The Foundation has established an independent Research Advisory Council to help strengthen the quality, credibility, visibility, and impact of research relating to IFS Therapy and the broader Self-leadership paradigm. This effort is being made possible through funding from the IFS Institute.

Following a call for nominations through IFS community listservs and social media platforms, the Foundation received 13 nominations. After reviewing the nominations and holding individual conversations with prospective members, six individuals were selected to constitute the initial Council.

Collectively, members bring expertise in psychotherapy and clinical research, qualitative and quantitative methods, behavioral health, addiction and trauma, mindfulness and compassion, psychedelic-assisted therapy, research ethics, graduate education, and international collaboration. Once convened, they will help select a seventh member to broaden further the research perspectives and lived experiences represented.

The Council will advise the Foundation’s Board on research priorities, evidence gaps, collaboration and funding opportunities, research quality, and the communication of findings to the IFS community and beyond.

2026 Research Advisory Council

Ann-Katrin Bockmann, PhD

  • Researcher and Clinical Supervisor, University of Hildesheim, Germany
  • Advisor on multiple graduate research projects
  • Member of the IFS Training Faculty (Solo Lead Trainer)
  • Involved in many IFS-oriented international initiatives

Jen Henretty, PhD

  • Published psychotherapy researcher and clinician in private practice
  • Former Director of Clinical Outcomes at a multisite behavioral health organization

Beth Mullen-Houser, PhD

  • Published researcher and Research Associate at Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Initiator and organizer of the IFS Research Journal Club
  • Organized several research gatherings at IFS conferences
  • Former member of the Foundation’s Research Development Team

Maike Klein, PhD

  • Published researcher, counseling psychologist, and lecturer at Lancaster University, UK
  • Leader of the newly formed IFS UK research group

Zev Schuman-Olivier, MD

  • Principal investigator of two Foundation-funded studies
  • Author of several published IFS research papers
  • Recipient of NIH grants
  • Director of a center on mindfulness and compassion at Cambridge Health Alliance
  • Member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School

Joe Zamaria, PsyD, ABPP

  • IFS-trained clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF School of Medicine, Weill Institute for Neurosciences
  • Co-founder of the IFS Center at UCSF
  • Clinician-researcher in the area of psychedelic-assisted therapy