IFIO: Couples Therapy in Melbourne, Ann Arbor & Online

“Intimacy from the Inside Out© is a model of couples therapy that draws primarily from the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of psychotherapy, but also includes aspects of psychodynamic theory, systems thinking and neuroscience. It is an experiential model born out of a desire to carry the concepts of IFS into a relational setting and to use the intimate relationship itself as a vehicle for growth and healing of the individual, as well as the couple.”

~Toni Herbine-Blanc

IFIO Couples Therapy and Retreats, USA & Melbourne

Just as all therapeutic processes, IFIO is a process, and takes place over period of time or a series of sessions. Many clients come with a particular “relationship issue” they are hoping to deal with and end up discovering that IFIO is a beautiful relational healing and deepening process, not designed just to “fix a problem.”

With this in mind Lucine offers different streams of couples therapy online or in Melbourne or couples retreats at local and international destinations . There is the opportunity to do IFIO couples sessions, which are 60-75 minute sessions (in person or via zoom), or extended couples session bookings available for the opportunity to have a longer (90 minute) session when needed. Often we will work together in an ongoing way in preparation leading up to a retreat (upcoming retreat info soon!) Couples retreats offer the opportunity to do IFIO group education/preparation sessions as well as time for personalised couples sessions, alongside of embodiment/somatic IFS sessions, wellness offerings and time to rest in the beauty of natural surroundings.

For next steps you can book an initial session here, or if you still have further questions or want to find out if we are a good fit, you can book a free 20 minute check in session here.

Please note: pricing of IFIO sessions is listed in the booking systems in Australian dollars, (though until July 2025 Lucine is mainly based in the USA doing further IFS/Somatic IFS training. Most sessions are held via zoom.)

There are also packages available here, which offer a discount of up to 10% less than booking single sessions.

"I had done some past work but struggled to integrate and find cohesion. Body movement is a universal language that has bridged the language barrier between parts of self. Combining 5Rhythms and IFS has brought me to a place of unity within me that I've never experienced."

Zane Williams, Melbourne

"How to describe Lucine? No one label fits. Neither counsellor nor therapist do her justice. She’s a wise teacher, a best friend, a shaman, a spirit guide. She’s my lifeline through major life transitions and the smaller, still challenging, bumps in life. I can share all parts of me with her, even those thoughts I dare not voice to myself, much less to anyone else, and I still feel accepted and loved. At times I feel like she’s working a kind of magic, weaving together threads in my life I haven't recognised. She knows exactly what to say to guide me, to comfort me, to shed light, to challenge me and my limiting beliefs in a loving way. She enables me to go to the places my soul craves and my mind fears. She knows how to walk the line between giving me the love and support I need and when to hold me accountable and push me out of the nest so I can fly on my own. She’s a conduit to a higher wisdom already in me but forgotten along the way. That remembering is like finding my way home and belonging again. "

Michelle Swenson, Senior IT Business Analyst, Melbourne, Australia

"I have been working with Lucine in one on one sessions for some years. She is like a dive buddy. Always there when I need support being brave, looking out for my best interests and reminding me to be present and to do the work. It isn't easy. Sessions usually bring a wave of emotions as we dive beneath the surface and explore the depths. I believe I am living more of my life. I am able to give more to my loved ones, to be present and to be honest. I hope I have Lucine in my life for many more years."

H.B, Tender Manager, Melbourne

"I really benefit from the immediacy of the sessions and the gifts and messages that come to me through movement. These “take-home’s” play into my week, helping to inform how I interact with and interpret the surroundings and situations I find myself in. With a raised awareness and embodied perspective, my understanding is deepened, and thoughtfully layered through the lens of the learnings gleaned from each session. It’s a rewarding self-gift, and with her intuitive, considered, fun and caring approach, Lucine gets to the heart of the matter, and the dance begins. Thanks Lucine, I didn’t realise just how worthwhile this would be until I experienced it and I’m so glad I did."

Lainie C. (Art Therapist) St. Kilda, VIC, Australia

"I respect Lucine’s work and enjoy her classes. I also love all things to do with the soul’s evolution into love but Lucine takes this from a different perspective to my work. From my position she works with the shadow side of the human psyche and her workshop allowed me to reconnect with a lost side of my childhood. I found this immensely rewarding and satisfying and I left the series feeling like I had gained deeper insight into another aspect of my life. I highly recommend Lucine as a facilitator and I thoroughly enjoyed her Empowered Body series workshop."

Joanne Terkel, Psychologist, Dance Movement Therapist (prov DMT), Creator of DanSc – Dance Acceptance New Spirit Connection

I wish to acknowledge the Country on which I live and work. I pay my respects to the traditional owners, the Bunurong people of the South-Eastern Kulin Nation and honour their Elders, past, present and emerging. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and hope to learn from the wisdom and the resilience of all First Nations peoples; to find pathways of healing for future generations.