Sam Rustum, LCPC · Chicago & online
Internal Family Systems Therapy in Chicago
I am trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS). One part of you may push to achieve, another may worry about letting people down, and another may feel exhausted. IFS offers a way to explore these different parts of your experience with curiosity and compassion.
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Our focus
- Your inner critic and the pressure to get everything right
- Conflicting needs around work, relationships, and rest
- Protective habits such as overworking or avoidance
- People-pleasing and difficulty meeting your own needs
- Responding to difficult feelings with curiosity
What to expect
We begin with what is showing up in your life now. I may invite you to notice thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations and get curious about the part of you connected to them.
Together, we explore what worry, criticism, or the urge to keep working may be trying to protect. We move at a manageable pace, and you can tell me when something does not fit.
An approach tailored to you
I may draw on IFS alongside other approaches. We will talk about what feels useful and adjust as we go.
The goal is not to get rid of parts of yourself. It is to make room for greater understanding and a less adversarial relationship with your inner experience.
Get curious about the conflict inside
One part of you wants to rest. Another insists that falling behind is unacceptable. You may want closeness while also feeling an urge to pull away, or know you need a boundary while worrying about upsetting someone. Internal Family Systems, or IFS, offers a way to explore these different parts of your experience. I am trained in Internal Family Systems. As your therapist, I can help you approach these inner conflicts with curiosity and consider what each response may be trying to protect.
Listen to the response that usually takes over
An inner critic can be relentless: review the conversation again, work harder, do not let anyone see you struggle. Trying to silence it may lead to another round of criticism for being unable to stop. In IFS, we can become curious about what that critical response fears would happen if it eased up.
We might also notice another part of you that feels exhausted, angry, or ashamed. Making room for more than one reaction can help us understand the tension you experience instead of treating one feeling as the whole story.
What the work can look like in a session
We start with something current: a difficult interaction, the pressure to keep working, or a feeling that has been hard to shake. I may invite you to notice a thought, emotion, image, or physical sensation and describe it in your own words. You do not need to produce a vivid picture or know the terminology.
As we explore, I will check how the pace feels. We can pause, return to the room around you, or focus on something more manageable. Your response to the process helps guide what we do next.
Connect inner understanding with daily life
Understanding a protective response does not require agreeing with every action it urges you to take. We can consider how to care for the worry underneath people-pleasing while still setting a boundary, or acknowledge an achievement-focused part while making time to rest.
I may draw on IFS alongside CBT, ACT, and psychodynamic therapy. We will talk about what is useful and keep the work connected to your relationships, responsibilities, and goals.
Notice the pattern between sessions
You might start noticing the moment a demanding inner voice appears or the urge to agree before you have considered a request. We can discuss that moment without requiring you to conduct a whole therapy exercise on your own. Bringing back what you noticed, including confusion or frustration, gives us a specific place to continue.
Questions you may be asking
What does ‘parts’ mean in IFS?
Parts is the model’s language for different aspects of inner experience, such as the part that worries or the part that wants to avoid a difficult conversation. We can use ordinary descriptions that fit how you experience yourself. You do not need to adopt a new vocabulary before starting.
Do I need to talk about painful memories immediately?
No. We begin with what you want help with and what feels manageable. Understanding the responses that help you get through the day may be an important part of the work. We will discuss the pace rather than assume you are ready to explore everything at once.
What if this approach feels unfamiliar or awkward?
You can say so. We can slow down, explain an exercise, or use a different approach. I am trained in IFS, and I also draw on other ways of working. Your comfort, goals, and feedback matter when we decide how to proceed.
A place to begin
Let’s make room for what you need.
A free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk about what is difficult, answer your questions, and consider whether working together fits what you need.