Walter Combs, LCSW

My approach is fundamentally person-centered and integrative. 'Person-centered' means that your unique experience, values, and goals are always the central focus of our work. You are the expert on your own life, and therapy is a collaborative partnership. 'Integrative' means that I draw upon several well-established and effective therapeutic models to tailor the process specifically to your needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all method. Understanding Your Inner World: Internal Family Systems (IFS) A core framework I use is called Internal Family Systems, or IFS. IFS offers a compassionate and non-judgmental way to understand ourselves. It views the mind as naturally having many different 'parts' – think of these like different aspects or subpersonalities within you. For instance, you might have a part that feels anxious, another that pushes you to achieve, a part that criticizes, or a part that seeks connection. IFS helps us see that each part has unique feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Crucially, it believes that every single part, no matter how challenging its impact might feel, actually has positive intentions for you – it's trying to help or protect you in some way. Beyond these parts, IFS recognizes that we all have a core Self at our center – a natural source of wisdom, compassion, calm, clarity, confidence, courage, creativity, and connection. A major goal of our work using IFS is to help you connect more deeply with this core Self and build understanding, trust, and harmony among your various parts, fostering a more balanced and cooperative inner world. Integrating Approaches for Holistic Support While IFS provides a powerful map for understanding our inner landscape, integrating insights and tools from other therapies can offer more comprehensive support. We can weave these in as needed: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is excellent at helping us identify and work with thought patterns and core beliefs that influence our feelings and actions. When integrated with IFS, we can understand which specific parts hold certain beliefs and why, allowing us to address them with more depth and compassion, leading to more lasting change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT provides valuable, practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, improving relationships, and practicing mindfulness (being present). IFS complements DBT by helping us understand the 'parts' experiencing intense emotions with compassion, making it easier and more effective to apply these skills. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT focuses on learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings without getting consumed by them, clarifying what's truly important to you (your values), and taking committed action towards living a meaningful life. By integrating ACT with IFS, we can learn to compassionately acknowledge all our parts, even the ones creating distress, while strengthening our ability to live in alignment with our core values. Somatic (Body-Focused) Work: Our bodies often hold onto the impact of stress, emotions, and past experiences. Incorporating somatic awareness – paying attention to physical sensations, breath, and movement – helps us safely connect with and process these experiences held in the body. IFS helps us understand which 'parts' might be carrying these physical burdens, allowing for healing that truly includes your body's experience. Our Work Together This integrative approach is deeply collaborative. We move at your pace, focusing on what feels most relevant to you. My role is to act as a guide, helping you explore your inner world, connect with your innate capacity for healing (your core Self), and integrate the different aspects of yourself for greater peace and well-being. Ultimately, by blending IFS with CBT, DBT, ACT, and Somatic Work within a person-centered framework, the aim is to provide a holistic, flexible, and empowering therapeutic experience tailored just for you – addressing your thoughts, feelings, actions, and physical experiences with understanding and compassion.