All Parts are Welcome: a Talk with an IFS Client

Mary, a woman in her 30s, shares her journey with internal family systems (IFS) therapy, which she began a year and a half ago to address perfectionist tendencies and self-criticism linked to unresolved grief over her mother's suicide. The discussion highlights how IFS therapy helped Mary understand and communicate with different "parts" of herself, particularly her self-critical side and the part terrified of failure. This inner work enabled her to process her mother's death, shifting from feelings of anger and guilt to sadness, and to improve her relationships with family and her partner by understanding their behaviors and communicating her needs effectively. Mary also notes a significant improvement in managing her moods, reducing the duration of depressive episodes from weeks to hours, and expresses hope for continued self-discovery and self-prioritization.