Internal Family Systems Therapy: IFS Benefits for Teens & Mental Health
Anxiety. Meltdowns. Being shut out. If you’ve ever wondered why your teen acts this way, you’re not alone. Many parents struggle to understand what lies beneath their teen’s behavior. But what if these behaviors aren’t problems to “fix”, and are instead signs from parts of your teen that need compassion and support? The path forward may involve helping them reconnect with their true self.
Internal family systems therapy (IFS) offers a powerful and non-judgmental approach to help teens explore and heal their inner emotional world. If you are wondering whether teen mental health IFS therapy is the right choice for your child, this page can help.
In this article, you’ll discover:
- What IFS is
- How IFS therapy benefits teens
- What a typical IFS session looks like for adolescents
- Practical IFS coping strategies for teens
- How parents can support their teen’s IFS process at home
- Where to find IFS therapists
What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy?
IFS was created in the 1990s by Dr Richard Schwartz, a psychologist. He developed this approach when his clients described having different “parts” within themselves. He noticed there were relationships between these parts and patterns in the way they presented in his clients. Dr Schwartz also discovered that, when his clients felt safe and relaxed, they showed confidence, compassion, and openness. He came to call the qualities of this state the “Self” and other aspects of a person’s personality “parts.”1
Parts Schwartz considered parts to be different aspects of the personality that interact with each other. These parts make up the “internal family.” He believed they fell into certain groups known as Exiles, Managers, and Firefighters.
Exiles are parts that have experienced trauma and were isolated from the rest of the internal system to protect the person from that feeling. Managers attempt to keep the person in control of every situation and relationship to protect themselves from feeling hurt or rejected. Firefighters are the parts that react when exiles try to be heard, and instead attempt to extinguish their painful feelings through any means necessary, including unhealthy or unhelpful behaviors.
These parts sometimes hold extreme beliefs, emotions, or fantasies that may not be helpful, but at their core, they want to protect the person. It’s thought that if parts can return to their natural balance of more realistic beliefs, a person can feel better. This may be achieved through allowing the inner parts to express themselves and heal.
Self
Dr Schwartz also believed that at the core of a person was the “Self,” thought of as the leader of the internal system. His theory is that when the Self isn’t being influenced by extreme parts, a person can feel centred, balanced, and confident. Essentially, the true Self can emerge when the other parts of the internal family are in harmony with each other, rather than arguing or competing for attention. As such, healing the extreme, wounded, or burdened parts is a fundamental part of IFS therapy.
Schwarz observed that the Self exhibited eight C’s of self-leadership:2
Confidence- Calmness
- Compassion
- Courage
- Creativity
- Clarity
- Curiosity
- Connectedness
Presence- Patience
- Perspective
- Persistence
- Playfulness
The IFS therapy model posits that, by encouraging self-compassion and internal leadership, people can experience better mental health and personal growth. In the next section, we’ll explore why IFS may be a good therapy approach for teens struggling with mental health difficulties.
Together, each of these potential causes of SSD highlights how it could result from a mix of factors. However, recognizing these influences can help families respond with greater understanding and compassion.
Why Internal Family Systems Therapy Is a Good Fit for Teens
1. Uses a Compassionate and Non-Judgmental Approach
Adolescents may relate well to the IFS concept of parts, especially as they’re at a vital time for exploring their identity. It has a compassionate and non-judgmental approach, seeing no parts as “bad.” This can be liberating for teens, increasing their self-compassion and encouraging them to be curious about the different parts of themselves, including those that others may frown upon.4
2. Increases Emotional Awareness and Resilience
IFS can also provide the emotional integration therapy teens may require if they struggle with internal conflicts. It can allow them to explore parts of themselves that have different views, leading them to understand themselves better and build emotional resilience.4 This may help them when navigating stressors such as peer pressure, social media, academic demands, and family changes.
3. Helps Teens Look Beyond Their Difficulties
Furthermore, internal family systems doesn’t reduce a person down to their diagnosis. Instead, it helps them see that mental health symptoms can be reactions to stress or trauma. This may allow teenagers to feel seen and heard for the person they are instead of their “problems”.4 The process is also usually client-led, meaning that adolescents can set the pace and intensity of parts work therapy, enhancing their sense of safety and control.
As you might have gathered, several aspects make IFS a good fit for teens. The next section shall cover some of the most common mental health conditions that may be helped through the teen therapy interventions IFS provides.
Common Issues IFS Can Help With in Adolescents
Depression- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety
- Panic
- Phobias
- Trauma
- Abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Eating disorders
- Substance use
- Relationship issues
- Body image issues
- General well-being
It is important to note that there are some circumstances when IFS should not be used. For instance, it is not recommended for people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, psychosis, paranoia, or dissociative identity disorder (DID). This is because the focus on internal parts may be problematic, unproductive, or even harmful for these conditions.
What Does an Internal Family Systems Therapy Session Look Like?
Internal family systems is a form of talk therapy, meaning a place to go to talk about your thoughts and feelings. However, it differs from some other forms of talk therapy, such as CBT. While CBT is highly structured and focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behavior, IFS focuses on all of a person’s parts.
The first session of IFS often provides basic information about the process, along with an initial assessment to enable the therapist to understand the challenges you face. If you are wondering what a mental health therapy IFS youth session may involve, we cover some of the key elements below:
- The main focus of the session revolves around the internal world of the teen.
- The teen works with a therapist to identify and understand their parts.
- In IFS therapy, teens are encouraged to work with particular parts and extend self-compassion or curiosity (Self-energy) to that part. This enables them to welcome parts without judgment.
- The therapist facilitates conversation between the client’s Self and their parts to find more positive ways to manage internal conflicts.
- Often, protective parts (such as Managers) are addressed first. Once these parts feel comfortable, the Exile and Firefighter parts may be explored.
IFS therapy may incorporate techniques and exercises to help teens understand their parts and the Self better. For example, breathing exercises can help a person relax and encourage them to get to know their parts. Also, during therapy for internal family systems, adolescents may be encouraged to keep a journal or create a chart to show the relationship between the Self and their various parts.
It’s important to remember that IFS is individual to each person. So, your sessions will look different from someone else’s, as you’ll likely have different problems and parts present. Nevertheless, teens are often encouraged to continue implementing what they’ve learned in their IFS sessions at home. A therapist may encourage teens to use particular techniques or exercises, especially when they feel inner conflict rising. We explore these next.
IFS Coping Strategies Teens Can Use at Home
The following are suggestions of coping strategies that may encourage the self-leadership IFS teens are working toward in therapy:
- Identifying parts: Recognizing and identifying the part that is active (Manager, Firefighter, or Exile) allows teens to take a step back and understand their responses in the moment.
- Journaling: Writing from the perspective of each activated part, and then responding from the “Self,” can enable a dialogue to take place and for parts to feel heard.
- Guided imagery: Teens may use guided imagery to help them become aware of their thoughts, feelings, and sensations, enabling them to increase their self-awareness.
- Inner Dialogue: Similar to journaling, talking out loud to a part can enable a dialogue to take place. Being curious and having self-compassion may allow the part to open up, feel seen, and be reassured by the “Self.”
When difficulties arise, they can be seen as an opportunity to put what has been learned in therapy into practice. If a teen writes in a journal or therapy notebook, it also provides a chance for them to take this issue into therapy. They can then engage in deeper exploration in a safe space with guidance from their therapist.
If you’re a parent reading this, you can also support your teen during their IFS therapy process. We will cover these in the next section.
How Parents Can Support Teens in Internal Family Systems Therapy
Therapy doesn’t just happen in the room between the therapist and your teen. It continues outside of sessions through self-awareness, techniques, and exercises to encourage a whole sense of “Self.”
As a parent, there are ways you can support your teen while they are in therapy. Some suggestions include:
- Learning the basics of IFS: Understanding the language used, such as parts and Self, may help you to support your adolescent if they want to discuss anything with you that has come up from therapy.
- Validating your teen’s feelings: You can validate your teen’s feelings and parts, even if you don’t fully agree with them. This can help your teen to feel seen and heard by you, allowing for greater trust and connection to be built.
- Practicing emotional regulation yourself: Healthily dealing with emotions is a skill that teens can learn by seeing parents model this behavior.
- Respecting your teen’s boundaries: Don’t press your teen for details on their sessions, as they are private between them and their therapist. However, be open to listening if your teen wants to talk to you about therapy and their process.
- Collaborating with their therapist: If your teen gives you permission, you may communicate with their therapist to discover how you can support the work they are doing in sessions.
With your support and understanding, your child can access the therapy for emotional regulation that teens often require for living a more stable, connected, and fulfilling life.
Find IFS Therapists Through Mission Prep
Watching your teen struggle can be heartbreaking, but healing is possible for them with the right tools and support. Internal family systems therapy offers a compassionate path to healing that allows teens to build resilience and strength and develop a healthier relationship with all parts of themselves.
At Mission Prep, our team specializes in treating teens with mental health challenges. So, whether your teen is tackling anxiety, depression, or feeling overwhelmed, IFS therapy at Mission Prep can be a step in the right direction.
To learn more about the therapy options we can offer your teen, contact us today.
References
- IFS Institute. (n.d.). Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. – the founder of Internal Family Systems. Retrieved on September 23, 2025, from https://ifs-institute.com/about-us/richard-c-schwartz-phd
- IFS Institute. (2025, September 8). What is Internal Family Systems? https://ifs-institute.com/
- Hullett, A. (2025, August 18). Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy: Parts work for healing. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/ifs-therapy#theory
- Blanchfield, T. (2025, September 19). What to know about Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ifs-therapy-internal-family-systems-therapy-5195336
- Psychology Today. (2022, May 20). Internal Family Systems therapy. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/internal-family-systems-therapy
- GoodTherapy LLC. (2018, February 12). Internal Family Systems therapy: Benefits, techniques & How it works. https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/internal-family-systems-therapy
- Haddock, S. A., Weiler, L. M., Trump, L. J., & Henry, K. L. (2016). The efficacy of internal family systems therapy in the treatment of depression among female college students: a pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 43(1), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12184
- Hodgdon, H. B., Anderson, F. G., Southwell, E., Hrubec, W., & Schwartz, R. (2021). Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study. Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(1), 22–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375
- Comeau, A., Smith, L. J., Smith, L., Rea, H. S., Ward, M. C., Creedon, T. B., Sweezy, M., Rosenberg, L. G., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2024). Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001688
