This Halloween, Meet Your Ghosts:

Oct 30

An Introduction to IFS Therapy

This Halloween, discover the healing power of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy — and learn how meeting your inner “ghosts” with compassion can lead to deep emotional healing.

Something magical happens at the end of October.

The air turns crisp, jack-o’-lanterns glow, and we start thinking about ghosts. Halloween tells us to face what scares us. Día de los Muertos reminds us to honor what we’ve kept in the dark.

But what if the most important ghosts aren’t the ones haunting graveyards?
What if they live inside you?

Why Do I Feel Like This?

You know that feeling when different voices argue in your head?

One part wants to speak up, another keeps you quiet.
One wants to rest, another says you should be doing more.

It’s confusing and exhausting. You might even wonder,
“Why can’t I just make a decision and stick to it?”

Here’s the truth: nothing is wrong with you.
You’re not broken or weak — you simply have parts.

Welcome to Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS therapy starts with one simple idea: you’re not one single person.
You’re a system of parts — each with its own role, emotions, and story.

Think of your internal world like a family:

A Manager part that keeps things under control (the planner, the perfectionist, the overachiever).
A Firefighter part that reacts when emotions feel too intense (the distractor, the numbing, the rage).
Exiled parts that carry the deepest pain, fear, or shame — the ones your system tries to protect.
And beneath it all, your Self — calm, compassionate, and wise. The part that can lead with love.

The Haunted House Metaphor

Imagine your inner world as a haunted house.

The basement holds your “ghosts” — the exiled parts that carry old pain. Maybe it’s the part that felt unseen, abandoned, or hurt.

To keep them locked away, your manager parts act as security guards, keeping life organized and safe. And when those ghosts start to stir, your firefighters rush in — with distractions, work, numbing, or anger — to quiet the noise.

But all that effort is exhausting.
IFS asks: What if you opened the basement door?

The Día de los Muertos Approach to Healing

In Día de los Muertos tradition, families don’t fear the spirits — they welcome them home.
They light candles, share food, and say: “You’re remembered. You’re welcome here.”

IFS invites you to do the same with your inner parts.

Instead of fighting your anxiety, ask: “What are you protecting me from?”
Instead of judging your anger, ask: “What are you afraid might happen?”
Instead of hiding your sadness, say: “I see you. You’re not alone.”

When you meet your parts with curiosity and compassion, they start to trust you. They share their stories. They soften.

What Happens in IFS Therapy

IFS helps you:

Notice your parts. “A part of me feels anxious.”
Get curious. “What is this part trying to tell me?”
Unblend. “I notice this part, but I’m not only this feeling.”
Heal the exiles. Offer compassion to the parts carrying pain.
Let Self lead. Allow your calm, grounded Self to take the driver’s seat.