IFS Therapy for Anxiety: Healing from the Inside Out
If you’ve ever searched for “anxiety therapists near me” and ended up with a long list of providers offering traditional talk therapy or CBT, you’re not alone. While these methods are helpful, many clients say:
“I know the tools, but I still feel like anxiety is running my life.”
That’s where Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can offer something different—a way to work with your anxiety instead of fighting it. At Head First Health, our Chicago-based anxiety therapists specialize in integrative care that includes both evidence-based methods like CBT and powerful, insight-oriented approaches like IFS.
What Is IFS Therapy?
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is a therapy model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. It’s based on the idea that our minds are made up of different “parts,” each with their own roles, emotions, and histories.
Some parts protect us from pain (like overthinking or perfectionism)
Some carry wounds or memories from the past
And at our center is the core Self—the calm, compassionate, confident inner leader
IFS teaches us how to identify these parts, understand their intentions, and build a relationship with them—so that anxiety, anger, or shutdown no longer control the show.
What’s a “Bad Part”? Spoiler: There’s No Such Thing.
In his bestselling book, No Bad Parts, Dr. Schwartz reminds us that even our most frustrating behaviors are protective in nature.
As he shared on the Huberman Lab podcast, one of the core principles of IFS is radical inner compassion. Your anxiety? It's not trying to ruin your life. It's trying to protect you—from failure, rejection, shame, or disappointment.
“When you shift from hating that part of you to listening to it, everything starts to change.” — Dr. Richard Schwartz on Huberman Lab
Real Client Scenarios: When Parts Show Up
At Head First Health, we’ve seen how IFS can transform anxiety from something shameful into something understandable—and workable. Here are a few examples (names and details changed for confidentiality):
“I snap at my partner, then spiral into guilt.”
Meet Laura, a high-achieving attorney in Chicago who found herself lashing out after work and then sinking into self-criticism. Through IFS therapy, she discovered a “protector part” that used anger to keep others at a distance. Why? Because vulnerability once led to betrayal in her childhood. That angry part was trying to protect her from being hurt again.
When Laura stopped shaming the anger and began building trust with it, her anxiety decreased—and her relationships improved.
“I shut down during feedback at work.”
Marcus struggled with emotional numbness and dissociation anytime a supervisor gave him constructive feedback. In therapy, he identified a younger part of him that believed criticism = rejection. This part “froze” to avoid the pain of disappointing others.
By working with this part in IFS, Marcus was able to honor its protective function while letting his more confident, capable Self step forward in real time.
IFS for Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Emotional Regulation
IFS has been shown to support a wide range of anxiety-related issues, including:
Generalized anxiety
Social anxiety
Panic attacks
High-functioning anxiety
Perfectionism
Emotional dysregulation
If you’ve been Googling things like:
Anxiety CBT near me
Social anxiety therapist near me
Anxiety disorder therapist near me Aetna
…then IFS might be the missing piece you haven’t tried yet.
Why IFS Feels Different
Most anxiety therapy focuses on changing your thoughts or behaviors. IFS helps you get curious about why those thoughts and behaviors are happening in the first place.
IFS asks:
What part of you feels unsafe in this moment?
When did this part first show up?
What is it afraid would happen if it didn’t do its job?
This process opens the door to self-understanding and internal trust—both of which are essential to lasting anxiety relief.
Bonus Resource: Dr. Schwartz on the Huberman Lab Podcast
For those who love a good science-meets-soul deep dive, check out Dr. Richard Schwartz’s episode on the Huberman Lab Podcast (YouTube).
In it, he and Dr. Andrew Huberman explore:
The neuroscience behind parts work
How IFS supports trauma recovery
What happens in the brain when Self-energy leads
It’s a must-listen for anyone curious about how emotional patterns form—and how they can be healed.
Looking for Anxiety Therapists Near You?
Whether you searched for:
Anxiety therapists near me Chicago
Top anxiety therapists near me
Anxiety counseling near me free
Anxiety centers Chicago…you’re in the right place.
At Head First Health, we specialize in anxiety therapy for adults—especially women and femme-identifying individuals navigating perfectionism, people-pleasing, trauma, and emotional burnout.
We offer:
CBT + IFS hybrid therapy
Support for Aetna and other major insurance plans
Reduced-cost therapy with supervised clinicians
Online therapy across Illinois
Let’s Heal the Part of You That Thinks You Have to “Hold It All Together”
You don’t need to white-knuckle your way through anxiety. You don’t need to push down the parts of you that overthink, avoid, or explode.
You just need support in understanding them—and someone to help you access the calm, curious, confident Self that’s already within you.
🖥️ Visit www.headfirsthealthcc.com to schedule your free consultation
📍 Now accepting clients across Illinois
📧 Reach out today and take the first step toward healing—from the inside out