IFS Therapy and
Inner Child Healing Montana

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based therapy approach built on the idea that the mind is made up of different "parts" — such as an inner critic, a people-pleaser, or a part that shuts down or lashes out — each of which developed to protect you. Eden Mental Health and Wellness offers online IFS therapy to adults in Montana and Utah. IFS is the foundation of their inner-child work and is often paired with Somatic Therapy, alongside a free weekly Inner Child Healing Group led by author Lexie Haslem, LCPC.

What Is IFS (Internal Family Systems) Therapy?

IFS is built on a simple, compassionate idea: you're not broken — you're made up of parts, and every one of them is trying to protect you. The inner critic, the people-pleaser, the part that shuts down or lashes out — each developed for a reason, usually early in life. In IFS, we get to know these parts with curiosity instead of judgment, understand what they're protecting, and help them release the burdens they've been carrying. It's the foundation of the inner-child work we're known for

What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Used For?

IFS is a compassionate, evidence-based approach that views the mind as made up of different "parts," like an inner critic, a perfectionist, or a part that avoids conflict. Rather than fighting these parts, IFS helps you understand why they developed and heal the wounds they carry. Most people find it a gentle, non-shaming way to work through trauma, anxiety, and self-worth struggles.

What Is Inner Child Work in Therapy?

Inner child work is a therapeutic approach that helps adults identify and heal unresolved emotional wounds from childhood that still shape their thoughts, relationships, and reactions today. Rather than just managing symptoms, it addresses the root — the younger part of you that learned to feel unsafe, unseen, or not enough. At our clinic, inner child work is woven together with parts work (IFS), somatic therapy, and psychodynamic approaches, guided by founder Lexie Haslem, LCPC, author of the workbook Your Inner Child.

How Do I Know If I Have Inner Child Wounds?

Common signs include people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, harsh self-criticism, fear of abandonment, feeling "too much" or "not enough," and emotional reactions that feel bigger than the situation calls for. These patterns usually aren't character flaws — they're protective strategies a younger version of you developed to stay safe. If they're showing up in your adult relationships or self-image, IFS-informed therapy can help you understand where they started and change them.

What Happens In an IFS or Inner Child Therapy Session?

Sessions typically involve identifying the younger parts of yourself that carry old pain, understanding what they needed and didn't get, and learning to respond to them with compassion instead of criticism, a process often called reparenting. This may include IFS-informed parts work, somatic techniques to release what's held in the body, and exercises from the Your Inner Child workbook between sessions. It's gentle, paced to you, and you're never pushed into memories before you're ready.

Can I Do IFS or Inner Child Healing Online?

Yes. Inner child work translates well to telehealth because it's conversational and internally focused — many clients actually feel safer doing this deeper work from their own home. We offer online IFS and inner-child therapy throughout Montana and Utah, so you can work with a therapist trained in this approach regardless of where you live in either state.

Join Our Free Weekly Inner Child Healing Group

Are you ready to reconnect with the part of yourself that deserves healing, compassion, and understanding? Join author Lexie Haslem each week for a free online Inner Child Healing Group inspired by her book, Your Inner Child, every Monday at 6:30 PM MST. Whether you've already read Your Inner Child or are simply curious about inner-child healing, everyone is invited to participate. Reserve your spot on our Free Group Therapy page.

How IFS Fits With Our Other Approaches

IFS is often combined with Somatic Therapy, EMDR, and our broader Trauma Therapy Services. There's no one-size-fits-all path to healing. Together, you and your therapist will find the approaches that fit you. See our full Therapy Approaches page, or find your nearest service area: Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman/Livingston, or Utah.