us listen to them, understand them, and heal them.
Think of your mind like a family.
Just like in any family, there might be some conflict.
Some parts might try to keep you safe.
Others might hold pain.
And some might just want to be heard.
In IFS, we learn that every part — even the ones that seem difficult — has a reason for being there.
At the centre of all these parts is something called the Self.
IFS therapy describes the Self as having the 8 C’s, and 5 P’s.
The 8 C’s are:
· Curious
· Compassionate
· Calm
· Clear
· Courageous
· Confident
· Creative
· Connective
Meanwhile, the 5 P’s are:
· Present
· Perspective
· Patient
· Persistent
· Playful
We’ll explore each of these more in depth in a future article.
When we connect with our Self, we can become the leader our internal system needs.
How Can IFS Therapy for Anxiety Help?
Anxiety isn’t just one feeling.
It’s often a mix of emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that can feel overwhelming.
In IFS therapy, anxiety is seen as a signal — a message from parts of us that are trying to protect or alert us.
Rather than shutting anxiety down or pushing it away, IFS invites us to get to know the part of us that’s anxious.
At The Witch’s Therapist, we use IFS to gently and respectfully explore your inner world.
Through this work, we help you build relationships with your parts, deepen your connection to your Self, and create more balance within.
Let’s look at a few specific ways IFS can help with anxiety.
1. It Helps Identify Your Anxiety Triggers
When you feel anxious, it can sometimes be hard to pinpoint what exactly caused it.
That’s especially true for those of us with a history of trauma.
IFS therapy helps you slow down and tune in.
You might discover that certain people, places, or situations activate a part of you that feels unsafe or overwhelmed.
These parts may have taken on their roles a long time ago — maybe in childhood, or during a stressful event.
They learned to step in quickly to protect you.
But now, those same responses might be more intense than they need to be.
By getting to know these parts, you can begin to understand what they’re afraid of and what they need.
This awareness makes it easier to respond to anxiety with curiosity instead of fear.
RELATED: Therapist for Chronic Stress
2. It Can Help You Cultivate Your Self As A Leader
One of the most healing aspects of IFS is helping you reconnect with your Self — the calm, grounded centre within you.
In the midst of anxiety, it’s easy to feel like the fear is in charge.
But through IFS, you learn that the Self is always present, even if it’s been hidden.
As you practise connecting with your Self, you become more able to lead your internal system with compassion and without judgement.
Instead of getting swept away by anxious thoughts, you can listen to them with curiosity.
Instead of fighting your fear, you can hold space for it.
Over time, this shifts your relationship with anxiety.
You stop seeing it as something to defeat — and begin seeing it as a part of you that just needs care.
3. It Can Help Heal Your Exiles
In IFS, our exiles are the parts of us that carry deep pain or shame.
Often, we push these parts away, because the feelings they bring up are too difficult to face.
But that doesn’t mean they disappear.
They wait, hidden, often fuelling the anxiety we feel on the surface.
For example, you may struggle with perfectionist tendencies.
Often, this is rooted in the belief that you’re just not good enough.
That part might have formed after a painful experience, or a time you felt rejected.
Maybe you were made to feel that way as a child.
As a result, your exile may manifest protectors such as anxiety, constantly scanning for danger, to make sure you never feel that pain again.
IFS therapy allows you to gently turn toward your exiles with the support of your Self.
No rushing, no forcing.
The process works at the pace you need.
As exiles are witnessed, heard, and held, their pain begins to soften.
Healing these exiled parts often reduces the intensity of anxiety, because the fear is no longer carrying that hidden burden alone.
RELATED: Perfectionism Psychotherapist
4. It Allows Your Protectors to Relax
In IFS, protectors are parts of us that step in to help us avoid pain.
They might come in the form of perfectionism, overthinking, control, or avoidance.
While they may seem frustrating at times, they’re actually trying to keep you safe.
Anxiety is a protector.
It steps in with alarms and warnings, trying to help you stay ahead of danger.
But when it’s working overtime, it can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
Rather than trying to silence your protectors, IFS invites you to befriend them.
You learn to thank them for their hard work.
You help them find new roles — ones that don’t involve burning you out.
You may find they serve to energize you in this new role.
You may also find they serve as part of your inner counsel, as a source of wisdom that speaks to your experiences and supports you in more positive ways.
Either way, this helps your protectors to feel more supported by your Self, which allows them to relax.
This shift can reduce anxiety and create more internal harmony.
Why Choose IFS Therapy?
At The Witch’s Therapist, we understand that anxiety isn’t something to be fought or suppressed.
It’s something to be listened to, understood, and cared for.
IFS therapy offers a respectful and empowering way to do that.
Instead of labelling you as broken, IFS sees you as whole.
Instead of trying to fix you, it helps you remember your innate wisdom.
Instead of pushing parts of you away, it helps you bring them home.
We combine IFS with other holistic practices — ritual integration therapy, somatic therapy, and more — to create a healing space that honours all of you.
Whether your anxiety feels like a constant buzz or a wave that hits out of nowhere, we’re here to help you meet it with grace and curiosity.
Book Your Appointment with The Witch’s Therapist Today
Healing is not about becoming someone new.
It’s about coming home to who you’ve always been.
If you’re ready to explore IFS therapy for anxiety, we invite you to book a session with one of our therapists.
Together, we’ll walk gently toward the parts of you that are calling for care.
You don’t have to do it alone.
The path is already within you — and we’re here to help you walk it, one loving step at a time.
Book your FREE 15-minute intro session with The Witch’s Therapist today.
The Witch's Therapist
242 Dundas St.
London, Ontario
Canada
N6A 1H3
1-226-977-1660
► London Ontario Holistic Psychotherapy
The Witch's Therapist is located in London, Ontario and offers holistic psychotherapy therapy throughout London and surrounding areas.