Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based, SAMHSA-recognized approach that helps you build a compassionate relationship with the different parts of yourself rather than fighting them. At Silver Lining Recovery in Huntington Beach, clinicians integrate IFS with EMDR, DBT and trauma-informed care across every outpatient level of care.
Evidence-based, parts-based therapy
Individual, often woven into group work
PHP, IOP, virtual IOP and OP
Varies, ongoing work over weeks to months
IFS is a therapeutic model that recognizes we all carry different parts of ourselves, protective parts, wounded parts, perfectionistic parts, emotionally reactive parts, and that each one developed for a reason. Rather than treating those parts as symptoms to eliminate, IFS treats them as members of an internal family, each with a role and a history and something it is trying to protect you from.
Beneath the parts sits what IFS calls the core Self, a calm, curious, compassionate center that is still there even when it does not feel like it. IFS was added to the SAMHSA National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices in 2015 and is used clinically to treat trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression and substance use disorders, particularly when those conditions are rooted in earlier emotional wounds.
For people in recovery, IFS often reframes substance use as a firefighter, a reactive part working to numb or escape the pain carried by a wounded exile part, rather than a personal failure. That reframe matters, since shame is a well-documented trigger for relapse. The work shifts toward understanding what a firefighter is protecting, what it needs, and what would let it step back.
IFS sessions are slower and more internal than traditional talk therapy, focused on building relationships with your parts rather than analyzing them. A typical session checks in on which parts feel active, explores one from a place of curiosity, and often includes somatic awareness, noticing where a part shows up in the body, alongside nervous system regulation techniques. IFS is rarely used in isolation here. It is woven into a broader treatment plan that may include EMDR, DBT, CBT, group therapy and individual therapy, paced to what your system can hold.
Therapists often describe the qualities of Self as the 8 C’s: calm, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, creativity, courage and connectedness. The work is about reaching that state more often, not about removing any part of you.
Added to the SAMHSA National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices in 2015, with a growing evidence base for trauma and substance use.
IFS is woven into a broader plan alongside EMDR, DBT, CBT and trauma-informed group work, matched to what your system can hold.
Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, TriWest/TRICARE, Aetna, Anthem, Health Net and more. Verification is free and takes about two minutes.
A clinician can explain how IFS would fit your goals in about fifteen minutes. Checking your coverage first costs nothing and carries no obligation to enroll.
IFS is used clinically across a range of conditions, particularly when they are rooted in earlier emotional wounds.
Support for adverse childhood experiences and complex trauma, often called C-PTSD, alongside post-traumatic stress disorder.
Building a calmer relationship with the managers and firefighters that keep anxious and depressive patterns in place.
Understanding substance use as a protective firefighter response rather than a personal failure, and working with what it is protecting.
Working with relationship difficulties and attachment ruptures that often trace back to exiled, wounded parts.
Approaching self-critical parts with curiosity instead of judgment, so shame has less room to drive the cycle.
Space for parts carrying grief, loss and burnout to be understood rather than pushed further down.
Most virtual outpatient programs are therapy only and send anything medical elsewhere. Ours is run by the same physicians, nurses and clinicians as the Huntington Beach program, over a secure HIPAA-compliant platform.
Which level of care your plan covers depends on your specific benefits and medical necessity. Verification is free, takes about two minutes, and carries no obligation to enroll.
Five steps from your first assessment to your core Self leading day to day.
A clinician meets with you to understand your history, current symptoms and treatment goals, and whether IFS is a good fit alongside your other care.
Sessions check in on which parts feel active and explore one from a place of curiosity rather than judgment, often with somatic awareness of where a part shows up in the body.
Work begins with managers and firefighters, the parts that keep you functioning and the parts that react fast, to understand what each is trying to protect you from.
Deeper work with wounded exile parts unfolds over time, paced to what your system can hold and often woven with EMDR, DBT or CBT.
As trust grows, parts soften and trust the process, and your calm, compassionate core Self takes a steadier lead in daily life.
Call for a free, confidential assessment. A clinician will explain how IFS fits your treatment plan and which level of care it sits inside.
No single approach or level suits everyone. Most people receive a combination, set at assessment and adjusted as treatment progresses.
Most people receive a combination rather than a single therapy. Your clinician matches approaches to what you are working on, and adjusts as treatment progresses.
| Approach | Format | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Group and individual | Changing the thought patterns that keep symptoms going |
| Dialectical Behavior Therapy | Group and individual | Distress tolerance and emotion regulation when feelings overwhelm |
| EMDR | Individual, eight stages | Processing specific traumatic memories that still carry a charge |
| Trauma-Informed Therapy | The whole program | The framework every session operates in, so care does not re-traumatize |
| Internal Family Systems | Individual | Working with the conflicting parts of yourself that trauma created |
| TMS Therapy | In clinic, alongside your program | Depression that has not responded to medication and therapy |
| Individual Therapy | One-on-one, every level | The private work that group cannot do, with your own clinician |
| Group Therapy | Groups capped at eight | Practicing skills with people doing the same work, in a small room |
| Meditation Therapy | Alongside clinical sessions | Managing stress, cravings and the physical side of anxiety |
| Faith-Based Track | Optional, alongside the same program | Clients who want their faith included, with nothing lost by declining |
Every program here is run by licensed, credentialed clinicians. These are the people you will actually see.
William Sanchez
LMFT
SL
Sarah Litwiller
Primary Therapist, LCSW
CT
Christian Tiedge
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Kendra McCarthy
LVN
Most people receive a combination rather than a single therapy.
Trauma-focused reprocessing often paired with IFS work on exile parts.
Skills-based work on distress tolerance and emotion regulation alongside IFS.
Structured, goal-oriented therapy often combined with IFS’s parts-based approach.
Where IFS is used to treat substance use and a co-occurring condition together.
"Silver Lining is a great place for mental health and substance use disorder treatment. I’ve been here for both. Every single person from staff to clinicians to ownership all genuinely care and make the time to show they care. Programming is thoughtful, informative, and very engaging. There is much more thought into treating the root cause than the symptom."
"The support and real care they give is unmatched. I can say without any doubt that the people that make up this community have a calling to serve and support those of us trying to heal and find a new way of life. Today I’m over five months clean, I have a career that feeds my energy, and a community of people that help me stay accountable."
"Silver Lining Recovery is a fantastic program for anyone seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse. Barmak and his staff were a delight to work with. Highly recommended."
Yes. IFS was added to the SAMHSA National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices in 2015. Research supports its use for trauma, depression and improvements in general functioning, with a growing body of work examining its application to substance use and complex trauma.
Traditional talk therapy often focuses on identifying thought patterns or analyzing experiences. IFS focuses on building relationships with the different parts of yourself, particularly the protective and wounded parts, from a place of self-compassion. It tends to feel more internal, more relational and less about problem-solving.
Yes. IFS offers a non-shaming framework for understanding substance use as a protective response rather than a personal failure. By working with the firefighter parts that turn to substances and the exile parts they are protecting, many people find a path toward more stable recovery and less internal conflict.
No, the name causes some confusion. Family therapy involves working with family members in the room, while Internal Family Systems works with the parts inside one person, the different pieces of your own internal system. In our outpatient programs it is most often used in individual sessions.
Silver Lining Recovery accepts most major insurance, including Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, TriWest/TRICARE, Aetna, Anthem and Health Net. Our admissions team verifies your specific benefits at no cost before treatment begins.
Yes, our programs are outpatient only. IFS is not delivered in an inpatient or residential setting here. It is woven into PHP, IOP, virtual IOP and OP so you keep your daily routine while you do the work. Call 866-681-0927 to talk through which level fits you.
Medically Reviewed By
Last reviewed: September 24, 2026
Dr. Atul Grover, MD, is Medical Director at Silver Lining Recovery. He is board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Anesthesiology, trained at UCLA, and is affiliated with Hoag Hospital Newport Beach. He oversees medical care including medication-assisted treatment and co-occurring mental health conditions.
You do not have to pause your life to begin. Call for a free, confidential assessment, or verify your insurance online, and a clinician will explain how IFS fits into your treatment plan.
Medical disclaimer. This page is for general information only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It does not create a provider and patient relationship. Always speak with a qualified health professional about your own situation. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Program hours, session counts and level of care recommendations described here are typical ranges. Your own plan is set by a licensed clinician during assessment. Insurance coverage varies by plan and by medical necessity.
