IFS is a therapeutic modality centered around the concept that everyone has multiple "parts" that function like an "internal family" to protect the core self from wounds or experiences that these parts don't want the self to access.  These parts can present in many ways, like that inner critic many people hear that judges them, or anxious parts preventing us from making certain choices.  It is a non-pathologizing approach that views all parts as having good intentions, even when it may not feel that way to the self.  Using this framework, we can identify and communicate with these parts in a way that allows us to access inner wounds or experiences and "unburden" the parts from their protective roles, allowing the client to operate from a place of self-energy.