IFS & PARTS WORK in HOUSTON, TX
YOU ARE NOT YOUR SHAME
YOU ARE NOT YOUR WORST BEHAVIORS
Every Part of You Has a Reason
The porn use, the anger, the hidden spending. It feels like it's running the show.
You've tried to control it with discipline, distraction, or sheer willpower. That helped, for a while.
But it comes back. It always does. And every time, the shame gets heavier and the urges get louder.
That's because the part of you behind the behavior isn't an enemy to defeat. It's doing a job, often one it took on long ago to protect you from something painful. The harder you fight it, the harder it pushes back.
Right now, your energy is going into a war with yourself. It doesn't have to.
GET TO KNOW YOUR PARTSHeal From the Inside Out
The behaviors you're dealing with, whether secretive habits, rage, performance problems, or gambling, aren't signs of weakness or a lack of willpower. They're often the work of protective parts, doing the job they took on long ago to keep you safe from something painful.
Traditional talk therapy often stays on the surface, analyzing the problem without changing how your mind and body react under pressure. Internal Family Systems (IFS) goes deeper. We get to know the parts driving the patterns behind anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, and relational strain, along with the wounded parts they're working to protect.
As those parts feel understood, they no longer need to take over. The urge loosens its grip, and you can put your focus back on your work, your relationships, and your life. You can make clear-minded decisions, knowing you're back in the driver's seat.
PARTS WORK CAN HELP WITH:
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ANGER
Snapping, short fuse, repeated incidents needing apologies
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ADDICTION
Porn, gambling, excessive spending or high-risk, secretive behaviors
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STRESS
Work that follows you home, falling behind, difficulty relaxing or staying focused
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RELATIONSHIPS
Increased disagreements, distance that can lead to building resentments that can compromise relationships
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DEPRESSION
Checked out, just going through the motions, or no longer enjoying activities
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PTSD
Military experience, assault, near-death experiences, or intrusive images
BUILT FOR HOW YOU OPERATE
MOST OF US ALREADY THINK IN PARTS
Have you ever heard yourself say, "A part of me wants to go, but another part is dreading it"? Or "Part of me knows better"?
For most of us, thinking about our inner world in terms of parts comes naturally. IFS starts from that everyday experience.
Instead of fighting the part that drives the behavior, we get curious about it. What is it trying to do? When did it learn to do it? What is it afraid would happen if it stopped?
When a part feels heard and its need is met, it relaxes. It stops taking over, and it can tell you what it needs instead of acting it out.
MEET YOUR PARTS
MANAGERS
Managers are often critical, logical, and goal oriented. They tell us what we should be doing, steer us away from risk, and like to follow the rules. They're also the voice that piles on shame after a slip.
FIREFIGHTERS
When managers can't keep the peace, firefighters step in. These parts use things like pornography, alcohol, drugs, spending, gambling, or explosive anger to distract or drown out a nervous system on high alert and keep painful memories from surfacing.
EXILES
These parts carry the burden of a painful experience or traumatic event, often from early in life. Managers and firefighters work hard to keep them hidden.
SELF
The part that is not a part. IFS holds that Self exists in everyone: the calm, curious, compassionate core of who you are. As managers and firefighters feel safe enough to step back, Self can offer exiles the care and healing they've needed. That's what healing from the inside out looks like.
Parts work doesn't only happen in a session. Once you learn to notice a part, ask what it needs, and respond with curiosity instead of a fight, you can do that anywhere: in the car after an argument, late at night when an urge shows up, in the middle of a stressful day.
In our sessions, we build that skill together. Over time, you'll need less help turning toward your parts, and more of the work happens on your own. The goal isn't to keep you coming back forever. It's to help you become someone your parts can count on.
PARTS WORK IS YOUR WORK
IFS INFORMED THERAPY IN HOUSTON & ACROSS TEXAS
Guy Felder, LPC-Associate
Working under the supervision of D. Scott Stanley, Ph.D., LPC-S
Most therapy misses this:
Therapy won't feel truly effective if its side effects get in the way of your focus, your work, or your relationships, even in the short term.
In parts work, going slowly is part of the method. The parts that have been protecting you for years need to trust that nothing will be forced. So we start with the parts running the show, whether that's the critic, the urge, or the anger, and we ask their permission before going near anything more tender. That keeps you grounded in your own life instead of flooded by what comes up, so you can keep showing up for your career, your relationships, and the people who rely on you.
As trust builds, your parts decide how much to let us see, and the work deepens at a pace they can handle.
Therapy shouldn't cost you what it's trying to fix.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Start with a complimentary consultation. We'll identify what's driving the issue, what’s at stake, and whether my approach is a fit.
When you’re ready to move forward, you’ll get to book my first opening. Most clients begin within 1-2 weeks.
FAQ: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PARTS WORK
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Many factors shape how long therapy takes. These include how long a pattern has been in place, how much pain the protective parts are guarding, and how safe it feels to begin. There's no set timeline, and I won't promise one. Along the way, though, many people notice real changes: a little more space between an urge and the action, less harsh self-criticism, and a clearer sense of what a part needs. Those shifts build as you and your parts build trust.
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Therapy sessions are $200 for 50 minutes. Couples session are offered at $265 for 80 minutes.
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Usually not. We pace the work so you can keep showing up for your career and your life. Some sessions can stir up feelings, or a part may stay loud for a while afterward, so we talk through what to expect before you leave, and you can plan around it. If anything feels like too much, we slow down. We can also schedule sessions around work and important events, so you keep making progress without disrupting your workday.
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I'm an IFS-informed therapist, and I'm currently pursuing training to qualify as an IFS Therapist. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a trademark of the IFS Institute, which determines how therapists can describe their level of training, so for now I describe mine as IFS-informed.
IFS is heavily influenced by parts work, which predates the IFS model. My foundation for working with parts comes from my graduate education and my current license.
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No, and it doesn't need a label. If something is affecting your reactions, decisions, mindset, or performance, it's worth addressing with parts work.
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No. You decide what to share and when. Parts work is less about retelling your whole story and more about getting to know the parts of you that carry it. Often we can work with what a part feels, what it believes, and what it's trying to do without going through every detail. You set the pace, and if something feels like too much, we slow down or step back.