10 Benefits of IFS Therapy — From a Trauma Therapist in Los Angeles

Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Specializing in somatic, trauma-informed, and holistic therapy in Los Angeles

The Top 10 Benefits of IFS Therapy—From a Licensed Therapist in Los Angeles

You’ve probably heard about IFS therapy by now — maybe on TikTok, maybe from a therapist, maybe from someone who swears it changed their life. But what actually is it? And does it really help?

I’m a trauma and attachment therapist in Los Angeles, and I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy every day with clients who feel stuck — in anxiety, in old patterns, or in protective responses that no longer serve them. IFS helps people make sense of the parts of themselves that shut down, overthink, numb out, or try to control everything — and actually start working with those parts, not against them.

In this post, I’m breaking down 10 real benefits of IFS therapy — based on what I’ve seen in the room, and backed by research — so you can see how it helps with trauma, emotional regulation, and healing from the inside out.

1. One of the Biggest Benefits of IFS Therapy: It's Backed by Research

You deserve therapy that actually helps—not just something that sounds good online. IFS therapy (Internal Family Systems) has been tested by researchers, and the results are clear: it works.

Scientists wanted to know if IFS really helped people. So they studied a group of adults dealing with trauma. They tracked how they felt before and after. After 16 sessions of IFS, 92% no longer met criteria for PTSD! That’s huge! The ones who did IFS felt calmer, less anxious, and more in control of their emotions. Their nervous systems weren’t stuck in panic mode anymore.

What I See in My Office Every Week

But honestly? I don’t need a study to tell me that IFS works. I’ve watched it happen again and again in my practice. I’ve sat across from people who’ve done years of talk therapy and still feel stuck—still anxious, still overwhelmed, still beating themselves up inside. Then we start using IFS, and something shifts.

Why It Works So Well for Trauma and Anxiety

IFS doesn’t just tell you to “calm down” or “think positive.” It helps you understand the parts of you that are scared, shut down, angry, or just plain tired. And instead of trying to push those parts away, it teaches you how to listen. Genuinely. Safely. Without judgment.

That’s when healing starts—not when you fight your system, but when you finally work with it.

Why I Use IFS Therapy in My Los Angeles Practice

IFS is a grounded, research-supported method that helps people feel safe in their own minds again. That’s why I use IFS therapy in my Los Angeles practice every single day. Because it works

2. It Literally Rewires the Fear Center of Your Brain (Fight, Flight, Freeze)

If you’re constantly waiting for something to go wrong—even when things are fine—you’re not broken. You’re probably just stuck in survival mode. And that’s not something you can just “mindset” your way out of.

IFS Helps Calm A Dysregulated Nervous System

When you’ve been through trauma, or even just long-term emotional stress, your nervous system stays on edge. Your brain—specifically your amygdala—learns to scan for danger nonstop. That’s why you might jump at small things, shut down in conflict, or feel anxious for no obvious reason. Your nervous system thinks it’s keeping you safe.

IFS therapy doesn’t just teach you to manage those responses—it helps you change how they show up in the first place.

In IFS, we get to know the parts of you that feel unsafe. The ones that go straight into freeze, flight, or shutdown. And when we approach them with curiosity instead of shame, they begin to calm down. Slowly but consistently, your system starts to realize: You’re not in danger anymore.

3. IFS Helps You Heal PTSD & Complex Trauma Without Re-Traumatizing Yourself

A lot of people come into therapy thinking they’ll have to talk about every detail of what happened to them. And for some, that’s exactly why they’ve avoided therapy altogether.

But in actuality? You don’t have to re-live everything to heal from it. Not in the way I work.

IFS therapy gives us a different way in. Instead of pulling the trauma to the surface, we connect with the parts of you that are still living in the aftermath. The ones that shut down when someone raises their voice. The ones that feel frozen in a memory. The ones that don’t trust it’s really safe to feel.

We don’t rush those parts. We don’t push for a breakthrough.
We listen. We build trust inside your system, slowly and safely, until it starts to let go on its own.

4. It's a More Natural, Compassionate Approach to Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression don’t always come out of nowhere. A lot of the time, they show up because different parts of you are pulling in opposite directions. One part wants to move forward, the other is scared. One part wants to say no, another is terrified of disappointing people.

IFS helps you stop fighting yourself. You learn how to listen to those parts instead of shutting them down. And when that internal war quiets, the anxiety starts to fade. The heaviness lifts.

I’ve had clients tell me, “I didn’t even realize how loud it was in my head until it got quiet.”

This is how IFS addresses emotional pain at the root—not by “fixing” you, but by helping you work with the parts that are in pain. That’s why I also use anxiety therapy and somatic work alongside IFS. Because sometimes, what looks like anxiety or depression is actually just your system trying to protect you.

5. IFS Therapy Helps You Build Real Self-Compassion — Not Toxic Positivity

If you’ve ever told yourself “I should be over this by now,” you’re not alone. Most of us have a harsh inner critic that sounds helpful but just leaves us feeling like crap.

IFS gives you a way to understand where that voice comes from. It’s usually a protective part—one that thinks being hard on you is the only way to keep you safe, motivated, or accepted.

Through IFS, we don’t try to silence that part. We get curious about it. And when that part feels heard instead of attacked, it softens.

That’s what real self-compassion is. Not “just think positive.” Not spiritual bypassing. It’s building an internal relationship based on trust, safety, and understanding. This is one of the biggest emotional shifts I see in therapy—when someone goes from self-blame to self-connection.

6. Your Trauma Responses Aren’t “You”—IFS Helps You Separate and Heal

Not all trauma shows up as flashbacks. A lot of the time, it looks like patterns—over-functioning, shutdown, people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional numbness. These are signs that parts of you are still stuck in survival mode.

IFS therapy helps identify those protective roles and shows them they don’t have to do it all anymore. That they’re not alone in keeping you safe.

This is where I integrate trauma therapy and parts work with your lived experience. Because we’re not just dealing with trauma memories—we’re working with the parts of you that adapted to survive.

And that’s a different kind of healing.

7. IFS Can Even Help with Chronic Pain (Here’s How)

Here’s something people don’t talk about enough: chronic pain and emotional stress are deeply connected. If your body is constantly tense, holding, or bracing—your nervous system might be carrying years of stored fear or grief.

I’ve had clients come in with chronic back pain, jaw tension, migraines—things they’ve “tried everything” to treat. And when we start working with the parts of them holding emotional pain? Their physical pain starts to shift too.

IFS therapy doesn’t replace medical care, but it’s a powerful addition when your body is asking for relief. When your system feels safe emotionally, it can stop holding the physical tension it’s been carrying.

This is why I sometimes combine IFS with somatic therapy—because pain isn’t always just physical. It’s often emotional, too.

8. IFS Therapy Changes How We Relate to Our Emotions

A lot of people think they’re “too emotional” or “not emotional enough.” In reality, they just don’t feel safe feeling their emotions.

IFS gives you a way to build a relationship with your emotions—so you can actually be with them without getting taken over by them. Instead of shutting down, avoiding, or spiraling, you start responding with curiosity and care.

I’ve seen clients go from full-blown emotional whiplash to feeling calm and steady—even when life gets messy.

This is a huge deal if you grew up being told your feelings were “too much.” IFS helps those parts feel seen, and teaches your system it’s okay to feel.

9. IFS & Somatic Therapy Work Together to Heal Trauma Stored in the Body

Your body doesn’t forget. It adapts. And sometimes, those adaptations stick around longer than they need to.

I’ve worked with people who logically know they’re safe—but still flinch, brace, or zone out like something bad is about to happen. That’s not weakness. That’s your system doing its job. It just never got the memo that the danger has passed.

This is where IFS and somatic therapy come in. Not as two separate tools, but as a combined approach.

In a session, we might track how your system tenses up the moment you say “I’m fine.” Then we’ll slow it down and get curious: What part of you doesn’t believe that? What part of you is still bracing?

It’s subtle—but it’s everything. You don’t have to explain your trauma in detail for your body to shift.
You just need to listen to it—and let it tell you, through sensation, what it’s been trying to manage alone.

When your system starts to feel supported—not pushed or analyzed or fixed—those survival responses can begin to soften. Not through force. Through trust.

10. It's a Holistic Approach that Strengthens the Mind/Body Connection

Therapy isn’t the only thing most of my clients have tried.

They’ve journaled. Read all the books. Done breathwork, meditation, nervous system courses, clean eating, sound baths—you name it. They’re not new to healing. But something’s still stuck.

That’s where IFS fits in. It’s not here to replace the rest of your healing practices—it’s here to make them land.
IFS gives you a way to connect the dots between your thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and body—not just float between modalities hoping one finally cracks it open.

That’s why I use it as the foundation for holistic therapy in my practice. We don’t just throw a bunch of tools at your pain—we get clear about what your system actually needs.

IFS lets us slow down, get curious, and build internal safety before we ask your nervous system to do anything new. That’s what makes real change sustainable.

Basically, you’re not starting over! You’re building on everything you’ve already done.

IFS Therapy in Los Angeles: Let’s Do This Work Together

If you’ve made it this far, you probably don’t need more information. You need something that finally works for your system. Not just another theory. Not just another insight. Actual change—inside your body, your brain, your relationships, your sense of self.

That’s what IFS therapy is built for.
And it’s what I do every day with clients who’ve already done the work but still feel stuck.

Interested in Working With an IFS Therapist?

If you’re ready for something deeper, something that doesn’t force or fix but actually helps you feel like yourself again—reach out here. You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if this work feels like a fit.

Or, if you want to learn more about how I use IFS therapy in my Los Angeles practice, you can start there too.

You don’t have to keep managing.
You don’t have to keep pushing through.

You get to heal in a way that makes sense for your system.

IFS Therapist in Los Angeles

Work With Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC

I’m a trauma therapist in Los Angeles who works with people who are smart, self-aware, and still stuck. People who’ve done the inner work, read the books, said “I know this isn’t rational,” and still feel anxious, disconnected, or like they’re walking around holding their breath.

I specialize in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, somatic therapy, and holistic trauma work. I’m here to help you actually feel different in your body, not just understand what’s going on in your head.

My clients are often the ones who’ve “held it together” for years. The ones who were fine on the outside but overwhelmed, numb, or constantly overthinking on the inside. If that sounds like you, I get it.

I use evidence-based, body-centered therapy to help you get out of survival mode—not just temporarily, but in a way that creates lasting, internal change.

You can learn more about how I work here, or contact me if you’re ready to explore what this work could look like for you.

FAQ About IFS Therapy in Los Angeles

Is Internal Family Systems Therapy legit?

Yes, IFS therapy is real and proven to work. Scientists have studied it and found that it helps people feel less anxious, less stressed, and more in control of their emotion.. Doctors and therapists all over the world use IFS because it helps people heal from tough experiences in a way that ACTUALLY works.

What are the cons of IFS therapy?

IFS therapy is really powerful and helpful, but like anything, it’s not perfect for everyone. One tricky part is that it takes time—you don’t just do it once and feel magically better. It’s kind of like learning a new language for your feelings, and that can feel confusing at first. Some people have trouble connecting with their parts right away, especially if they’ve spent a long time ignoring or pushing down emotions. If you’re someone who likes a super structured, step-by-step therapy approach, IFS might feel too open-ended. Also, if you have really big trauma, it’s important to go slow and feel safe, because sometimes deep emotions come up, and that can be a lot. But when it’s done right—with patience and the right therapist—it can be an incredible way to heal, feel more connected to yourself, and finally understand why you feel the way you do.

Can you do IFS by yourself?

Yes, you can practice IFS by yourself, but it’s kind of like learning to ride a bike—you can do it alone, but it’s a lot easier (and safer) with someone guiding you at first. IFS therapy works best with a trained therapist who can help you notice your different “parts” and make sure you don’t get overwhelmed. But once you understand how it works, you can absolutely use IFS on your own to check in with your emotions, calm your nervous system, and work through inner conflicts.

If you’re just starting out, guided meditations, journaling, and even talking to your parts out loud can help. Just remember: if tough emotions or trauma come up, it’s okay to ask for help from an IFS-trained therapist so you don’t have to do it all alone. If you’re in Los Angeles, IFS therapy with a professional can make the process smoother and more effective. Learn more here.

What is the difference between IFS and EFT?

IFS and EFT are both great therapies, but they focus on different things. IFS (Internal Family Systems) helps you understand and heal the different “parts” of yourself—like the anxious part, the perfectionist part, or the part that shuts down. EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) is all about relationships—it helps you understand your emotional patterns and create stronger, more secure connections with others. IFS is more about your inner world, while EFT is more about how you connect with other people. If you struggle with both (which a lot of people do), they can actually work really well together. Not sure which one is right for you? Let’s figure it out. Reach out here

Contact Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC and Take Charge of Your Anxiety

Online Therapy California: Holistic Therapist Los Angeles

Cheryl Groskopf is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), and has helped many individuals navigate through their challenges and find meaningful solutions.Her expertise includes working with individuals dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, grief, and attachment issues. Cheryl’s approach to therapy is compassion based, collaborative, and tailored to the unique needs of each individual she works with. Her goal is to create a warm and supportive space where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to make positive changes in their lives.