Are You Scared to Start Trauma Therapy? Why IFS-Informed EMDR Might Perfect For You
If you’ve experienced trauma, chances are you would love to feel whole, at peace, and free from the constraints trauma can bring. The protector parts within you, however, may be worried that all of the ways you’ve learned to keep yourself safe could be thrown out the window if you face the trauma.
Part of you may fear you might not be able to protect yourself from future trauma if you let go of pain, anger, resentment, fear, or sadness. Part of you might be worried if you look at your trauma you could be swallowed whole by the pain. You might have even tried trauma therapy before but felt uncomfortable, uneasy in your body, or downright terrified after a session or two. If any of this resonates with you, IFS informed EMDR might be a good treatment option for you.
IFS informed EMDR combines two different types of therapy: Internal Family Systems (IFS) or ‘parts work,’ and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). Developed by Richard Schwartz, IFS is based on the idea that we are made up of multiple parts that all live within us- we have a Self (our soul, identity, guiding compass) and we also have parts that perform various other functions. These parts may help us to stay organized, stand up for ourselves, or take time to relax. We often use this type of “parts” language in our culture without realizing it: “Part of me wants to finish this blog article, and part of me wants to scroll on my phone”. Some parts of us can be humorous or light, like my procrastination part, and other parts can take on stronger or more extreme roles to protect us when something traumatic happens. Parts may become hypervigilant, flood us with anxiety, or lead us to engage in unhealthy coping such as substance use or self harm. Parts may even block us from engaging in trauma in therapy if they don’t feel safe or trust it will help. If you’d like to learn more about IFS check out our previous blog post What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) or "Parts Work" All About?
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy was created by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the 1980s. Since its inception, countless studies and several professional organizations have affirmed its efficacy in treating trauma and related disorders. EMDR works by finding and targeting trauma held in the nervous system, clearing it out, and replacing it with more adaptive thinking and coping we already have stored within us. Bilateral stimulation, such as tapping methodically on the knees, allows us to get out of our cognitive brain and unlock where the trauma is stored in the body so it can heal. For more information about EMDR, check out our blog posts: The Case for EMDR: Healing for the Brain and Body or What to Expect When Starting EMDR Therapy.
One roadblock to effective EMDR treatment can be strong protector parts. In this case, the unlocking mechanism of EMDR can be blocked by the protector parts. This can look like EMDR not being as effective as we might expect. It can also show up as feeling upset for hours or days after what seemed like successful processing. Or, you might not make it past the initial consultation because EMDR can feel too fast, or sound too good to be true to protective parts. IFS informed EMDR slows down the process. It allows us to get consent from ALL parts of us, not just the part in the driver’s seat, both at the beginning of treatment and throughout EMDR processing.
In session, IFS informed EMDR looks like compassion, curiosity and collaboration between the therapist and all the parts of you. The therapist will spend several sessions with you understanding how your parts work together to protect and defend you, as well as getting their agreement to proceed with EMDR preparation and processing.
The therapist can help you to get to know your protector parts, their fears and hopes for you, as well as what they need to feel safe while processing trauma. You may also learn about Self energy or how to connect with your core self. By harnessing self energy we can be even more effective in EMDR processing as we are truly in alignment with our most authentic, core selves and thus more open to healing.
The therapist may use various exercises before beginning EMDR and during such as helping you to speak directly to a part of yourself, giving a part Self energy to help it feel seen and loved, gathering all of your parts around the table to discuss an idea, and honoring protector parts’ involvement in EMDR processing through visualization or noticing sensations in the body.
If IFS informed EMDR resonates with the parts of you, please reach out to schedule a consultation. We’d love to talk to you about this therapy and how it could help you heal.