What is IFS and how does it work?

Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is an evidence-based approach that understands the mind as made up of different 'parts.' In our sessions, we'll get curious about these parts rather than fighting them. The goal isn't to get rid of any part of you — it's to build enough internal trust that they don't have to run the show anymore. Most clients find it clarifying and, often, a significant relief.

Are you going to tell me what to do?

I'm a directive therapist, which means I won't just sit quietly and nod. I'll ask pointed questions, offer honest observations, and sometimes say 'look over here' when I think something is worth examining. But I'm not here to tell you who to date, whether to stay in a relationship, or what your life should look like. What I will do is help you figure out what you actually want, and get out of your own way enough to go after it.

How long will therapy take?

That depends on what you're bringing and what you want to work on. Some clients come in with a specific issue and feel ready to move on after several months. Others are working on longer-standing patterns and find that a year or more gives them the depth they're looking for. We'll make decisions about pacing collaboratively.

How do we get started?

Reach out to schedule a free consultation. We'll spend about 20 minutes getting to know each other. You can ask me anything, and I'll ask you some questions to understand what's bringing you in and what you're hoping for. If we both feel like it's a good fit, we'll schedule our first session from there.

The space to untangle old patterns and build something that actually fits.

THERAPY FOR COUPLES & PARTNERS IN CALIFORNIA.

Schedule a free consultation

YOU DIDN’T COME HERE BECAUSE THINGS ARE FINE. LET’S TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

Maybe you’ve had the same fight so many times that you’ve stopped having it. One of you has pulled back, the other is still reaching, and neither knows how to close the distance without it turning into another version of the same argument. The repair attempts are there, but they don’t quite land.

Or maybe things aren’t bad, exactly. But they’re not what you wanted, either. The connection that used to come easily now takes effort, and you’re not sure if that’s just what long-term relationships become, or if something important has been lost.

Maybe you’re in a relationship structure (open, poly, kink, swinging) that doesn’t follow the standard blueprint, and you’re finding that most couples advice doesn’t apply to what you’re actually building. You need someone who won’t treat your structure as the problem.

Blurred close-up of a beige fabric surface with light and shadow patterns.

A transparent umbrella with raindrops on it, set against a blurred background of dark and brown autumn leaves.

Feel FAMILIAR?

A GROWING IMBALANCE IN DESIRE

SAME RUPTURES HAPPENING OVER AND OVER

GROWING DISTANCE AND LACK OF CONNECTION

DIFFICULTY INITIATING SEX AND/OR CONNECTION

Here’s what we’ll do together

THERAPY DESIGNED FOR your RELATIONSHIP CAN HELP.

You can rebuild connection. You can learn to repair in ways that actually stick. You can understand each other more clearly and fight less destructively. And whatever your relationship looks like, you deserve a therapist who meets you where you actually are.

Silhouette of a couple standing on the beach at sunset, embracing while looking at the ocean.

I work with couples and partners across all relationship structures, including monogamous, non-monogamous, polyamorous, and other configurations. I won’t ask your relationship to justify itself; I’ll ask what you want it to become.

My approach with couples draws primarily on attachment theory alongside Internal Family Systems (IFS) and somatic awareness. I pay close attention to what’s happening in the body, not just what’s being said.

My approach comes from a place of possibility: believing that the cycle you’re in is not who you are, and that real change in relationships is possible when all partners are willing to look honestly at their part.

My style is direct and engaged. I won’t take sides, but I will be honest with you about what I am seeing. I’ll probably interrupt sometimes, give you some redirection, or give you some language. My goal is to help you understand each other and yourselves more clearly so that you can deepen your connection and feel more fulfilled in your relationship.

Schedule a Consultation

STOP GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. YOU DESERVE A RELATIONSHIP THAT EXCITES YOU AGAIN.

From the same argument to actually being heard. From distance to something that feels like yours again.

THERAPY FOR COUPLES & PARTNERS CAN HELP YOU:

Map the cycle you’re stuck in.

We will learn what triggers it, what each person brings to it, and what keeps it going even when you both want out

01

Build a repair process that works.

Ruptures become opportunities for deeper understanding rather than evidence that something is broken

02

Address desire and intimacy directly.

We will talk about sex without shame, because avoidance almost always makes it worse

03

Develop communication skills.

We will build tools that help everyone in the room feel heard and help everyone say what they actually mean

04

Close-up of a wooden round table with a closed brown leather notebook, a white pen, a black ceramic mug, and a saucer on it. The table is next to a dark blue upholstered chair with wooden trim. The background features a hardwood floor.

Change is possible.

I’LL HELP YOU GET THERE.

Schedule a consultation

FAQs

COMMON QUESTIONS

Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is an evidence-based approach that understands the mind as made up of different “parts.” You might recognize these as the part of you that wants real connection and the part that shuts down when things get too close. Or the part that takes care of everyone else while another part quietly resents it. In our sessions, we’ll get curious about these parts rather than fighting them. The goal isn’t to get rid of any part of you. It’s to build enough internal trust that they don’t have to run the show anymore. Most clients find it clarifying and, often, a significant relief.
I’m a directive therapist, which means I won’t just sit quietly and nod. I’ll ask pointed questions, offer honest observations, and sometimes say “look over here” when I think something is worth examining. But I’m not here to tell you who to date, whether to stay in a relationship, or what your life should look like. What I will do is help you figure out what you actually want, and get out of your own way enough to go after it.
That depends on what you’re bringing and what you want to work on. Some clients come in with a specific issue and feel ready to move on after several months. Others are working on longer-standing patterns and find that a year or more gives them the depth they’re looking for. I’ll be honest with you about where I think we are throughout, and we’ll make decisions about pacing collaboratively.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation. We’ll spend about 20 minutes getting to know each other. You can ask me anything, and I’ll ask you some questions to understand what’s bringing you in and what you’re hoping for. If we both feel like it’s a good fit, we’ll schedule our first session from there.