Couples Therapy

Support for every relationship, at every stage

Couples at every stage—whether dating, engaged, married, co-parenting, or anything in between—deserve the opportunity to build the kind of relationship they truly desire. Safe, meaningful, and loving connections are vital to our emotional and physical well-being. If you're here, you're already taking a brave and important step toward strengthening or healing your relationship, and we honor your desire for a deeper and more meaningful connection.

Here at the IFS Center of California, we know love exists in many forms, and honor the unique ways you and your loved ones connect. All our therapists have experience working with polyamorous families, LGBTQIA+ partnerships, and/or couples who choose not to define themselves within traditional relationship labels. However you love, you are welcome here.

What is Intimacy From The Inside Out?

IFS-IFIO (Intimacy From the Inside Out) is a compassionate, parts-based approach to couples therapy that helps partners understand and connect with both themselves and each other. Grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS), this model views relationship struggles not as failures, but as protective parts trying to keep each person safe.

Through IFS-IFIO, couples learn to:

  • Understand their emotional triggers and inner dynamics

  • Communicate with greater clarity and compassion

  • Heal individual and relational wounds—including those rooted in trauma

  • Rebuild trust, intimacy, and deeper connection

This approach is especially helpful for couples who:

  • Experience recurring arguments or emotional shutdowns

  • Struggle with trust, intimacy, or communication

  • Want to understand and heal patterns rooted in early relational or attachment trauma

At the IFS Center of California, our trained therapists guide couples through this powerful process, helping relationships grow from the inside out.

Why Do Couples Seek IFS-IFIO Therapy?

Couples often come to therapy for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Difficulty with communication or emotional intimacy

  • Frequent conflict or recurring arguments

  • Life transitions (parenthood, relocation, career shifts)

  • Recovery from infidelity or betrayal

  • Navigating parenting, co-parenting, or blended family dynamics

  • Feeling emotionally disconnected or “stuck”

  • Exploring new relationship structures (e.g., opening a relationship)

Sometimes couples seek therapy to address immediate concerns, and sometimes the goal is long-term growth, increased understanding, or reconnection. Regardless of the reason, entering therapy is a meaningful act of care for the relationship.

FAQs about Couples Therapy

  • ITraditional couples therapy often focuses on communication strategies and problem-solving. IFS-IFIO goes deeper, helping each partner understand the emotional parts driving their reactions. This approach fosters more lasting change by promoting internal healing, emotional safety, and self-led connection.

  • No prior experience with IFS is needed. Your therapist will guide both partners through the process step by step, introducing the concepts in a supportive and accessible way.

  • In each session, the therapist helps partners explore what’s happening internally—focusing on emotional triggers, protective reactions, and deeper needs. Partners are encouraged to speak from their inner parts rather than at each other, fostering empathy, self-awareness, and healing dialogue.

  • The length of therapy varies depending on each couple’s goals and history. Some couples benefit from short-term support for specific challenges, while others choose longer-term work to heal deeper patterns. Your therapist will collaborate with you to create a plan that fits your relationship’s needs.

  • No, our therapists are trained IFS-IFIO, but also other couples therapy options such as the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

““When each partner feels truly seen—by themselves and one another—connection deepens, and the healing of long-held trauma wounds becomes possible.””
— Tracy Aronlee