Healing Your Past Trauma with EMDR and IFS
As a therapist, one of the most rewarding aspects of my work is witnessing clients experience profound healing. I’ve found that combining different therapeutic approaches can provide a more holistic and transformative experience, especially for those dealing with trauma. Two such approaches that I’ve integrated with great success are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). While both are powerful on their own, when combined, they create a deeper and more lasting impact on the healing process.
What is EMDR?
EMDR is a well-established therapy primarily used to treat trauma. It works by helping clients process distressing memories through bilateral stimulation (often through guided eye movements). This stimulation helps the brain reprocess traumatic experiences, allowing clients to reframe and desensitize the emotional charge associated with the trauma. As a result, these memories become integrated into the person’s life story in a healthier way, and the emotional distress tied to them diminishes.
What is IFS?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model that views the mind as consisting of various “parts” or subpersonalities, each carrying its own beliefs, emotions, and behaviors. These parts often form in response to trauma or unmet needs, and sometimes, they can become stuck in patterns that prevent healing. IFS helps clients engage with these internal parts, particularly those that are hurt or burdened by past trauma, with the goal of unburdening and healing them.
The Power of Combining EMDR and IFS
While both EMDR and IFS are effective individually, they each address different aspects of trauma. EMDR focuses on the external memories and emotional charge tied to traumatic events, while IFS works with the internal world of the person—the parts that hold pain, shame, anger, or fear. By combining these two powerful modalities, we can address trauma from both the emotional and internal levels, which facilitates more complete healing.
Here’s how I integrate them:
Preparation: Emotional Regulation and Building Safety Before diving into processing traumatic memories, we begin with preparation. This step is crucial for helping the client build emotional regulation skills and learn how to stay within their window of tolerance—the optimal zone where they can process emotions without becoming overwhelmed or dissociated. I guide clients through techniques such as the calm place exercise, where they envision a safe and peaceful space in their mind. This space serves as a resource they can return to during the therapy process to anchor themselves when emotions become too intense. This foundation of safety and emotional regulation helps ensure that clients can engage fully with the therapeutic work without becoming flooded by overwhelming feelings.
Beginning with EMDR: Identifying the Traumatic Memory Once the client feels grounded and prepared, we use EMDR to identify the specific traumatic memory causing emotional distress. Through bilateral stimulation, we work to process the memory, reducing its emotional charge and helping the brain reframe and integrate it. The goal here is not only to diminish the emotional intensity of the memory but also to create a safe space for exploring the emotional impact the trauma has had on the individual.
Introducing IFS to Heal Burdened Parts During the processing of a traumatic memory with EMDR, we integrate IFS to explore the internal parts impacted by the trauma. Often, the trauma leaves younger parts of the self—such as an inner child or a vulnerable part—feeling overwhelmed, scared, or stuck in old patterns. In IFS, we engage with these parts, offering them compassion, understanding, and healing. We also address the core beliefs and emotions these parts hold as a result of the trauma. By creating a compassionate relationship between the Self (the core, wise, and compassionate part of the person) and these burdened parts, we can help them feel safe and begin to unburden themselves of the emotional weight the trauma has caused.
EMDR Positive Cognition Installation and Future Visualization In this step, we integrate the work done through EMDR by installing a positive cognition—such as “I am safe now” or “I am worthy of love.” We use EMDR’s bilateral stimulation to help the client deeply absorb this new, positive belief. This strengthens the healing process and shifts the negative beliefs associated with trauma. Additionally, we envision the client navigating future triggers while embodying this new positive cognition and the qualities they have discovered within themselves. This future-focused visualization helps to prepare the client for situations where old triggers may arise, equipping them with the internal resources and beliefs to respond in a more grounded, self-compassionate way.
Ongoing Healing with IFS: Rebuilding the Internal System After processing traumatic memories, unburdening the internal parts, and installing positive beliefs, I use IFS to ensure that the internal system is balanced and aligned. This step helps integrate the newly healed parts back into the client's overall system. The Self remains at the center, guiding the parts towards healing and growth. As a result, the person can experience greater harmony within themselves, free from the emotional burdens of past trauma, and carry forward new beliefs that support their continued growth and well-being.
The Benefits of Integrating EMDR and IFS
Holistic Healing: Combining these approaches allows us to address both the traumatic memories and the internal parts carrying the emotional weight, creating a more comprehensive and profound healing experience.
Deeper Trauma Processing: While EMDR works to process memories and release emotional charge, IFS ensures that the internal parts are unburdened and supported, facilitating deeper healing on both the emotional and internal levels.
Empowerment and Self-Compassion: The integration of IFS and EMDR empowers clients to access their own inner wisdom and compassion. Clients can heal from within and create lasting, positive changes in their lives.
Sustainable Healing: The combination of these therapies helps create lasting healing, as it fosters a healthy relationship between the Self and the internal parts, providing ongoing support and awareness long after the therapy session ends.
Conclusion
Combining EMDR with IFS creates a powerful, integrated approach to trauma healing. EMDR helps to process and reframe traumatic memories, while IFS works to heal the internal parts that are burdened by those memories. Together, they offer a holistic and deeply transformative healing experience, empowering clients to heal not just from the memories of trauma but from the internal burdens that have held them back. If you’re seeking a comprehensive approach to trauma recovery, this integrated therapy may be exactly what you need to experience lasting change and healing.
