Understanding Trauma Therapy: Exploring EMDR & IFS

Trauma Therapy- PTSD & CPTSD treatment

Trauma can take a profound toll on the mind and body, often leaving lasting scars that are difficult to heal. Whether from a single traumatic event or ongoing experiences of distress, many individuals find themselves living with PTSD or complex PTSD (CPTSD), both of which can disrupt daily functioning and well-being. Fortunately, trauma therapy has evolved over time, offering a variety of techniques aimed at healing the deep wounds left behind. Two popular approaches—EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and IFS (Internal Family Systems)—have garnered widespread attention for their effectiveness in addressing trauma.

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The Impact of Trauma on the Body

It’s important to understand that trauma isn’t just an emotional experience; it’s also a somatic one. The body stores trauma in ways that can manifest as physical tension, discomfort, or even illness. This is where somatic healing practices come in, addressing the nervous system and the physical manifestations of trauma. Traumatic events can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate itself, which in turn affects emotional and psychological well-being. Over time, without intervention, these disruptions can lead to symptoms of PTSD or CPTSD, such as anxiety, hypervigilance, flashbacks, and dissociation.

Nervous system regulation is a key component of trauma therapy, as it helps the body return to a state of balance after trauma. Without regulation, the fight-or-flight response can become overactive, keeping the body in a heightened state of alert. This is why therapies like EMDR and IFS focus on both the mind and body in different ways.

EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR - or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - is a type of trauma therapy designed to help individuals process and reframe distressing memories. Often, when one experiences a trauma, they adopt a negative core belief about themselves, such as "I'm not good enough", "I'm not worthy of love", "I'm a bad person", etc. EMDR allows the brain to adopt a more positive belief in place of that negative core belief. The process involves the use of bilateral stimulation (usually through eye movements) while the individual recalls a traumatic event. This technique helps desensitize the memory and reprocess it, allowing the brain to store it in a healthier way. EMDR is particularly effective for those who have PTSD.

The theory behind EMDR is that trauma disrupts the normal processing of memories, leaving them stuck in the brain’s fight-or-flight circuitry. By engaging in EMDR, candidates for EMDR therapy can begin to reprocess these memories, reducing their emotional intensity and allowing the individual to integrate the experience in a way that promotes healing.

EMDR works directly with the nervous system, helping to desensitize the heightened emotional and physiological responses associated with traumatic memories. The therapeutic process includes targeting negative beliefs, processing the trauma, and eventually installing positive beliefs, which aids in re-regulating the nervous system.

I practice Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR (S.A.F.E.), which focuses on the impact of trauma on our bodies and relationships. When we experience trauma, we often become disconnected from our bodies as a way of keeping ourselves safe and connected. As we move through preparation for EMDR, we will begin to reconnect you with the felt sense and wisdom within your body. We will also explore how your past relationships with caretakers and partners has impacted how you are in relationships today. Throughout our lives, we have learned methods of keeping us safe and connected within relationships. We may have learned to pull away from relationships because they weren't safe, lean in to relationships because they were safe, that we can have a voice because we will be understood, or that we must silence ourselves because we will be misunderstood. We may have learned that we shouldn't have needs, so we engage in people pleasing, codependent, anxious attachment parts of us to keep ourselves safe and connected. We may have learned that we are the only one who cares about our own needs, so we engage in isolation, avoidant attachment, hyper-independent parts of us to keep ourselves safe and connected. Through the SAFE method, we will address both these somatic and relational traumas, to help these parts of us soften and become more balanced.

IFS: Internal Family Systems and Parts Work

On the other hand, IFS—or Internal Family Systems—takes a different approach to trauma healing by exploring the internal “parts” that comprise our psyche. IFS suggests that each person has multiple parts (or subpersonalities) that interact with one another. Some of these parts are protective and have been shaped by past traumas, while others are more vulnerable or wounded. At the core of who we are, we all have a Self, which is who we are when we are compassionate, confident, courageous, curious, calm, creative, clear, and connected.

In IFS, a central focus is on helping clients connect with these parts, understand their roles, and heal them from within. Parts work allows individuals to address their trauma by focusing on the protective roles that certain parts have taken on over time, often in response to fear or pain. By addressing these parts through compassionate dialogue, individuals can begin to reconcile their internal conflicts and foster a sense of integration within themselves.

Unlike EMDR, which works through the reprocessing of memories, IFS focuses on navigating the internal family of parts. These parts can range from wounded inner children to protective “managers” or critical inner voices. Through parts work, clients can understand why certain responses to trauma or stress occur and work to shift these responses, leading to better emotional regulation.

IFS is a nonpathological approach to therapy that allows us to heal our relationship with ourSelf and the various parts of us- connected with them through the Self to change our relationship to them. It is similar to reparenting ourselves, and learning to be with different parts of us and their emotions- to learn what our inner child and protective parts need from us, to validate the emotions they are experiencing, to get them unstuck from traumatic points in time, to understand their fears, and to allow them to be present, rather than trying to hide, shame, or avoid them. Dealing with ourselves in a more compassionate manner, allows us to live in a more aligned manner.

The Key Differences Between IFS and EMDR

While both EMDR and IFS are highly effective therapies for trauma, they work in different ways:

• EMDR focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories by using bilateral stimulation to stimulate the brain, allowing for emotional and physiological healing.

• IFS works by exploring the inner “parts” of the individual’s psyche and integrating those parts in order to heal the person’s relationship to their trauma.

The choice between the two depends on the individual’s preferences, experiences, and the nature of their trauma. Some clients find success in combining both techniques, using EMDR for memory processing and IFS for parts work and integration.

Who Are the Candidates for EMDR and IFS?

Both EMDR and IFS are valuable approaches to trauma therapy, but some individuals may benefit more from one over the other, depending on their specific needs and the nature of their trauma. Those who have experienced a singular traumatic event, such as a car accident, assault, or natural disaster, may find EMDR particularly helpful in processing and desensitizing that specific memory.

However, for individuals with complex PTSD or a history of ongoing trauma, IFS may be a more effective therapy. IFS can help individuals address the fragmented parts of their psyche that have been shaped by years of distress, guiding them toward emotional regulation and integration.

Ultimately, the best therapy is the one that resonates with the individual and addresses their unique experiences. It’s not uncommon for therapists to blend elements of both EMDR and IFS in a personalized treatment plan.

Healing Trauma: A Path to Wholeness

Trauma therapy is a journey that takes patience, understanding, and a willingness to face the past in order to heal. Whether through EMDR, IFS, or other therapeutic techniques, individuals can begin to reconnect with their bodies and minds in a way that supports their long-term well-being. By working with the body’s nervous system, addressing trauma memories, and healing fragmented parts of the self, trauma survivors can reclaim their lives and experience a sense of peace and integration.

Here at Heal, Grow, & Thrive Therapy, I am dedicated to helping my clients relate to themselves and their trauma in a different, more compassionate, and understanding way, in order to help them to lead more compassionate, and fulfilled lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD, I would be honored to walk alongside you as you navigate your journey.