Internal Family Systems (IFS)

and

Suicidal Parts

“Even the most destructive parts have protective intentions.”
— Richard C. Schwartz, No Bad Parts

You are not broken. The part of you that thinks about suicide isn’t trying to hurt you. It is trying to help, in the only way it knows how. This part has been working tirelessly, carrying unbearable pain, and it can’t see another way to find relief.

In Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, we don’t push suicidal parts away. Instead, we approach them with curiosity and compassion. Together, we ask:

  • What has this part been protecting you from?

  • What burdens has it been carrying?

  • What would it need to feel safe enough to step back from this exhausting role?

Your suicidal part is not your enemy. It is a part that longs for understanding, care, and the chance to finally lay down the heavy load it has carried for so long. With the support of Self your calm, compassionate core, IFS creates space for this part to feel heard, supported, and no longer alone in its mission.

IFS therapy in Melbourne offers a gentle, safe pathway for working with suicidal parts, helping you build trust, reduce shame, and move toward hope.

For Clients

"The part that wants to die isn't asking for death it's asking for the suffering to stop. When we can hear this deeper request, everything changes."

Working with suicidal ideation through an IFS lens transforms our relationship with these moments. Instead of managing symptoms, we are meeting protector and exile parts that are utterly exhausted from their roles.

The suicidal part often carries the fantasy that death will bring peace. Not just for the client, but for all the internal parts that are suffering. It's trying to be the ultimate protector, ending what feels like unbearable internal conflict.

Our role becomes helping both client and these parts discover that there are other ways to find relief, other ways to unburden, other ways to experience the peace they are seeking.

Let’s Work On That also offers IFS-informed clinical supervision in Melbourne, supporting therapists to stay grounded when working with suicidality, weaving together parts work with risk assessment, and holding space for both clients and their own internal systems with steadiness, clarity, and compassion.

For Therapists

A Safe Space to Begin IFS Therapy or Supervision

Whether you are a client seeking support or a therapist wanting to deepen your practice, there is space here for this important work. At Let’s Work On That, we specialise in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offering support Australia wide online, working compassionately with suicidal parts, trauma, and eating disorders, as well as providing IFS-informed clinical supervision in Melbourne for therapists.

Suicidal parts do not need to be feared or silenced but need understanding, honouring, and gently supported to unburden. This is some of the most important work we can do in therapy: creating safety, listening deeply, and helping parts discover new pathways to peace and relief.

If you are ready to explore IFS therapy for suicidal parts or to engage in supervision to strengthen your clinical practice, reach out today. Together, we can create a safe and supportive space for healing, connection, and growth.

🌿 Contact us to begin therapy or supervision.

⚠️ If you are in crisis, please contact your local crisis line (Lifeline 13 11 14) or emergency services (000). This work is meant to compliment not replace immediate safety support.