Advanced IFS Therapy in Woodmere and Manhattan for Treatment-Resistant Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma.
You might feel driven to change a pattern — and yet find yourself repeating it anyway. You might know intellectually that you're worthy of love or success, and yet feel something inside quietly disagreeing. This isn't weakness or contradiction. According to Internal Family Systems therapy, it's simply how the mind works.
IFS was developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz and understands the human mind as made up of different 'parts.' At the center of every person is a core Self — calm, curious, compassionate, and capable of leading. The goal of IFS is not to eliminate difficult parts, but to help your Self lead them — transforming internal conflict into internal harmony.
Some parts carry old wounds — pain, shame, or fear from earlier in life. Others have developed as protectors, working hard to keep those wounds from being touched, sometimes in ways that no longer serve you. Anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism, avoidance — these are often protective parts doing their best with the tools they have.
IFS is recognized by SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Research supports its effectiveness for depression, PTSD, physical health conditions, and interpersonal functioning. The model has a growing body of clinical research behind it.
IFS works particularly well alongside Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. The neuroplasticity window that KAP opens can make IFS work deeper and faster — clients often find that parts which were previously defended become more accessible, allowing for breakthroughs that might otherwise take years.
We begin by mapping the inner landscape. Together we identify which parts are most active, what they're trying to do, and what they're protecting against. Non-judgmental curiosity is the foundation.
We map your internal landscape. Together we identify the different parts that show up in your life — the critic, the protector, the anxious part, the one that shuts down. No judgment, just curiosity.
Rather than fighting your parts, we help you develop a relationship with them. You learn what each part is carrying, why it developed, and what it's been trying to do for you — often since childhood.
Once protective parts feel safe enough to step back, we access the deeper wounded parts underneath. This is where the real healing happens — unburdening old pain, shame, and fear that has been driving your patterns for years.
As parts release their burdens, your core Self — calm, curious, compassionate, and clear — becomes more present in your daily life. Decisions feel clearer. Relationships improve. The patterns that felt impossible to break begin to shift.
Yes — IFS is recognized by SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) and has a growing body of research supporting its effectiveness for depression, PTSD, physical health conditions, and interpersonal functioning.
No. The parts language is a framework, not a metaphysical claim. Many clients who start out skeptical find that the model resonates deeply once we begin — because it maps so accurately onto their actual inner experience. You don't have to believe in it; you just have to be willing to explore.
They're a natural pairing. IFS helps identify which parts are ready to process trauma and which ones need reassurance first. EMDR then processes the underlying traumatic memories that parts are protecting. Together, they address both the psychological structure of trauma (IFS) and its neurological storage (EMDR).
The neuroplasticity window that KAP opens can make IFS work deeper and faster. Clients often find that parts which were previously defended become more accessible during and after ketamine sessions, allowing for breakthroughs that might otherwise take years.
Yes — I offer IFS in person at both my Woodmere (Five Towns, Long Island) and Manhattan (Midtown) offices, as well as remotely throughout New York State. In-person IFS in the Five Towns is not easy to find.
CBT works primarily with thoughts and behaviors — it's practical and structured. IFS goes deeper, working with the underlying 'parts' that generate those thoughts and behaviors. Many clients find that IFS shifts things that CBT couldn't, particularly around shame, self-criticism, and patterns that persist despite insight.
I practice in Woodmere, NY (Five Towns, Long Island) and Manhattan (Midtown), and remotely throughout New York State. I have extensive experience working with Orthodox Jewish and diverse communities across the greater New York area.
If you're ready to stop managing symptoms and start healing at the root, IFS may be the missing piece. Book a free 15-minute consultation — no pressure, no commitment.
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