Depth and IFS

A short series of 3-6 sessions, depending on what your system needs. designed to create movement, insight, and relief around one inner pattern, stuck issue, or theme—not a replacement for ongoing therapy.

How Can IFS Help?

These short term, depth-oriented, IFS sessions are ideal if you:

  • Know what’s stuck but can’t shift it

  • Want clarity around a specific emotional pattern or trigger

  • Need to map the deeper roots of something you’ve avoided

  • Are seeking inner-child or reparenting work

  • Want potential unburdening if your system is ready

  • Are a therapist or healer wanting to experience IFS personally

These IFS Deep Dives don’t replace ongoing therapy.
They’re the spark, a catalyst.
A way to move through shame, access insight, and take what you learn back into the rest of your life.

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1) Free Consultation

Book now to see if IFS Depth Sessions are right for you. After our consult I will provide you with the intake workbook and we’ll book your first IFS session.

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2) First session 60-minutes 

50-Minutes | $150

After your free consult, you’ll receive an intake form to help orient us to the work we will be doing in session. Then, we will go over your intake together in a 60-minute session. In this session, we will map parts of your system and I’ll help you gain clarity on your intentions and prepare for our depth session/s. We’ll Discuss your concerns, set goals, and tailor the session to your needs. We will also set up an inner “base camp”, and start to get into relationship with the main protective parts that activate around your specific concern.

3) Depth Sessions | 75-minutes

75-Minutes | $185

3-6 weekly or bi-weekly* Depth Sessions —  These sessions are high-impact sessions designed to help you create real movement in stuck patterns—whether related to trauma, emotional blocks, relationship dynamics, or deep attachment wounds.

Includes time for grounding, parts exploration, potential unburdening, and integration.

Possible themes might include: 

  • Attachment patterns

  • Shame & inner critics

  • Breakup grief & attachment wounds

  • Boundary clarity & people-pleasing

  • Inner child & reparenting

  • Trauma root-mapping

  • Pattern cycles (“Why do I keep doing this?”)

  • Therapist/Healer personal work

* we will determine together the amount and frequency of the sessions based on how the work is feeling for you and my assessment of your systems needs. Note that I am also happy to collaborate with your current therapist on your treatment plan.

4) Integration / Additional Sessions 

This work often opens up meaningful emotional shifts, and ongoing support helps you anchor those changes. I highly recommend that you have another therapist or other supports for integrating this work as I don’t have space for ongoing clients, though you’re free to join my waitlist.

After up to 6 depth sessions. Additional sessions to deepen or integrate your inner work are subject to availability.

Book Your Consultation Today

 See if depth sessions are right for you. I’m also happy to talk with your current therapist about my work to see if it feels like a good fit for you. 

Note that if you want your therapist and I to discuss your treatment, we need a signed Release of Information, which I’m happy to provide or you can get from your current therapist.

Book a consult or contact me via email: Contact@HeidiMcKinley.com

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FAQ

What is an IFS Depth Session??

An IFS Depth Session is a deep, focused therapeutic experience designed to help you access and heal the root causes of emotional distress. In IFS the term we use is “exiles”, those parts of you that the rest of your system tries to push down or keep out because they hold pain or shame. Usually they are young and vulnerable parts of you that aren’t as “scary” as your nervous system thinks and are just waiting for Wise Adult you to come find them and begin to meet their needs.

Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), we’ll explore the protective patterns that keep hard feelings at bay, and tend to wounded parts of you with curiosity and compassion, allowing for transformation at a deep level.

In some cases, I may integrate EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) techniques to help process traumatic memories, especially when they are highly charged or feel stuck. This combination allows for a gentle yet powerful approach to healing.

Each session is tailored to your unique needs, ensuring a safe and supportive experience that fosters real change.

How is this different from ongoing therapy?

Depth Sessions are designed as a standalone or time-limited container designed for:

  • Pinpointing a specific pattern, trailhead, or emotional block

  • Mapping the roots of a stuck part or recurring trigger

  • Bringing clarity, compassion, and coherence to one inner dynamic

  • Moving through shame or confusion around “why I’m like this”

  • A boost or catalytic experience rather than ongoing therapy

  • Supplementing existing therapy (especially if you want IFS but don’t have an IFS-trained therapist)

Depth sessions are  Focused, intentional, and contained.

Think: entering a single cave with a lantern — one trailhead, one emotional knot, one deep thread.

From a single depth session you will get a clearer picture of your inner world and begin the healing process.

How much does an IFS & EMDR Intensive cost?

 The initial consultation is free, if you decide to move forward with depth sessions the initial parts mapping and intake session is $150, we will then move into deeper work with 75-minute sessions at $185 per session. We will continue up to six sessions, assessing after each meeting if another seems helpful. Regardless how far you go with these sessions, even the initial intake can provide valuable information and Self-to-part connection that you can carry forward on your healing journey.

What will we do during the session?

During the session, we will combine IFS techniques to identify and work with the parts of you that hold emotional pain or limiting beliefs, with IFS and EMDR to process past trauma or emotional memories. This approach allows for a deeper healing experience, releasing old wounds while also integrating new, healthier emotional patterns. My hope is that you will leave the session with greater clarity, emotional resilience, and a sense of healing that goes beyond simply understanding your issues.

Where will the session take place?

All sessions are conducted online via a secure Zoom link. You can join the session from wherever you feel comfortable and safe. I will guide you through the process as we work together to access and heal your inner world.

Who are depth sessions ideal for?

IFS  depth sessions are ideal for individuals who already have a therapist and who are dealing with long-term emotional pain, trauma, or unresolved issues that may not have fully responded to talk therapy alone. If you’re looking for deep, lasting change in a short period of time, this combined approach is perfect for you. It’s especially effective for those who have experienced attachment wounds, childhood trauma, or major life challenges and want to process these experiences more fully.

How long does an IFS depth session last?
  • Prep Session: 50 minutes to explore your goals, review your history, and set the foundation for the work ahead.
  • Depth Sessions:  75-minutes each. Weekly or bi-weekly depending on what feels best to your system for integration.
  • (optional) Sessions: After six sessions, you may request additional 50-minute sessions*, where we continue the inner work, integrating and deepening. You may also choose to work through another trailhead. Most clients find that 2-3 depth sessions over the course of a month is ideal for getting to the roots of attachment trauma and experiencing unburdening. Many follow up a couple times a year as needed during life transitions, as healing progresses and new material surfaces, or when they are feeling stuck with inner work.

*after six sessions, most clients find that 50-minute sessions are adequate for doing depth work. However, if it seems like your system benefits from the 75-minute format, we can extend the session length for additional sessions.

 

Can I Reschedule or Cancel?

  • Free rescheduling and cancellations are allowed with 24-hours notice.

  • Changes within 24 hours are considered late cancellations and will incure a $50 fee.

  • No-shows (missing a session without communication) are not eligible for refund or rescheduling and will incure a $50 fee.

Sessions may be booked or changed up to 24 hours in advance.

Do I Need to Prepare?

Some preparation will help you get the most out of your session. However, we will do most of the heavy lifting in session. Before our prep session, I’ll provide you with a reflection worksheet to guide you through some personal exploration. This will help you clarify your intentions, connect with your inner experience, and identify key areas you’d like to focus on during our time together. While not mandatory, this reflection process will support a deeper and more meaningful experience.

How can I get started?

To begin, you can book a free consultation with me to discuss your goals, determine if this approach is right for you, and get more information about how we’ll work together. You can also directly book your prep session if you’re ready to dive in.

Therapists

Are you a therapist curious about what IFS can really do? Or do you have a client you think would benefit with a supplemental depth session? Book a consultation or try a session for yourself  to experience IFS firsthand. 

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Heidi McKinley, M.S., P-LPC, NCC

An IFS therapist, writer, and mental health educator, Heidi offers compassionate guidance and practical tools to help you cultivate a loving relationship with all the parts of your inner world that long to be seen, heard, and healed.

Get in Touch: Contact@HeidiMcKinley.com