Delbrook counsellor Christina Casperson joined Christine Blanchette on the Run With It podcast to talk about Internal Family Systems therapy.

TL;DR: Internal Family Systems (IFS) invites us to recognize that our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are often connected to different parts of ourselves, each with its own experience and intention. By getting curious about those parts, slowly, we can begin to understand the protective roles they play and develop a different relationship with ourselves, which can affect how we relate to stress, pain and difficult emotions.

What is Internal Family Systems?

IFS was developed by Dick Schwartz more than 40 years ago. Instead of "I am anxious," it invites a different sentence: "There's a part of me that feels really anxious right now." As Christina explained, what we often discover is that multiple parts may be responding to the same experience, sometimes in very different ways. There may be a busy, future-focused part, a worried part, and even parts that dislike the anxiety and try to control it.

Start with curiosity

Christina's first step is simple: ask "What's showing up right now?" or "Who's in the room with me?" In therapy, clients get to know each part: what role it plays, how it learned to take on that responsibility, and what it fears might happen if it stopped.

Your body is part of the conversation

Our bodies can offer valuable information about what we're experiencing, often before we have the words to describe it. Parts often communicate with us through sensation and other somatic experiences: a flutter in the chest with excitement, a tight jaw with anger, heaviness in the stomach with sadness. Christina tracks what is showing up and where it is felt in the body. These sensations can then become opportunities for curiosity rather than something we immediately need to change or fix.

"Slow is fast"

People understandably want to know how quickly things will change. The answer depends on the person. Rather than rushing to change or move past our protective responses, IFS invites us to understand why they're there in the first place. These parts often developed to help us navigate difficult experiences. In Christina's words, starting therapy "takes so much courage," and it is important to recognize that there may be parts that are unsure, or even afraid, to start therapy.

Symptoms and the problem underneath

Drawing on her training in clinical psychoneuroimmunology, Christina put it plainly: "The symptoms are the symptoms and the problem is the problem." Our physical and emotional experiences are deeply interconnected. While addressing symptoms is important, Christina also encourages curiosity about the broader patterns, experiences and stressors that may be contributing to how we feel. Healing isn't always about eliminating a symptom, but also about developing a more compassionate understanding of what our mind and body may be communicating.

Her own turning point

Christina came to this work through her own persistent pain and health changes. She described an inner voice saying, "If you're not going to listen to me when I whisper, I am going to scream." Learning to listen to her body's signals with greater curiosity and compassion became an important part of her own healing journey. Christina will be the first to tell you that this wasn't easy; it took time to build enough trust to begin looking inside for answers rather than reaching for a quick "fix." This experience helped shape the compassionate, mind-body approach she brings to her clinical work today.

Finding the right fit

IFS isn't right for everyone, and Christina was clear that the relationship between therapist and client matters a great deal. Finding a therapeutic approach and relationship that feels supportive, collaborative and aligned with your needs is an important part of the process. Take what supports you, and leave what doesn't.

Key points

  • IFS recognizes that we all have different parts, each with its own experiences, feelings and protective roles.
  • Shifting from "I am anxious" to "a part of me feels anxious" creates space for curiosity and compassion.
  • Our emotions and internal experiences can show up through physical sensations in the body.
  • Healing begins with getting to know our protective parts, building trust, and moving at a pace that feels supportive.
  • Finding a therapeutic approach and relationship that feels safe, collaborative and aligned with your needs matters.

Start with Christina's free workbook

IFS helps you understand the parts of you. Christina's free workbook, The Nervous System Reset, gives you gentle, body-based tools to use alongside that work: breathwork, grounding, rest practices and a simple plan for overwhelming moments. Download the free workbook

Counselling with Christina at Delbrook Integrative

Christina offers in-person counselling at Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre in North Vancouver and virtual sessions anywhere in BC. She works with persistent pain, nervous system regulation and complex trauma, and offers a free 20-minute consult to see if the approach is a good fit. Book through Delbrook Integrative, or learn more about her practice at casperawellness.com.

Christina Casperson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Canadian Certified Counsellor and Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist at Delbrook Integrative Medical Centre.