Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in Vancouver — Couples & Individual Parts Work

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based, non-pathologizing approach that helps you understand the different “parts” of yourself — the inner critic, the protector, the anxious part, the part that shuts down in conflict — and lead them from a place of calm, grounded Self. At Dr. Samuel’s downtown Vancouver practice, IFS is offered for individuals and couples, in English and Farsi.

What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS understands the mind as a system of sub-personalities, or “parts,” each carrying its own feelings, beliefs, and protective strategies. Rather than fighting these parts, IFS helps you build a trusting relationship with them. Research supports IFS for depression, trauma symptoms, and anxiety, and it was added to the U.S. National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.

Parts and the Self

Protectors work hard to keep you safe — the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the part that gets angry or goes numb. Exiles hold the younger, more vulnerable pain that protectors are trying to guard. Self is the calm, curious, compassionate core that is never damaged — and from which real healing happens. The goal of IFS is not to get rid of parts, but to help them relax and trust your Self to lead.

What IFS Helps With

Trauma and PTSD — IFS gently unburdens the parts that carry traumatic memories, without forcing you to relive them. Anxiety and the inner critic — Understand the protective intention behind self-criticism and chronic worry. Emotional reactivity — Recognize which part takes over in stressful moments so you can respond instead of react. Shame and low self-worth — Reach and heal the exiled parts that carry “I’m not enough.”

IFS for Couples and Families

Most painful arguments are not really between two people — they are between their protective parts. When your protector collides with your partner’s protector, the same fight repeats. IFS-informed couples work helps each partner notice which part is speaking, soften it, and speak from Self instead. Conversations slow down, defensiveness drops, and you can finally hear each other. This pairs naturally with Gottman Method couples therapy for couples who want both structure and depth.

IFS for the Iranian-Canadian Community

Many Iranian-Canadians carry parts shaped by migration, intergenerational expectation, and آبرو (face/honour) — a part that performs strength, a part that fears judgment, a part loyal to family duty. IFS offers a respectful, non-shaming way to honour these parts while freeing you from being run by them. Dr. Samuel works in both Farsi and English and understands this cultural context first-hand.

See also: Couples & Family Therapy | Farsi Therapist Vancouver | Trauma Therapy Vancouver

Book a Free IFS Consultation in Vancouver

You don’t need to understand the theory to benefit. IFS is a gentle, well-established approach — Dr. Samuel guides you through it step by step, at your own pace.

No cost to you if you’re covered by ICBC, FNHA, CVAP, VAC, or RCMP — and we direct-bill to most extended health plans. Many clients pay nothing out of pocket. Just ask and we’ll confirm your coverage before you book.

What to expect on your first call: it’s confidential, there’s no pressure, and nothing is expected of you. It’s simply a chance to talk and see if IFS feels right.

Start with a free 20-minute consultation to talk through what you are struggling with and whether IFS is a good fit — individually or as a couple.

Call or text: (604) 721-0604
Email: [email protected]
Location: Suite 1300, 1500 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC (downtown)

And no — your problem doesn’t need to be a crisis to belong here. Most of the people Samuel sees are simply tired, stuck, or quietly carrying something heavy.

Fees and expenses are covered by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.

Frequently Asked Questions — Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

Is IFS the same as having multiple personalities?

No. IFS is not about a disorder or a split identity. ‘Parts’ simply describes the normal, everyday inner voices everyone has — the part that pushes you to achieve, the part that wants rest, the part that snaps at your partner and the part that regrets it. IFS helps these parts work together instead of against each other.

What actually happens in an IFS session?

You and Samuel gently explore the different parts of you — what each is trying to protect and what it needs. It is a calm, curious process, not reliving trauma, and you stay in control the whole time. Most people are surprised how quickly a harsh inner critic softens once it is asked what it is afraid would happen if it stopped.

Is IFS evidence-based?

Yes. Internal Family Systems is a recognised, research-supported model used for trauma, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties, and it is listed as an evidence-based practice in clinical registries. Studies of IFS for PTSD and for depression show meaningful symptom reduction; Samuel is candid that the evidence base is younger than CBT’s and still growing.

Can IFS help with couple or family issues?

Yes — it is one of the two approaches Samuel builds couples work on, alongside the Gottman Method. IFS helps each partner recognise the part of them that reacts (the critic, the one who shuts down, the one who keeps score) so that the skills learned in couples sessions actually get used under stress. Read how they combine on the couples and family therapy page.

Do you offer IFS sessions in Farsi?

Yes. Samuel offers IFS therapy in both English and Farsi, with sensitivity to the cultural context many Iranian-Canadian clients bring — including the parts shaped by family duty, honour, migration and the pressure to hold everything together. جلسات به فارسی برگزار می‌شود.

What is Internal Family Systems therapy, in one paragraph?

IFS is a model of the mind in which we all have parts — sub-personalities with their own feelings and jobs — and an undamaged core Self that can lead them. Some parts protect us (the manager who plans everything, the firefighter who reaches for a drink or a screen), some carry old pain (the exiles). Therapy helps the protective parts relax so the Self can heal the wounded ones. Samuel uses it for trauma, anxiety, self-criticism and couples work in Vancouver.

Who is IFS a good fit for?

People who know exactly what they should do and cannot make themselves do it; people at war with themselves — perfectionists, harsh self-critics, those who feel ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’; adults with trauma who found exposure-style approaches overwhelming; and couples whose fights are driven by reactions that seem bigger than the moment. It suits people who like understanding why, not just what.

Is IFS covered by extended health in BC?

Yes. IFS sessions with Samuel are Registered Clinical Counsellor sessions and are covered by most extended health plans. Fees and expenses are covered by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. Coverage is confirmed with you on the free call.

Is IFS safe for trauma? Will I have to relive what happened?

IFS is one of the gentler trauma approaches precisely because it does not require reliving. The work goes at the pace of your protective parts: nothing is approached until the parts guarding it agree, and you can stop at any point. Samuel often pairs IFS with EMDR when a specific memory needs processing, and lets the client’s system decide the order.

How do I start IFS therapy in Vancouver?

With a free 20-minute phone call — call or WhatsApp 604-721-0604, or text a line and Samuel will call you back within a day. He answers himself; there is no receptionist and no intake form. Sessions are in person at 1300–1500 West Georgia Street or by secure video anywhere in BC, in English or Farsi.

Further Reading

Related services: Gottman Method couples therapy, healing from a narcissistic or emotionally abusive relationship, and EMDR therapy.