IFS Therapy in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia

You've worked hard to build your life, but something still feels off. Maybe you find yourself stuck in the same patterns, flooded by emotions you can't explain, or at war with a voice inside that's always criticizing, always pushing. You're not broken. You have parts and IFS therapy can help you finally understand them.

At Cushing Counseling, our IFS-trained therapist offers Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy fully online for residents of Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, and Florida. Whether you're navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, or a search for deeper self-understanding, IFS offers a compassionate, evidence-based path forward from wherever you are.


What Is IFS Therapy?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a powerful, evidence-based approach to therapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. At its core, IFS is built on a simple but profound idea: you are not just one thing. You are made up of many inner "parts," each with its own feelings, memories, and protective role, and at the center of it all is your Self: calm, curious, and capable of leading.

IFS goes beyond traditional talk therapy. Instead of just discussing your problems, you'll actually get to know the parts of you that are driving them: the anxious planner, the harsh inner critic, the part that shuts down in conflict, the one that just wants to be seen. When those parts are understood rather than fought against, real healing becomes possible.

IFS has been recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as an evidence-based practice and is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship challenges.

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How Does IFS Therapy Work?

IFS therapy is an experiential approach, meaning the work happens not just intellectually, but on a deeper emotional and somatic level. In sessions, your therapist will gently guide you to:

  • Identify your parts: the protective parts that try to keep you safe, and the wounded parts (called "exiles") that carry pain from the past

  • Understand each part's role: rather than judging or pushing away difficult emotions, you'll learn what each part is trying to do for you

  • Access your Self: develop the calm, compassionate inner leadership that can help all your parts feel safe and heard

  • Heal the wounds: with the trust of your protective parts, your therapist will guide you in gently healing the exiles that carry old pain, shame, or fear

Most clients describe IFS sessions as both insightful and deeply moving, a process that feels different from other types of therapy they've tried.

Who Can IFS Therapy Help?

IFS therapy is especially effective for people who:

  • Struggle with anxiety, overthinking, or chronic stress

  • Experience self-criticism, shame, or a persistent inner critic

  • Have a history of trauma or PTSD (childhood wounds, relationship trauma, complex trauma, sexual trauma)

  • Feel stuck in relationship patterns: people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, emotional shutting down

  • Are navigating major life transitions: career shifts, breakups, identity questions, relocating

  • Want to develop deeper self-awareness and self-compassion

  • Feel like they've tried other approaches but something still isn't shifting

At Cushing Counseling, we work with adults who are doing meaningful outer work but still feel disconnected from themselves inside. If that sounds like you, IFS may be exactly what you've been looking for.adiance, Your IFS Therapist

Radiance Sanneman (she/her), MS, LCPC, NCC, CCMHC Licensed Mental Health Counselor | IFS Specialist & Trauma Therapist

As a psychotherapist, I am passionate about giving my clients a safe place to be themselves, explore their inner wisdom, and navigate life's challenges without needing to face them alone. I bring expertise in terms of the tools and process of counseling, but each client brings the expertise in terms of their own story and strengths. Working together, deep healing is possible and new pathways open up.

I work only with adults and only in the context of individual therapy or group therapy. I am happy to work with any type of issue (such as anxiety, depression, loss, trauma, or relationships), or to provide a referral if I am not the best person to help you. My particular specialty areas are:

  • Survivors of complex trauma and relational transgression (such as childhood abuse, toxic relationships, or betrayals by partners, employers, spiritual leaders, etc.)

  • Folks facing life transitions

  • Members of the LGBTQ+ community

  • Survivors of religious trauma/spiritual abuse, and other people navigating spiritual/religious crossroads or issues

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Licenses & Verification

I encourage you to check on my licenses and verifications as you consider potentially working together. I am a:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (in Virginia, verify here and DC, verify here) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (in Maryland, verify here)

  • Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems therapist (verify here)

  • Nationally Certified Counselor as well as Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (verify both here)

  • Check out my Resume/CV here to see more about my specialized trainings, education, and background

My Approach

You are the expert on your life, and it is my job to help you access your internal wisdom. As a Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, I help you as an individual to connect to different parts of yourself, different perspectives inside you that are deeply valuable but not always harmonious. "A part of me wants to go out, but another part of me wants to stay in. And another part of me is frustrated about not being able to make up my mind!" We each have a metaphorical family of different parts within us, with which we can cultivate better relationships. (The "Family" in Internal Family Systems does not refer to your family of origin or any external people in your life, and you would never be pressured to involve family members in therapy or resume contact with family members you are not in touch with.)

Together, as we get to know different sides of you, we can heal trauma wounds and allow more space for inner peace.

In this process, I will give you my full attention, respect your values, help you identify your goals, and work to earn your trust over time to do effective work together. Counseling becomes a journey of self-discovery, growth, and healing.

I draw on other awarenesses to supplement my IFS work with my clients, including Attachment Theory, Feminist Therapy and intersectional feminism, Solution-Focused Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and insights and interventions from the growing field of Positive Psychology research.

A little about my own identity may help you decide whether you would feel comfortable working with me: I am a White, queer, transgender woman from an upper-middle-class background. I was raised religious Catholic/Christian but now identify as spiritual. I happily welcome more questions about my background if we move forward communicating about the potential of working together.

I believe firmly that the public needs access to culturally competent, trauma-informed, and LGBTQ-affirming mental health professionals, and that is what I seek to be. I draw from an awareness of privilege (including my own), oppression, and intersectionality, especially around race, gender, class, and sexuality, and I understand that many individuals with minority identities have been hurt in the past by micro- or macro-aggressions from health care and mental health care providers. I am committed to earning my clients' trust and respecting their boundaries. In a validating setting, I help my clients understand the tools and strengths they already have and use their autonomy to make well-informed decisions according to their own wisdom.

I earned my Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola University Maryland, where coursework frequently challenged us to consider the spiritual dimensions that can sometimes emerge within counseling. I am intimately aware of the healthy, grounding role that spirituality plays in many people's lives, and conversely, the ways that well-intentioned faith practices can sometimes intensify mental health problems. I know that there are many different ways that people can connect to God, a higher power, or the Divine, and that this relationship can change over time. I am also intimately aware that many people lead meaningful, fulfilling lives without faith or religion, and religious settings have been sources of great alienation, violation, and wounding for many people. Discussion of your faith, religion, and/or spirituality is fully welcomed into counseling at your discretion, but not assumed and never forced on you.

My job is to help you anchor into what is meaningful and grounding in your own life. The decisions and directions that will be healing and empowering for you are likely to be unique to you. I support you in blazing your own trail, rather than expecting you to follow a roadmap used by myself or anyone else.

Online IFS Therapy: Virginia, DC, Maryland & Florida

All sessions at Cushing Counseling are conducted fully online via secure, HIPAA-compliant video, making high-quality IFS therapy accessible no matter where you live or how busy your schedule is.

We serve clients throughout:

  • Virginia: including Northern Virginia, Arlington, Alexandria, McLean, Fairfax, Reston, Richmond, Charlottesville, and beyond

  • Washington, DC: across all neighborhoods and wards

  • Maryland: including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Annapolis, Baltimore, and the greater DMV area

  • Florida: including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and statewide

Online IFS therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions. Research consistently shows that telehealth therapy produces outcomes equivalent to in-office care, and for many clients, the flexibility of virtual sessions makes it easier to show up consistently and do the work.

Why Choose Cushing Counseling for IFS Therapy?

Specialized IFS training. Radiance has specialized training and hands-on experience with the IFS model, not just a passing familiarity. You'll work with someone who truly knows this approach and can guide you through it skillfully.

Integrative, whole-person care. IFS doesn't exist in isolation here. Radiance also draws on other evidence-based approaches, including Attachment Theory, Feminist Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Person-Centered Therapy, so your care is tailored to what you need.

Sexuality and trauma-informed. Cushing Counseling specializes in sexual health, intimacy, and trauma. If parts of you carry shame, pain, or confusion connected to your sexuality or body, you'll find that this is a place where that work is not just tolerated but genuinely understood.

LGBTQ+ affirming. Radiance is a queer, trans woman who brings lived experience to her commitment to affirming, culturally competent care. All identities are welcome here.

A warm, nonjudgmental space. The work of getting to know your inner world requires safety. Radiance is trained to create exactly that: a space where all of your parts are welcome.

Accessible, wherever you are. No commute, no waiting room, no geographic barrier. Whether you're in a DC high-rise or a Florida suburb, your therapist is one click away.