What is IFS therapy and how does it work?

Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic model that works with the different parts of your personality instead of treating the mind as one unified thing. Each part has its own role and its own way of trying to help. The work involves getting to know these parts, understanding what they carry, and helping them trust that you can lead from a calmer, steadier place, which IFS calls the Self. Sessions are conversational, and you won't be asked to relive difficult experiences before you're ready. The pace is slow by design, because the nervous system settles through relationship and safety rather than speed.

What are parts in IFS?

Parts are the different inner perspectives we all carry. One might drive you hard at work while another criticises from the sidelines. A third can pull you to withdraw when closeness feels risky. IFS sees every part as having a positive intention, even when its strategy ends up causing difficulty. Some parts are protectors that manage daily life so painful material stays out of reach. Others are more vulnerable and carry old hurt. The work is to understand what a part is doing for you and help it relax. For a fuller picture, here is how parts work.

What is the Self in IFS?

The Self is the calm, compassionate core that exists in everyone, beneath the parts. In IFS the Self sits beneath the parts rather than among them. It is who you are when the parts relax and step back. The aim of the work is to help the Self lead, so the inner system feels safe enough to settle and parts no longer have to carry their burdens alone.

How is IFS different from regular talk therapy?

Most talk therapy works through insight, understanding why you do what you do. IFS goes further by working directly with the parts of you that generate the behaviour. Many people who have had years of talk therapy find that IFS reaches places talking about their patterns could not. It also relies less on the therapist interpreting your experience. In IFS you build a direct relationship with your own parts, so the change tends to hold, because it comes from inside your own system.

What can IFS help with?

People bring a wide range of things to IFS work: anxiety, low mood, the after-effects of trauma, harsh self-criticism, relationship strain, and patterns that stay stuck despite real self-awareness. It's also used in coaching and leadership development to understand the parts that drive behaviour under pressure. Many people come when they understand their patterns intellectually but haven't yet been able to shift them.

Do I need to have experienced trauma to benefit from IFS?

No. IFS works well for trauma, and you don't need a trauma history to benefit. Many people come because of persistent self-criticism, emotional reactivity, or relationship patterns that have no obvious traumatic origin. It's just as relevant for high-functioning people who feel internally divided, with parts that push hard at work while other parts feel depleted.

How long does IFS therapy take?

There's no fixed timeline. Some people notice significant shifts within a few months. Others work over a longer period, particularly with deeper or more complex patterns. I usually work with people for a minimum of six months. Change can come quickly, and a durable version of it still needs enough cycles of the learning loop for new patterns to settle. Meaningful change needs room to breathe.

Can IFS be combined with other approaches?

Yes. My practice integrates IFS with Somatic Experiencing, so we can work with both the psychological structure of your parts and the body responses that come with them. For many people this combination reaches further than either approach on its own. If you're also seeing another therapist or working with a coach, IFS can run alongside that.

Is this therapy or coaching, and is it a substitute for medical care?

The IFS model is often called therapy. I work in an IFS-informed way as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and coach, rather than as a registered psychologist. This work sits alongside medical or psychological care and doesn't replace it. If you're dealing with a mental health condition or significant distress, working with a registered health professional is wise, and IFS-informed work can complement that care.

Do you offer in-person IFS sessions in Melbourne?

Yes. I offer in-person IFS sessions in Thornbury in the inner north and Elsternwick in the inner south, both accessible from across the metropolitan area. Online sessions are available for clients across Australia and internationally. Many people begin online and move to in-person over time, and both formats work well for IFS.

How do I know if IFS is right for me?

The best way to find out is a free 30-minute chemistry call. We'll talk about what you're working with, I'll explain how I work, and we'll both get a sense of whether it fits. There's no commitment. IFS tends to suit people who are curious about their inner world and willing to slow down. If that resonates, it's worth a conversation.

TRE® in Melbourne Let your body shake loose what it's been holding

TRE® (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises) is a set of simple exercises that switches on the body's natural tremor, helping release deep muscular tension so the nervous system can settle. You learn it with me, then take it home as a practice of your own.

Book a free call

Rudi Doku, who offers TRE® sessions in Melbourne

Your body already knows how to let go. TRE® gives it a safe way to do it.

Who it's for

When the tension won't let go

Many people who come to TRE® have done plenty of talking, and some of it helped. Their body still feels braced for something, with shoulders up near their ears by evening and a jaw that aches in the morning.

People often come to TRE® with:

Tension held in the jaw, shoulders, back or hips
Sleep that stays light after a stressful stretch
Feeling wired and exhausted at the same time
A body that stays on alert long after the hard thing has passed
Difficulty putting what they feel into words
A wish for something practical to do between sessions

What TRE® is

A natural reflex, gently invited back

Shaking is one of the ways a body gets rid of stress. You may have seen a dog tremble after a fright, or felt your own legs shake after a near miss or a big effort. Most adults learn to hold that tremor still.

TRE® was developed by Dr David Berceli through his work with communities affected by war and disaster. The exercises lightly tire the muscles of the legs and hips. Then, while you lie comfortably on the floor, the tremor starts by itself and moves through the body at its own pace.

What happens in a session

How a session unfolds

We start by talking

We check in about what's going on for you and any health considerations, so the pace suits your body.
Seven simple exercises

You'll spend about ten minutes on gentle stretches and holds for your legs and hips. None of them are strenuous, and we can adapt any that don't suit you.
The tremor begins

You lie down with your knees bent and the tremor usually starts on its own. You stay in charge, and straightening your legs slows or stops it.
Settling and taking it home

We finish with time to rest and notice. Once it feels familiar, you'll have a short practice to use at home.

How I work

TRE® alongside Somatic Experiencing® and IFS

I bring the pacing of Somatic Experiencing® into TRE®, so we work in small doses and pause often to let things settle. If part of you feels nervous about letting go, Internal Family Systems gives us a gentle way to get to know that part first.

You can use TRE® on its own or weave it through SE and IFS sessions, and we'll work out together which suits you. Sessions are in person in Thornbury and Elsternwick, and once you know the basics we can support your home practice online.

What changes

What often changes

Looser muscles

Muscles that have been tight for years, often in the hips or jaw, can start to soften.

Deeper sleep

Many people sleep more soundly on the nights they practise.

Stress that passes

Stress still comes. It settles faster.

A tool of your own

After a hard day you've got something to reach for at home, and you don't need anyone else there to do it.

It usually builds slowly, with regular practice.

Before you start

Is TRE® right for you?

TRE® is gentle and suits most people. Please talk to your doctor before starting if you're pregnant, have had recent surgery or an injury, or live with epilepsy or a heart condition.

If you're managing a serious mental health condition, we may start with other approaches and bring TRE® in slowly.

I'm not a registered psychologist, and this work sits alongside medical or psychological care without replacing it.

Common questions

Questions people ask about TRE®

Do I have to talk about my trauma?

No. TRE® works directly with the body, so you don't need to tell your story for it to help. You can share as much or as little as you like.

Does TRE® hurt?

The exercises are mild, and the tremor usually feels like a gentle shaking or buzzing. You can slow or stop it at any time by straightening your legs.

How many TRE® sessions will I need?

Most people learn the basics within a few sessions and then practise on their own, coming back for support when they need it. We'll decide the pace together.

Is TRE® the same as Somatic Experiencing®?

They're different methods that work well together. TRE® uses a specific set of exercises to invite the body's tremor. Somatic Experiencing® is a broader approach that follows what you feel in your body to help stress responses that got stuck finish their course. I often combine them.

Can I practise TRE® at home?

Yes, once you're comfortable with it. We'll agree on a short, safe home practice and how often to do it.

Get started

Start with a free 45-minute call

We'll talk about what's going on for you and whether TRE®, or another approach, is a good fit.