INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS THERAPY
Telehealth
Colorado, DC, Maine, Oregon, & Virginia
Come home to yourSelf.
I’m Kathy Manning, a licensed clinical social worker and Certified IFS Therapist. I help women in midlife, couples, women living with lipedema, and fellow therapists get to know every part of themselves and lead their lives from a calmer, clearer place.
Certified IFS Therapist, Level 3 trained
IFIO trained for couples therapy
Licensed clinical social worker in five jurisdictions
Online therapy by secure video.
WHO I WORK WITH
Where would you like to begin?
GOING DEEPER
You’ve done the work, and want to go deeper
Years of therapy, books, and practice, and still the anxiety or low moods return. IFS therapy for people at a crossroads who want healing that reaches beneath insight. MORE »
WOMEN IN MIDLIFE
Menopause and midlife
You’re more anxious, more irritable, or more tired than you used to be, and you don’t feel like yourself. Therapy for perimenopause, menopause, and the years after. MORE»
COUPLES WORK
Couples in the second half of life
The kids are grown, work is winding down, and the two of you want to find your way back to each other. IFS-based couples therapy (IFIO). MORE»
WOMEN WITH LIPEDEMA
Living with lipedema
You were told it was your fault, and it never was. Therapy for the shame, grief, and anger that come with lipedema, from a therapist who lives with it too. MORE»
THERAPISTS
Your own IFS work
You know the model and want to embody it. Personal IFS therapy for therapists, so you can unblend from your therapist parts and practice from Self. MORE»
YOUR CLINICAL THERAPIST
Kathy Manning, LCSW
Certified IFS Therapist · Level 3 trained · IFIO trained
I came to this work the long way around. I spent years in international affairs before becoming a therapist, and I know from my own life what it is to go through menopause, navigate a partnership, to live with lipedema, and to start over.
What I offer is licensed psychotherapy, grounded in Internal Family Systems. That means a clinical assessment, a plan we build together, and the training to go deep safely. I’m warm, direct, and unhurried, and you stay in charge of what we explore.
Certified IFS Therapist, Level 3 trained
Advanced training in Internal Family Systems through the IFS Institute
IFIO trained
Intimacy from the Inside Out, the IFS approach to couples
Two master’s degrees
Social Work, Catholic University of America · Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University
Licensed in five places
Colorado, Maine, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington DC
PARTS WORK
You are not one voice. No one is.
Most of us expect our minds to speak with one voice. Then we feel confused when part of us wants to rest and another part won’t let us. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy sees this as normal. Everyone has many parts, and each one is doing its best to look after you.
If you’ve ever said “part of me wants to say yes, and part of me wants to run,” you already speak the language of IFS.
Parts that work hard
Some parts keep you going: the planner, the worrier, the inner critic, the one who keeps everyone happy. Others step in when feelings get too big, with a short temper, a glass of wine, or hours of scrolling.
Parts that still hurt
Underneath, there are often younger, tender parts that carry old hurt or fear. The hard-working parts try to keep that pain out of sight. That is often why the same struggles keep coming back.
And underneath it all, you
IFS holds that everyone has a calm, kind center, called the Self. It is never damaged, and it doesn’t need to be built. You’ve felt it in moments when you were steady, curious, and gentle with yourself.
What it’s like in session
In therapy, you get to know your parts instead of fighting them. When the hard-working parts feel understood, they can relax. Then the tender parts can finally be heard, and let go of what they’ve been carrying. Most people feel calmer, clearer, and more like themselves.
There are no bad parts here, only parts with reasons. You stay in charge the whole time, and we go only as fast as feels safe.
Think of your Self as the gardener and your parts as everything that grows. A good gardener doesn’t tear plants out. She learns what each one needs.
This is the short version. The plain-language guide walks through it step by step, including what a session is like and what the research says.
TELEHEALTH
What is online therapy / mentaltelehealth?
Online therapy, also called telehealth, is psychotherapy by secure video. We meet face to face on screen, just as we would in an office, from wherever you have privacy. No commute, no waiting room, and the same care.
What you need
A private space, a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera, and a steady internet connection. Headphones help with privacy.
Where you need to be
You need to be located in Colorado, Maine, Oregon, Virginia, or Washington DC during each session, because those are the places I’m licensed.
Does it work as well?
For many people and many concerns, research has found video therapy works about as well as meeting in person. IFS, with its inward focus, adapts to video especially well.
Is it private?
Sessions take place on a secure platform built for healthcare, and the same confidentiality applies as in any therapy office. You choose a space where you can speak freely.
STEPS TO GET STARTED
Three simple steps to your first conversation
1. Fill out a short contact form
Tell me a little about yourself and what’s bringing you in. It takes just a few minutes and it is secure, your privacy is protected from the start.
2. Schedule a free 30-minute call
Pick a time that works for you. We’ll meet by secure video.
3. We talk
You tell me what’s been hard lately, and we see whether we’re a good fit. No pressure, and no commitment.
NOT READY CALL YET?
Start with a free reflection guide
The Midlife Check-In
A printable journal guide to help you notice what’s changed and which parts of you are speaking loudest.
PDF Midlife Check-In »
The Couples Check-In
A short journal guide you each fill out on your own and then share.
PDF Couples Check-In »
GOOD TO KNOW
Fees and insurance
I’m in network with Moda for Oregon clients. Otherwise my practice is private pay, and I can provide statements you may be able to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. How out-of-network reimbursement works »
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
Let’s talk
Fill out a short form and schedule a free 30-minute video call. We’ll talk about what’s been happening and whether working together is a good fit.