Internal Family Systems and the Mind-Body Connection

I am a trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, and in my mind-body work—helping people with pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and unexplained physical symptoms (you have symptoms but investigations are normal=mind-body symptoms) —I find that IFS can be a profoundly helpful approach for healing and self-understanding.

Internal Family Systems therapy, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, is based on the idea that our inner world is made up of many distinct parts. Each part has its own feelings, beliefs, and motivations. You might recognise some of these parts easily—a worried part, a self-critical part, a tired and hopeless part, or a driven, perfectionist part. These inner parts are not flaws or pathologies; they are natural human responses that have developed to help us cope and survive.

At the centre of the IFS model is what we call the Self—a calm, compassionate, and wise inner presence that can listen to and lead our parts with kindness. In Internal Family Systems therapy, the goal is not to eliminate any parts, but to help them feel safe and understood so that they can relax and allow the Self to take the lead.

In my work with people experiencing chronic pain, fatigue, or mind-body symptoms I often see how the body itself communicates through parts. Physical symptoms can be a kind of language—the body’s way of expressing emotional truths that haven’t yet found words. A pain flare, heaviness, or wave of exhaustion may be a signal from a part of us that needs care and attention.

From an IFS and mind-body perspective, symptoms can sometimes arise from what are known as exiled parts—those that carry old emotional pain, fear, grief, or anger that once felt too overwhelming to face. Other parts, known as protectors, work hard to keep that pain out of awareness. These protectors might do this by keeping us constantly busy, anxious, or even physically unwell, as a way to prevent deeper feelings from surfacing.

When we learn to listen to the body through the lens of Internal Family Systems, we begin to ask new questions:

• What part of me might this symptom be connected to?
• What is this sensation trying to tell me?
• What does this part need right now?

This gentle curiosity helps us shift from frustration toward compassion. The symptom stops being an enemy and becomes a messenger. When we give our inner parts space to express themselves safely, their emotional burdens can start to release. As this happens, people often notice that their physical symptoms ease or change, reflecting greater harmony within the internal system.

Internal Family Systems therapy fits naturally alongside mind-body medicine, because both approaches recognise that the mind and body are deeply interconnected. Our physical sensations and emotional experiences are part of one system, constantly communicating. IFS gives us a structured way to explore this communication with empathy, curiosity, and respect.

True healing is not about forcing the body to be symptom-free, but about developing a compassionate relationship with ourselves. When we can meet each part of us—including the parts that express themselves through the body—with understanding and kindness, both emotional and physical wellbeing can begin to flourish.