Internal Family Systems
IFS Therapy Los Angeles
IFS therapy in Los Angeles at Life Threads Therapy® is offered in person at our West LA office on Barrington Ave and by secure video anywhere in California.
It is for the part of you that knows better and the part that does it anyway.
Book a free consultationHow IFS Sees You
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-informed psychotherapy model developed in the 1980s by Dr. Richard Schwartz. It starts from a simple idea: the mind is made of parts, and every part, even the loudest, is trying to protect you.
The inner critic, the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, and the part that numbs out are all doing a job. IFS does not try to silence them. It helps them trust the Self, the calm, curious core every person has, so they can put down what they have been carrying.
Is IFS a Fit?
IFS might be right for you if any of this sounds familiar. If anxiety is the main reason you are here, our page on IFS therapy for anxiety goes deeper.
- Wanting to change a pattern while another part of you keeps it going
- Trauma, adverse childhood experiences, or attachment wounds that talk therapy has not fully resolved
- Anxiety, self-criticism, or an inner critic that feels relentless
- Relationship patterns that repeat with partners, family, or friends
- Grief, life transitions, or identity questions that feel layered and complex
What a Session Is Like
IFS is experiential, not just conversational. With your therapist's support you turn attention inward, notice which parts are present, and get curious about them instead of fighting them. You do not have to re-live or re-narrate what happened, and the pace follows your internal readiness.
IFS is not a brief intervention. Some clients notice meaningful shifts within a few months; others continue for a year or more, particularly with complex trauma. Some pair it with EMDR: IFS builds internal safety around a difficult memory, and EMDR reprocesses the memory itself.
Your IFS Therapists
Both of our clinicians bring IFS-informed training to their work. Bree Anthony, MA, LMFT (CA LMFT #154730), our clinic director, combines IFS with EMDR, attachment-based, and psychodynamic work. Lyndsay Mclaren, LPCC (CA LPCC #11036) uses IFS alongside EMDR and DBT, with more than 11 years of clinical experience and an LGBTQIA+ affirming practice.
Sessions are a flat $200. We are out of network and file superbill claims for you.
Getting Started
Every new client starts with a free 20-minute consultation: an unhurried conversation where we figure out fit and next steps together. Book online, or send a question through the contact page first if that feels easier.
IFS Therapy Questions
Quick answers about Internal Family Systems.
See Whether IFS Fits
Book a free 20-minute consultation and see whether we're the right fit. No commitment required.
Book a free consultationIf you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or go to your nearest emergency room. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice or a therapeutic relationship.