Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapists in San Francisco, CA
As a therapist with over 30 years of experience, including as a director of clinical services at a non-profit agency, I've worked with individuals of all ages, couples and families. I offer a wide range of therapy services, specializing in helping my clients deal with emotional and behavioral issues, including anxiety and depression. I also have extensive experience working with those undergoing personal transitions, family, marital and relationship issues, coping with medical challenges including loss and grief.
As a therapist with over 30 years of experience, including as a director of clinical services at a non-profit agency, I've worked with individuals of all ages, couples and families. I offer a wide range of therapy services, specializing in helping my clients deal with emotional and behavioral issues, including anxiety and depression. I also have extensive experience working with those undergoing personal transitions, family, marital and relationship issues, coping with medical challenges including loss and grief.
In my practice, I help people process and release traumas with an integrative and holistic approach. Anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma can show up differently in everyone and is not always as obvious as you'd think. You might find yourself in a rough season of life where your normal coping tools are not bringing you relief. Or maybe you are noticing old memories or feelings coming back that are starting to preoccupy you and negatively affect your relationships and overall functioning.
In my practice, I help people process and release traumas with an integrative and holistic approach. Anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma can show up differently in everyone and is not always as obvious as you'd think. You might find yourself in a rough season of life where your normal coping tools are not bringing you relief. Or maybe you are noticing old memories or feelings coming back that are starting to preoccupy you and negatively affect your relationships and overall functioning.
My approach is relational and psychodynamic, employing mindfulness, somatic awareness, and parts work ( IFS).
I welcome individuals across all racial, gender, sexual, spiritual, and neurological identity spectrums. A life-long artist, I understand creatives. I specialize in existential issues (e.g. cancer diagnoses) and psychedelic therapy.
My approach is relational and psychodynamic, employing mindfulness, somatic awareness, and parts work ( IFS).
I welcome individuals across all racial, gender, sexual, spiritual, and neurological identity spectrums. A life-long artist, I understand creatives. I specialize in existential issues (e.g. cancer diagnoses) and psychedelic therapy.
Rikki Treesh - Relationship + Trauma Therapy
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Online Only
Waitlist for new clients
If you’re here, something isn’t working. Willpower, awareness, and talking through things can only get you so far. Most therapy helps you understand yourself and your situation better and might even throw in a few communication skills. But insight alone won’t lead to change. And communication skills without the ability to regulate your emotions won’t actually improve how you show up in stressful conversations, when you need those skills the most. I work with clients who are looking for more than surface fixes and a safe place to talk. They’re ready to work through whatever is standing in the way of the relationships they want.
If you’re here, something isn’t working. Willpower, awareness, and talking through things can only get you so far. Most therapy helps you understand yourself and your situation better and might even throw in a few communication skills. But insight alone won’t lead to change. And communication skills without the ability to regulate your emotions won’t actually improve how you show up in stressful conversations, when you need those skills the most. I work with clients who are looking for more than surface fixes and a safe place to talk. They’re ready to work through whatever is standing in the way of the relationships they want.
I offer a warm, honest, and collaborative space within which we can explore issues that are troubling you. My aim is for you to feel more fully alive, to find the flexibility and resilience for stronger connections to others and a more vigorous pursuit of your goals and dreams. Change is possible. Deep, long-lasting change comes from within and radiates out into the world. I welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. The areas I work with include depression, anxiety, trauma, intergenerational trauma and stress, life transitions, illness, grief, anger, and career, relationship, parenting, and self-esteem issues.
I offer a warm, honest, and collaborative space within which we can explore issues that are troubling you. My aim is for you to feel more fully alive, to find the flexibility and resilience for stronger connections to others and a more vigorous pursuit of your goals and dreams. Change is possible. Deep, long-lasting change comes from within and radiates out into the world. I welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. The areas I work with include depression, anxiety, trauma, intergenerational trauma and stress, life transitions, illness, grief, anger, and career, relationship, parenting, and self-esteem issues.
I have special training in somatic/body-oriented therapy, pregnancy and infant loss, IFS/parts work, harm reduction and abstinence-based addiction work, abuse and trauma recovery, managing anxiety, and healing through grief and loss.
My work is rooted in the body/mind connection, nourished by the imagination, and anchored in the support of our therapy relationship. I believe we all have parts of ourselves that seek support and parts that feel more hesitant, parts that are thriving and parts that struggle. I understand that your timing and willingness to explore your concerns are unique and must be navigated with respect. We work together to take stock, talk about your goals, and gather the tools needed - from your own strengths, the training I bring, and a community of resources - to help you continue your journey of wellbeing.
I have special training in somatic/body-oriented therapy, pregnancy and infant loss, IFS/parts work, harm reduction and abstinence-based addiction work, abuse and trauma recovery, managing anxiety, and healing through grief and loss.
My work is rooted in the body/mind connection, nourished by the imagination, and anchored in the support of our therapy relationship. I believe we all have parts of ourselves that seek support and parts that feel more hesitant, parts that are thriving and parts that struggle. I understand that your timing and willingness to explore your concerns are unique and must be navigated with respect. We work together to take stock, talk about your goals, and gather the tools needed - from your own strengths, the training I bring, and a community of resources - to help you continue your journey of wellbeing.
I offer an integrative blend of Gestalt, IFS, and Ecotherapy to help you reconnect with your authentic self.
I work with people who lead with their heads but feel disconnected from their lives. My clients include tech professionals navigating high-performance pressure, adolescents building self-worth amidst academic or social anxiety, and individuals reclaiming agency after trauma. I specialize in the "Analytical Bridge"—helping systematic thinkers move from over-thinking into emotional intuition and somatic presence. If you feel "stuck" in analytical loops, I can help you bridge the gap between logic and lived intuition. I provide a grounded, neurodivergent-affirming, and LGBTQ+ centered space.
I offer an integrative blend of Gestalt, IFS, and Ecotherapy to help you reconnect with your authentic self.
I work with people who lead with their heads but feel disconnected from their lives. My clients include tech professionals navigating high-performance pressure, adolescents building self-worth amidst academic or social anxiety, and individuals reclaiming agency after trauma. I specialize in the "Analytical Bridge"—helping systematic thinkers move from over-thinking into emotional intuition and somatic presence. If you feel "stuck" in analytical loops, I can help you bridge the gap between logic and lived intuition. I provide a grounded, neurodivergent-affirming, and LGBTQ+ centered space.
To help understand and navigate the healing process, I draw upon psychodynamic/analytic, existential-humanistic, Jungian, experiential, ego-state, cognitive-behavioral, transpersonal, and trauma-informed orientations, including IFS.
It is unfortunate that insufficiently engaged approaches to therapy, limited depth of analytic reading and development, and the reluctance of clinicians to accept insurance fail so many clients who in good faith seek to discover a healing of heart and mind. The psychodynamic tradition is a living engagement with the maturational wealth of so many dyads. As a psychodynamic therapist, I view my role as a collaborative partner in the relational process of uncovering, deepening, and renegotiating life's dialectical compromises to help bring about a fuller knowledge of self and a more liberated experience of what is present and possible.
To help understand and navigate the healing process, I draw upon psychodynamic/analytic, existential-humanistic, Jungian, experiential, ego-state, cognitive-behavioral, transpersonal, and trauma-informed orientations, including IFS.
It is unfortunate that insufficiently engaged approaches to therapy, limited depth of analytic reading and development, and the reluctance of clinicians to accept insurance fail so many clients who in good faith seek to discover a healing of heart and mind. The psychodynamic tradition is a living engagement with the maturational wealth of so many dyads. As a psychodynamic therapist, I view my role as a collaborative partner in the relational process of uncovering, deepening, and renegotiating life's dialectical compromises to help bring about a fuller knowledge of self and a more liberated experience of what is present and possible.
Mia Freund Stilwell (Formerly Walker)
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
1 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94118
It is normal to go through periods of struggle, conflict, or loneliness. You don't need to struggle alone. I specialize in working with students, young adults, early and mid-career professionals, and parents. Specific areas of expertise include job and academic pressure, family and career issues, work/life balance, building healthy relationships, major life transitions, divorce, loss, parenting challenges, and healthy use of technology. I use warmth, compassion and humor to build a trusting relationship and help you break free of patterns and behaviors that get in in the way of living and experiencing a full life.
It is normal to go through periods of struggle, conflict, or loneliness. You don't need to struggle alone. I specialize in working with students, young adults, early and mid-career professionals, and parents. Specific areas of expertise include job and academic pressure, family and career issues, work/life balance, building healthy relationships, major life transitions, divorce, loss, parenting challenges, and healthy use of technology. I use warmth, compassion and humor to build a trusting relationship and help you break free of patterns and behaviors that get in in the way of living and experiencing a full life.
Throughout my work with adult individuals, common themes include: mood and anxiety disorders (at times correlated with bipolar or BPD diagnosis), LGBTQ+ experiences, ethnic minority and bicultural experiences, identity exploration, ADHD, autism, complex trauma, narcissistic abuse, relationship and communication issues, codependency, attachment patterns, significant life transitions, self-esteem challenges, perfectionism, and burn out (especially in high-paced corporate or tech environments). And sometimes, folks simply feel like 'something' in their life needs to shift.
Throughout my work with adult individuals, common themes include: mood and anxiety disorders (at times correlated with bipolar or BPD diagnosis), LGBTQ+ experiences, ethnic minority and bicultural experiences, identity exploration, ADHD, autism, complex trauma, narcissistic abuse, relationship and communication issues, codependency, attachment patterns, significant life transitions, self-esteem challenges, perfectionism, and burn out (especially in high-paced corporate or tech environments). And sometimes, folks simply feel like 'something' in their life needs to shift.
Specially trained in relationship (EFT, IFIO, CDM) & sex therapy, and cutting-edge transformative trauma interventions ( IFS, Presence Psychotherapy, DBR, Somatic, EMDR).
Dear fellow traveler, do you want to find calm amidst anxiety and stress, claim inner peace from past wounds, rekindle love and affection with your partner(s), seek peace with food, discover pleasure with your body, or get more clarity and acceptance about who you are? As a seasoned trauma/ relationship/ sex specialist, I help highly motivated humans like you to create the life you've been waiting for. Together, we navigate the challenges you face, not only transforming your life, but also breaking generational cycles, and fostering healing for future generations (if you choose to have them).
Specially trained in relationship (EFT, IFIO, CDM) & sex therapy, and cutting-edge transformative trauma interventions ( IFS, Presence Psychotherapy, DBR, Somatic, EMDR).
Dear fellow traveler, do you want to find calm amidst anxiety and stress, claim inner peace from past wounds, rekindle love and affection with your partner(s), seek peace with food, discover pleasure with your body, or get more clarity and acceptance about who you are? As a seasoned trauma/ relationship/ sex specialist, I help highly motivated humans like you to create the life you've been waiting for. Together, we navigate the challenges you face, not only transforming your life, but also breaking generational cycles, and fostering healing for future generations (if you choose to have them).
You deserve better than to stay stuck. (Though some of you have nagging thoughts that you may not). You deserve to be in less pain. Perhaps you’re coping with a loss of some kind like a divorce or a death and that’s been difficult? Often it is easier to reduce distress and achieve your goals with the help of a therapist who is objective, can hear your WHOLE story and hold it in confidence, and who can offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy. You deserve to feel “seen” and feel valued and you may need a place to nurture yourself and develop better coping skills for what life has thrown your way lately. Let me help.
You deserve better than to stay stuck. (Though some of you have nagging thoughts that you may not). You deserve to be in less pain. Perhaps you’re coping with a loss of some kind like a divorce or a death and that’s been difficult? Often it is easier to reduce distress and achieve your goals with the help of a therapist who is objective, can hear your WHOLE story and hold it in confidence, and who can offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy. You deserve to feel “seen” and feel valued and you may need a place to nurture yourself and develop better coping skills for what life has thrown your way lately. Let me help.
Sometimes life presents challenges that are too difficult to manage on one's own and therapy can be an excellent choice to address those obstacles. Therapy provides a conversation that is not available in any other relationship. I invite people to explore and clarify what they want and together we identify the barriers and create attainable goals. We will work together to understand what really matters to you. My treatment style is warm, direct, humorous and deeply respectful While each individual client requires something unique to them, in general, I offer practical solutions while also using an insight-orientated approach.
Sometimes life presents challenges that are too difficult to manage on one's own and therapy can be an excellent choice to address those obstacles. Therapy provides a conversation that is not available in any other relationship. I invite people to explore and clarify what they want and together we identify the barriers and create attainable goals. We will work together to understand what really matters to you. My treatment style is warm, direct, humorous and deeply respectful While each individual client requires something unique to them, in general, I offer practical solutions while also using an insight-orientated approach.
I'm a Level 3 Internal Family Systems practitioner and I’m also a Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at University of California San Francisco where I'm the co-Director of the UCSF Center on IFS.
I offer therapy through the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy. I specialize in issues of relationships, anxiety, career, shame, trauma, parenting, and grief. I help people to reach their sense of freedom and creativity. I affirm all different racial, gender, and sex identities.
I'm a Level 3 Internal Family Systems practitioner and I’m also a Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at University of California San Francisco where I'm the co-Director of the UCSF Center on IFS.
I offer therapy through the Center for Mindful Psychotherapy. I specialize in issues of relationships, anxiety, career, shame, trauma, parenting, and grief. I help people to reach their sense of freedom and creativity. I affirm all different racial, gender, and sex identities.
Claire Palmquist
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT, APCC
3 Endorsed
San Francisco, CA 94109
Using Internal Family Systems and Drama Therapy, we'll explore and expand your life's "role repertoire
I believe that we all have deep sources of wisdom and healing within ourselves; my goal as your therapist is to help you access those resources within yourself in order to build the life that feels most true for you. I know how difficult it can be to locate barriers to growth- or even to know what kind of growth we're looking for. I feel passionate about meeting you right where you are on your healing journey. I am trained in somatic therapy, expressive art therapy, and drama therapy and believe these are powerful avenues to both locate what change we want to see in our lives and to begin cultivating that change.
Using Internal Family Systems and Drama Therapy, we'll explore and expand your life's "role repertoire
I believe that we all have deep sources of wisdom and healing within ourselves; my goal as your therapist is to help you access those resources within yourself in order to build the life that feels most true for you. I know how difficult it can be to locate barriers to growth- or even to know what kind of growth we're looking for. I feel passionate about meeting you right where you are on your healing journey. I am trained in somatic therapy, expressive art therapy, and drama therapy and believe these are powerful avenues to both locate what change we want to see in our lives and to begin cultivating that change.
You have spent years holding it together by being capable, staying in control, and taking up less space. On the outside you may look successful but inside you feel anxious, disconnected, or constantly second guessing yourself. Food, body image, or perfectionism may feel like places where control is easier than trust. You are tired of pretending you are fine and want support that feels affirming, real, and grounded in who you actually are.
You have spent years holding it together by being capable, staying in control, and taking up less space. On the outside you may look successful but inside you feel anxious, disconnected, or constantly second guessing yourself. Food, body image, or perfectionism may feel like places where control is easier than trust. You are tired of pretending you are fine and want support that feels affirming, real, and grounded in who you actually are.
Are you rocking that 'got-it-together' facade, but deep down you're really falling apart? You're not alone. Life's throwing punches, and the struggle is real. You're seeking direction and clarity, but you feel stuck, caught in self-doubt, and trapped in "stay or leave" dilemmas. The uncertainty is unsettling and you start questioning everything about your relationship…and yourself. Whether it's your marriage, career, or the sheer weight of everything around you—I get it. It's like having a hundred tabs open in your mind at once, making it hard to think straight and perform as you envision. You're exhausted. It's time for a change.
Are you rocking that 'got-it-together' facade, but deep down you're really falling apart? You're not alone. Life's throwing punches, and the struggle is real. You're seeking direction and clarity, but you feel stuck, caught in self-doubt, and trapped in "stay or leave" dilemmas. The uncertainty is unsettling and you start questioning everything about your relationship…and yourself. Whether it's your marriage, career, or the sheer weight of everything around you—I get it. It's like having a hundred tabs open in your mind at once, making it hard to think straight and perform as you envision. You're exhausted. It's time for a change.
Hello, and thank you for being here! Everyone deserves access to resources to help navigate challenges in the way of living your ideal life. Therapy can be a helpful, non-judgmental, and supportive space where we explore together what that means to you. I provide in-person services to individuals and romantic partners in San Francisco!
What is therapy with me like? Together we might work to explore your values and identity, transform shame, and cultivate a wider sense of safety and closeness in your relationships. It really depends on your unique needs & goals - you are the captain, and I'm here to help you navigate the waters.
Hello, and thank you for being here! Everyone deserves access to resources to help navigate challenges in the way of living your ideal life. Therapy can be a helpful, non-judgmental, and supportive space where we explore together what that means to you. I provide in-person services to individuals and romantic partners in San Francisco!
What is therapy with me like? Together we might work to explore your values and identity, transform shame, and cultivate a wider sense of safety and closeness in your relationships. It really depends on your unique needs & goals - you are the captain, and I'm here to help you navigate the waters.
As a queer, first-generation woman myself, I am passionate about working with people facing different life challenges. My specialty includes individual therapy with adults and teens with a focus on the following areas: depression, anxiety, LGBTQ+/coming-out challenges, immigrant/first-generation challenges, and trauma.
As a queer, first-generation woman myself, I am passionate about working with people facing different life challenges. My specialty includes individual therapy with adults and teens with a focus on the following areas: depression, anxiety, LGBTQ+/coming-out challenges, immigrant/first-generation challenges, and trauma.
Do you want to be able to speak the hard truths and be met with compassion instead of judgement? Let's create a space where you feel safe enough to share your unpopular opinions and hot takes. I’ll sit with you and be a witness to your story, no matter how beautiful or terrible. Through our work you’ll learn to embrace your whole self: messy, complex, and capable of growth no matter your past.
Do you want to be able to speak the hard truths and be met with compassion instead of judgement? Let's create a space where you feel safe enough to share your unpopular opinions and hot takes. I’ll sit with you and be a witness to your story, no matter how beautiful or terrible. Through our work you’ll learn to embrace your whole self: messy, complex, and capable of growth no matter your past.
See more therapy options for San Francisco
Nearby Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapists Searches for San Francisco
- Alameda
- Albany
- Belvedere Tiburon
- Daly City
- Emeryville
- Mill Valley
- Oakland
- Piedmont
- San Bruno
- Sausalito
- South San Francisco
- Tiburon
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapists
What is Internal Family Systems therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a type of talk therapy that focuses on sub-personalities, or “families,” within a person, which may be made up of wounded parts and unpleasant emotions like anger and shame. These sub-personalities can come into conflict with each other and with an individual’s core Self, leaving the person feeling detached from positive traits such as the “8 C’s” of confidence, calmness, creativity, clarity, curiosity, courage, compassion, and connectedness. By healing a patient’s wounded parts, a therapist aims to restore balance and bring on positive change.
How does Internal Family Systems therapy work?
An IFS therapist will work with a patient to identify their particular sub-personalities, recognize the emotions powering them, and release them. By doing so, the patient should become more able to address any underlying problems their sub-personalities may have been trying to protect them from. Ultimately, a patient discovers ways to manage internal and external conflicts on their own, through techniques such as relaxation exercises, journaling, and making charts depicting the relationships between their core Self and their distinct parts.
Does Internal Family Systems therapy work?
IFS therapy has been shown to help people address conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic, fears and phobias, trauma, and substance use disorders. Some research has also found that it can help individuals deal with symptoms of physical health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, such as pain, everyday functioning, depressive feelings, and low self-compassion. There are some conditions for which IFS treatment, specifically discussions of one’s “parts,” may be less appropriate, such as schizophrenia or other states that involve psychosis or paranoia.
How long does Internal Family Systems therapy take?
As with most forms of talk therapy, there is no set duration or end point for IFS therapy. After becoming comfortable with a therapist and the core concepts of IFS, some patients quickly make progress. While experiences vary, most will find that it is a relatively longer-term therapy, involving months and sometimes years of sessions.