I don’t know who I am
IFS therapy helps resolve such identity confusions, identity crises, and existential distress.
IFS Therapy in Dubai | Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist
Summary — IFS Therapy in Dubai
Dr. Millia Begum, a UK-trained Consultant Psychiatrist and Certified IFS Therapist with 25+ years’ trauma expertise, offers Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in Dubai. IFS is a gentle, non-pathologizing approach that helps people understand their inner “parts,” reduce shame, and build Self-leadership. Sessions are paced safely without forcing re-experiencing of trauma, making it highly effective for complex trauma, PTSD, dissociation, depression, anxiety, grief, shame, relationship stress, ADHD, and neurodivergence. Therapy is available both in-person at the First Psychiatry Clinic (Al Wasl Road, Dubai) and online, with booking via phone or WhatsApp at +971 55 355 7855.
Testimonials
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
IFS therapy views the mind as a system of “parts” with protective roles and wounded experiences, led by an inner core called the Self. We build compassionate relationships with protectors (Managers & Firefighters) and, with their permission, help exiled parts heal. This gentle, evidence-supported approach is effective for trauma, PTSD/Complex PTSD, dissociation, grief, depression, anxiety, and ADHD-related challenges.
How does IFS therapy work?
To understand the framework of IFS therapy, we got to view the natural architecture of the mind as various parts. This is explained below.
Mapping Your Inner System
IFS helps you make sense of your inner world by recognizing three main types of parts:
Manager Parts
Manager Parts are our pain prevention and pain inhibition parts of the system. These protector parts have diverse roles to circumvent our pain and internal sense of worthlessness.
The goal of some of the Managers are to ensure the system is in control and safe, ensuring predictability, order, and familiarity. These are influenced by past family and societal expectations and social norms. Anxiety, depression, and pessimism are a few of the
Manager parts may adopt roles as shown in the image—
“If I just stay in control, nothing can hurt me.” — Manager part
Firefighter Parts
Firefighter parts are the pain relief and the pain-distractors of the system. These parts have immediacy by leaping into action when pain or hurt feels overwhelming and unmanageable. They use strategies to soothe, distract, or indulge. Rage, self-harm, and violence are also examples of firefighter parts.
Common firefighter behaviors are shown in the image-
“This is too much — I have to escape it all or end it all.” — Firefighter part
The Exiles
Exiled parts represent the wounded inner child—often carrying feelings of being a burden to others, unworthy, being bad or wrong somehow, unwelcomed, unwanted, or simply in pain of isolation. These parts may hold intense sadness, fear, shame, or a sense of inadequacy.
Often a child exiles away its own self if and when criticized for showing up in its authentic way—a child that is loud, sensitive, seeking closeness, or struggling.
“No one ever saw my pain.” — Exiled part
In IFS, Self-leadership is the calm, compassionate centre that leads with the 8 Cs—calmness, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, connectedness—and the 5 Ps—patience, perspective, persistence, playfulness, presence.
What are the goals of IFS Therapy?
The primary goal is Self-leadership—allowing your core Self (calm, compassionate, curious, confident, etc.) to lead your inner system.
- Build respectful relationships with protector parts (managers and firefighters) so they feel safe to relax.
- Unblend from parts so Self qualities can guide your responses.
- With protectors’ permission, approach and help heal wounded exiles—witnessing and releasing burdens when appropriate.
- Integrate parts so all feel heard, valued, and able to take on healthy roles.
In practice, you learn to notice parts without fear, earn their trust, and make choices from Self rather than panic or pain. Healing isn’t about removing parts—it’s about restoring inner harmony under Self’s guidance.
What is IFS therapy helpful for?
IFS therapy is a powerful approach for a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, Complex PTSD, burnout, or grief—IFS works at the root. It’s especially effective for childhood trauma, attachment wounds, and internal conflict.
Clients with disordered eating, body image issues, substance use, or self-harm often find relief as protective parts begin to trust the Self to lead. IFS also supports parenting struggles, relationship tension, and the unique emotional needs of neurodivergent individuals.
- Anxiety disorders (including panic)
- Depression
- PTSD and Complex PTSD
- Grief and loss
- Disordered eating & body image concerns
- Substance use / compulsive behaviors
- Self-harm and emotional dysregulation
- Parenting and relationship difficulties
- Neurodivergence (e.g., ADHD, Autism) — learn about ADHD testing
- Burnout and stress
IFS Therapy for Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders are an umbrella term for various body image, weight, food, shame, and self-worth-related issues. Achieving, perfecting, meeting others’ high expectations, self-driven internal critics, and many parts of the person drive a variety of coping. IFS therapy offers a compassionate way to explore parts caught up in their stuck, looping patterns.
IFS Therapy for self-destructive patterns
IFS therapy works compassionately and non-judgmentally with people and their parts that bring self-punishing, harmful, and addictive behaviors.
IFS Therapy for Complex Trauma and PTSD-related conditions
Complex trauma can manifest from pre-verbal trauma, attachment injuries, developmental trauma, or other types of systemic traumas. IFS is a whole and complete model that works across many dimensions of the body and the mind toward healing and getting to be with the truth of our authentic Self.
IFS therapy for Anxiety & Panic Attacks
In IFS, anxiety is often a manifestation of Protector Parts responding to fear—either by signalling threat (hypervigilance/safety concerns) or by overthinking and overplanning worst-case scenarios. By building trust with these protectors, the inner alarm system calms, easing racing thoughts, panic, and tension.
Learn more: How to Cope with Panic Attacks.
IFS supports grief & traumatic loss
IFS works with parts that hold grief—and the parts that suppress it. With compassion and pacing, these parts can move from heartbreak toward healing.
See: Grief Therapy in Dubai.
IFS approach and depression
Depressive states may arise from Protector Parts that feel hopeless after repeated hurt or as a way to avoid future disappointment; they can also reflect trauma-held pain carried by exiled parts. IFS restores Self-leadership, connection, and energy.
IFS Therapy—Evidence at a Glance
Summary: Research on Internal Family Systems (IFS) shows benefits for trauma symptoms, emotional regulation, and self-compassion across small randomized trials and pilot studies. Larger, well-powered RCTs are still needed.
- Quasi-experimental: Gains in parts-awareness, theory of mind, and self-forgiveness; reduced stress/anger; and HRV improvements.
- PTSD pilots: 16-session IFS protocols linked to reductions in PTSD, depression, dissociation, and affect dysregulation; high acceptability.
- Randomized trials: Depression RCT (IFS vs TAU) improved in both arms; rheumatoid arthritis RCT showed better pain, function, self-compassion, and depression vs education control (some effects sustained at 1 year).
Selected Studies
- Böckler 2017: 9-month IFS-informed program → ↑ parts-awareness, ↑ theory of mind.
- Ogunyemi 2020 / Eaton & Ferrari 2020: Brief IFS imagery/workshops → ↑ forgiveness; ↓ stress/anger (no follow-up).
- Hodgdon 2022: 16 IFS sessions (PTSD) → ↓ PTSD, depression, dissociation, affect dysregulation (post & follow-up).
- Comeau 2024: Group+individual IFS (PTSD) → ↓ PTSD; ↑ self-compassion; 92% would recommend.
- Haddock 2017: IFS vs CBT/IPT (depression) → both improved; there was no between-group difference (likely underpowered).
- Shadick 2013: IFS (RA) vs. education → ↓ pain; ↑ function, self-compassion, ↓ depression; some 1-year sustain.
Further Reading
Real Questions People Ask (And How IFS Therapy Helps)
If you recognize yourself in these questions, IFS therapy may help bring harmony to your inner system.
I feel very indecisive all the time
IFS therapy helps unravel the polarity of parts that have diverse and differing needs, goals, and motivations. These polarizations bring anxiety and uncertainty.
I feel I am unable to get close to people, but also feel the need for closeness
IFS helps people find the parts of themselves that hold polarity around attachment—parts that fear attachment and parts that desire attachment.
Why do I experience symptoms of anxiety?
IFS therapy helps extreme anxious protectors to feel heard, seen, and understood. Their protective roles often use anxious energy, or anxiety becomes a byproduct of doing so.
How can I stop panic attacks that come out of nowhere?
IFS therapy helps people to find the source of panic and also gives space and awareness of their internal system that triggers the nervous system to engage in fight, flight, or flee responses.
I am critical towards myself
Inner critics, internal judgy parts, often use shame and fear to silence us and push us toward self-improvement, perfectionism, or others’ expectations. IFS therapy brings
Watch YouTube video on IFS therapy
Book an IFS therapy session in Dubai
Dr. Millia Begum is a trained trauma specialist with over 25 years of clinical experience in psychiatry and therapy. She trained in the UK’s NHS system and served the NHS in various senior roles.
She is a former EMDR Europe Approved Consultant, EMDR researcher, and board member of the EMDR Association UK. She is now a member of the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).
Dr. Millia is a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, bringing a compassionate, parts-informed approach to her work with clients in Dubai.
📞 Contact Dr. Millia
If you would like to book a consultation or learn more about services, please get in touch:
- Clinic: First Psychiatry Clinic
- Address: 975 Al Wasl Road, Dubai, UAE
- Phone: +971 55 355 7855
- Email: info@milliabegum.ae
- Website: milliabegum.ae
📍 Location & Opening Hours
Opening hours
- Monday: 09:00 – 18:00
- Tuesday: 09:00–18:00
- Wednesday: 09:00–18:00
- Thursday: 09:00–18:00
- Friday: 09:00–18:00
- Saturday: 09:00–18:00
- Sunday: 09:00–18:00