iNTRODUCING ifs women's group
Struggling to detach from a relationship, and wishing you had a supportive space with other women who truly understand? I’m starting a small personal growth group for women in Newcastle, centred around Internal Family Systems (IFS), a compassionate approach to exploring our emotions and getting to know the different parts of ourselves that can sometimes want very different things.
In our first session, we’ll explore the parts of us that can struggle to let go of relationships:
- The part that holds on to hope and potential
- The part that analyses everything, searching for answers
- The part that’s scared of being alone
Rather than judging these parts or trying to get rid of them, we’ll meet them with curiosity, openness and compassion, so you can strengthen your self-trust and feel more connected to yourself.
what is ifs?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a compassionate approach to understanding our emotions and the different “parts” of ourselves. In IFS, a part is simply a metaphor for an emotion or pattern in the psyche, for example, a part that wants to go out and socialise, and another part that feels anxious about it.
It’s normal to develop parts in response to difficult life experiences, and we can often hold conflicting parts that each have a role in protecting us and keeping us safe. IFS works with mindfulness to help us get to know these parts rather than fight them, building the inner capacities, self-awareness, self-compassion and emotional regulation, that let us respond from a grounded place instead of an old, protective pattern.
the goal of ifs
The goal of IFS is to embody the Self and heal our injured parts, so we can live with confidence, guided by curiosity and compassion. The goal isn’t to eliminate any part, but to recognise that every part has a positive intent, and that by extending appreciation toward ourselves, we build emotional safety, self-compassion and self-trust.
what will it involve?
Each session begins with a short meditation, followed by paired listening exercises where we practise offering each other “Self energy” (calmness, compassion, curiosity and attunement). Alongside this, we’ll build practical capacities that help protect us from unhealthy relationship patterns and support healthier ones going forward:
- Assertiveness, being able to voice what we need
- Boundaries, knowing where we end and others begin
- Relational discernment, recognising what a healthy connection feels like
Who is it for?
This group is for women who want a space with other women to bring Self-energy to one another and strengthen their self-trust and self-confidence through connecting, listening and being listened to by other women who resonate with IFS. Alongside this connection, you’ll build real capacities, assertiveness, boundaries and relational discernment, that you can carry into everyday life. It’s a gentle introduction to the model, so no prior experience or knowledge of IFS is needed, just an openness to reflect and connect.
the welcome session
This first session is a chance to meet me, experience the approach, meet the other women, and see whether you resonate with the group, the model and the space I’m creating. Groups are kept small, just 6 women per group, so that everyone has room to be heard. Through teaching, reflection and paired exercises, we’ll practise approaching our parts with greater curiosity, compassion and Self-energy, and begin building the capacities that support healthier relationships, creating space to understand our inner experience without judgement.
session breakdown
Session 1: Introduction to IFS
- We’ll introduce Internal Family Systems and the idea that we all have different parts of ourselves, parts that can develop in response to difficult experiences and take on roles to protect us. We all have parts; it’s normal to have parts, such as the anxious part, the inner critic, or the self-doubt part.
- We’ll discuss and practise Self-energy, and what it means to listen to ourselves and one another with openness, curiosity and compassion.
- We’ll learn how to notice our parts without judging, fixing or becoming overwhelmed by them, and begin practising how to step back from a part so we can listen to it more clearly.
- In pairs, we’ll practise listening to one another with Self-energy, creating a space to be heard without judgement, advice or the need to fix anything, and starting to build the capacities that support this kind of connection.
about me - Trained with IFS Institute, 2021
I’ve been working with the IFS model for five years and am fully trained in IFS therapy through the IFS Institute since 2021. I take a deep, relational approach to IFS, helping women break people-pleasing patterns, develop a stronger sense of self-worth and self-trust, and cultivate greater relational discernment.
I was fortunate to walk this path with my therapist, Vicky - a presence so calm, grounded, and steady that she created the safety I needed to grow, untangle, and release.
Over the past year, I committed to one of the most transformative journeys of my life: healing my inner child. I was fortunate to walk this path with my therapist, Vicky -a presence so calm, grounded, and steady that she created the safety I needed to grow, untangle, and release. Through this journey, layers of fear began to dissolve. I confronted limiting beliefs I didn’t even know I carried. I let go of inner blockages that had shaped my reactions, my expectations, and the way I received the world. With each session, something softened… and something strengthened.
This work liberated me. I found myself living, working, and connecting from a clearer, freer place. My meaningful relationships became richer and more authentic. The questions that once weighed heavily on my heart finally had space to breathe – and the clarity that emerged was invaluable. Inner child work is not instant. It peels gently, a layer at a time, and each layer reveals a deeper truth. But the unfolding is worth it. I am deeply grateful for this experience. It was exceptional – a gift I didn’t know I needed and I would recommend it to anyone seeking deeper alignment, peace, and a fuller sense of self.