Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in Tampa and throughout Florida
That harsh inner critic, the urge to scroll for hours, the anxiety that spikes before every big conversation: in IFS, these are understood as parts of you with good intentions. Internal Family Systems therapy offers a way to get to know them, understand their jobs, and help them find gentler ways to keep you safe.
I bring IFS training and an attachment-focused lens to online sessions with adults throughout Tampa Bay. You don't need any prior knowledge of parts work to begin. We'll start wherever you are, with whichever part is loudest that day.
- Free consultation
- Online in Colorado & Florida
- $200 per session
Licensed in Florida
Becky Romero, LMHC, LPC
Fresh starts and the parts that come along
Tampa Bay draws a lot of people looking for a new chapter: a new job, a new relationship, warmer weather, or distance from a past that felt heavy. Moving can bring real relief, and it can also reveal that some parts of you made the trip too. The part that braces for rejection, the one that overworks, or the one that keeps you at arm's length from others doesn't change zip codes easily.
In IFS, we don't try to force those parts to stop. We get curious about why they started. Often they formed in response to experiences that felt overwhelming, and they're still operating as if those experiences are happening now. As we build trust with your protectors, they may let us connect with what they've been guarding, so you can actually feel at home in your new life, from Seminole Heights to Clearwater.
Therapy for Tampa residents, from home
Anyone who commutes across the Howard Frankland or sits on I-275 at rush hour knows how much of a Tampa Bay day disappears into traffic. Adding a weekly drive to a therapist's office on top of that is often the thing that makes people quit before they start. With online sessions, your therapy hour is just that, an hour.
The Bay area is a mix of longtime Floridians, military families connected to MacDill, USF students and staff, healthcare workers, and people who moved here for a fresh start. Each of those lives carries its own kind of stress. I meet Tampa clients by video from wherever they have privacy, whether that's a home office in Westchase or a quiet bedroom in Riverview.
Storm seasons here have been hard in recent years. Telehealth means that if you have to evacuate within Florida, our work doesn't have to stop.
- Licensed in Florida (LMHC #MH14720)
- EMDRIA Certified EMDR therapist
- Secure, HIPAA-compliant video sessions
- Free 15-minute consultation
Does this sound like you?
- "I've tried therapy before, but I still feel stuck in the same patterns."
- "No matter what I do, I can't seem to quiet my inner critic or ease my anxiety."
- "I feel torn between two parts of me. One wants change, but the other keeps holding me back."
- "I understand my problems logically, but I can't seem to break free emotionally."
- "Traditional talk therapy hasn't helped me get to the root of my pain."
- "I'm ready for a new, deeper approach to healing, one that truly works."
If any of these feel familiar, you're in the right place.
Change is possible, and it starts with understanding and compassion for every part of you.
How does IFS therapy work?
IFS therapy involves identifying and connecting with the various parts of your internal system. These parts may include:
Managers
Parts that try to keep you in control of your environment, often working hard to prevent emotional overwhelm. Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and over-planning are common manager strategies.
Firefighters
Parts that react impulsively or intensely to put out emotional pain once it surfaces, through things like numbing, distraction, bingeing, or rage.
Exiles
Parts that hold painful memories or emotions, often from childhood or trauma, that have been "buried" in an effort to protect you from pain.
Self
The core of who you are: compassionate, calm, and capable of healing and guiding your inner parts. Everyone has Self, even when it feels hidden.
Through a safe, compassionate process, IFS helps you access Self, heal your wounded parts, and restore balance in your internal system. The work emphasizes curiosity, understanding, and compassion toward every part, including the ones you'd rather get rid of.
Why I combine IFS with EMDR
My training in IFS (Level One), Ego State Therapy, and EMDR and Parts Work for Complex Trauma lets me blend these approaches. IFS helps us understand and befriend the protective parts that might otherwise block trauma processing. EMDR then helps the parts carrying old pain release it.
For many of my clients, this combination is what finally creates movement after years of feeling stuck. We'll go at the pace your system allows, and your protectors always get a say.
IFS therapy can help you…
Understand & heal trauma
Meet the parts that carry old pain with compassion, and help them heal.
Regulate your emotions
Increase emotional awareness and respond instead of react.
A more integrated self
Build a compassionate, whole sense of who you are.
Break old patterns
Free yourself from repetitive, self-defeating cycles.
Better relationships
Relate to others more clearly by first understanding your own internal world.
Grounded decisions
Make choices from a calm, wise place instead of from fear.
With IFS therapy, you can move beyond internal battles and find harmony within yourself. By healing wounded parts and embracing your authentic Self, you can experience lasting peace, clarity, and emotional freedom. Change is possible, and it starts with understanding and compassion for every part of you.
L.G. · Titusville, FL
More client stories“Since beginning therapy, I've noticed a greater sense of calm and resilience in myself. I'm more comfortable facing challenges and can better manage stressful situations without feeling overwhelmed. I also feel a deeper sense of self-acceptance and understanding, which has positively affected my relationships and overall outlook on life.”
IFS Therapy in Tampa: common questions
Have a question that isn't answered here? I'm happy to talk it through in a free consultation.
Often, yes. If you evacuate to somewhere else in Florida, or happen to be in Colorado, we can keep meeting by video once you have a safe, private place and a working connection. If you leave for another state, I'd need to pause our sessions until you are back, because my licenses cover Florida and Colorado only. During a storm, your safety comes first, and we'll reconnect when you're ready.
Absolutely. Because I'm online, I can work with anyone across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and the rest of Florida. St. Pete, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Largo are all the same distance from me: one secure video link. What matters is that you are physically in Florida during our session and that you have a private space to talk.
For many adults, it works very well. Being home can help your nervous system settle faster than sitting in an unfamiliar waiting room. EMDR, IFS, and somatic work all translate to video when the setup is thoughtful. If at any point online therapy doesn't feel like the right fit for you, I'll be honest about it and help you find another option.
I'll guide you to explore your internal parts in a safe and supportive environment. You'll connect with these parts, understand their roles, and help them heal by accessing your compassionate, wise Self.
IFS can be helpful if you're struggling with emotional regulation or unprocessed trauma, feeling stuck in repetitive patterns, interested in a deep and transformative approach, or wanting more self-compassion and inner peace. It works for anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and self-worth challenges.
Traditional therapy often focuses on external circumstances or behaviors. IFS explores your inner world and works directly with the parts of you that feel stuck, protective, or wounded, which allows for deeper emotional healing.
IFS is effective for trauma, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, relationship struggles, and more. It's also helpful if you feel stuck in repeating patterns or want a deeper understanding of yourself.
Not at all. I'll guide you through identifying and understanding your parts in a supportive, compassionate way. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to explore.
More therapy options in Tampa
IFS Therapy in other cities
Ready to start therapy from Tampa?
Book a free consultation. We'll talk about what's bringing you in and whether we're the right fit. Sessions are online, so you can join from anywhere in Florida.