--- title: "Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in DC — Cura Tempos" description: "IFS therapy in Washington, DC — work with the inner critic, the driver, the protector, and the parts of you they've been protecting." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Cura Tempos", "url": "https://curatempos.com" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "ProfessionalService" ], "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business", "name": "Cura Tempos LLC", "url": "https://curatempos.com", "areaServed": { "@type": "AdministrativeArea", "name": "Washington, DC" }, "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "1301 K Street NW", "addressLocality": "Washington", "addressRegion": "DC", "postalCode": "20005", "addressCountry": "US" }, "telephone": "202-643-2846", "medicalSpecialty": [ "Behavioral", "PublicHealth" ], "availableLanguage": [ "English", "French" ], "serviceType": [ "Initial Consultation", "Intake Session", "Individual Therapy", "Couples Therapy", "Sex Therapy", "Dating Therapy", "EMDR Therapy", "Group Therapy", "In-Person Sessions" ], "founder": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner" }, "provider": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#practitioner", "name": "Dr. William McVey", "jobTitle": "Founder & Clinical Sexologist", "hasCredential": { "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential", "credentialCategory": "license", "name": "LPC" }, "worksFor": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business" }, "url": "https://curatempos.com/drwilliammcvey", "knowsLanguage": [ "English" ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/REPLACE-ME", "https://www.google.com/maps/place/?cid=REPLACE-ME", "https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/238404" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://curatempos.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Approach", "item": "https://curatempos.com/approach" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Internal Family Systems Therapy", "item": "https://curatempos.com/approach/internal-family-systems" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "name": "Internal Family Systems Therapy", "serviceType": "Internal Family Systems Therapy", "provider": { "@id": "https://curatempos.com/#business" }, "areaServed": "Washington, DC" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does having 'parts' mean something is wrong with me?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No — multiplicity is normal mind architecture, not pathology. IFS's premise is that every part has a protective intention, even the ones causing trouble. The goal is inner leadership, not inner surgery." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is IFS evidence-based?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "IFS has a growing research base and wide clinical adoption, particularly for trauma and self-critical patterns. We use it where it fits and combine it with methods carrying heavier evidence when the situation calls for that." } } ] } ] --- [![Cura Tempos](/__l5e/assets-v1/50a70a4f-7979-497e-9338-0a69569aa15d/logo.png)Cura Tempos Washington, DC ](/) [Home](/)[Our Team](/team-3)[Specialties](/specialties)[Services](/book-online)[Office](/therapy-office-washington-dc)[Investment](/rates)[Journal](/blog)[Media](/media)[Contact](/contact) [Book a free consult](https://www.therapyportal.com/p/curatempos/) Our methods # Internal Family Systems Therapy Part of you wants to leave the job; part of you would rather die than lose the title. Part of you wants closeness; part of you changes the subject. Everyone talks this way because it's true to how minds actually work — we are less a single voice than a committee, and some committee members took their jobs during the worst year of your life. Internal Family Systems takes that seriously as clinical method. Instead of overriding the inner critic, the workaholic, the numbing part, IFS gets curious about what each one is protecting — and updates its job description. ## What IFS is good for - The inner critic that outlived its usefulness - Drivenness that can't downshift even when you order it to - Numbness, avoidance, and the parts that manage feeling - Self-sabotage that clearly isn't 'lack of willpower' - Trauma held by younger parts of the system - Inner conflict around identity, sexuality, and belonging ## How IFS sessions work The work is guided and conversational: noticing a part, getting to know its role and its fears, and building a different relationship with it — led by what IFS calls the Self, the steady core that's present in everyone once the noise separates. Protective parts relax when what they protect is finally cared for; that's when patterns change without force. It sounds unusual described; it feels surprisingly natural done. IFS pairs especially well with [EMDR](/approach/emdr) in trauma work and with the identity questions this practice sees often — around sexuality, ambition, and belonging. ## Practical details 55-minute sessions, $215 with [sliding scale](/rates) from $150–194, in person downtown or via [telehealth](/online-therapy-dc) across DC. IFS is usually one thread of an integrated plan; we'll tell you when and why we're reaching for it. FAQ ## Common questions ### Does having 'parts' mean something is wrong with me? No — multiplicity is normal mind architecture, not pathology. IFS's premise is that every part has a protective intention, even the ones causing trouble. The goal is inner leadership, not inner surgery. ### Is IFS evidence-based? IFS has a growing research base and wide clinical adoption, particularly for trauma and self-critical patterns. We use it where it fits and combine it with methods carrying heavier evidence when the situation calls for that. Related - [Trauma therapy →](/specialties/trauma-therapy) - [Stress & burnout →](/specialties/stress-burnout) - [Our approach →](/approach) ## Ready to begin? The 15-minute consult is where most people begin. [Book a free 15-minute consultation](https://www.therapyportal.com/p/curatempos/)[Rates & investment](/rates) Curated mental health & wellness for a life fully lived. [Book a free consult](/book-online) Cura Tempos A boutique DC practice — sex-therapy-led, holistic, unhurried. Sessions in English · Français Explore - [Home](/) - [Our Team](/team-3) - [Specialties](/specialties) - [Services](/book-online) - [Office](/therapy-office-washington-dc) - [Investment](/rates) - [Journal](/blog) - [Media](/media) - [Contact](/contact) Specialties - [Sex Therapy](/specialties/sex-therapy) - [Couples Therapy](/specialties/couples-therapy) - [Trauma & EMDR](/specialties/trauma-therapy) - [LGBTQIA+ Therapy](/specialties/lgbtq-therapy) - [Online Therapy](/online-therapy-dc) - [All Specialties](/specialties) Contact Cura Tempos LLC 1301 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 [202-643-2846](tel:2026432846) [Info@CuraTempos.com](mailto:Info@CuraTempos.com) Crisis In a crisis or emergency, call or text [988](tel:988) or [911](tel:911). Individual results vary; therapy outcomes are not guaranteed. Contacting Cura Tempos does not establish a therapist–client relationship. Coaching services are not psychotherapy and are not licensed mental-health treatment. 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