Parts are little inner beings who are trying their best to keep you safe.

— Richard Schwartz, founder of IFS

Usually people come to therapy because they are tired of struggling against unwanted thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. In Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, we take a different approach. We work with parts, seeking to understand their good intentions and how they came to operate in the ways they do. There are no bad parts — meaning symptoms we seek to heal started as well-intentioned ways to cope with pain.

Working together, we can get you un-stuck from exhausting patterns of self-criticism, anxiety, self-doubt, and "never enough." By bringing curiosity and compassion to the contexts in which these patterns originally developed, you can heal at the root cause of the issue, creating change that is organic and holistic.

At the heart of my approach to therapy is a warm, supportive relationship where you feel understood, welcomed, and valued exactly as you are. I also believe therapy can and should go beyond warmth and listening. IFS therapy offers a concrete framework for making progress toward your goals.

I am a Level 2 Trained IFS therapist with over 8 years of experience working with the model. IFS therapy can be used to address a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, harsh self-criticism, grief, chronic anger, trauma, disordered eating, and relationship challenges. My hope is that IFS therapy allows you to develop a deeper, kinder sense of self and experience greater ease, connection, and fulfillment in your work, relationships, and life.

Benefits of IFS Therapy:

  • Greater self-awareness and a deeper, kinder experience of self

  • Freedom from painful patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior

  • Greater capacity for authenticity, vulnerability, and connection in relationships — as well as ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries

  • Understanding one’s life story more deeply and compassionately

  • Greater presence, spaciousness, and peace in daily life

I see adults, children, teens, couples, and families both in-person (in Santa Barbara, CA) and online.

Let’s get started

Feeling understood, welcomed, and valued in therapy is essential, and it's important to find a therapist who feels like a good fit.

If you would like to explore working together, you can fill out the form on this page to request a complimentary phone consultation.

Email: hattie@hattiebluestone.com
Phone: (805) 364-3090

Fee for individual counseling sessions: $160

Areas of Specialization

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy

  • Mindfulness

  • Self-Compassion

  • Somatic awareness and embodiment

  • Adults, children, teens, couples, and families

  • Anxiety and Panic

  • Depression

  • Harsh Inner Critics and Perfectionism

  • Self-confidence, Shame, and Imposter Syndrome

  • Disordered Eating and Body Image

  • Substance Use and Compulsive behaviors

  • Prenatal and Postpartum

  • Relationship Challenges and Couples Therapy

  • Parenting Challenges