If you’ve been researching trauma therapy options, you’ve probably come across EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapy. But what happens when these two powerful therapeutic approaches work together? As a therapist who specializes in IFS-informed EMDR, I’d like to help you understand how this integrated approach can support your healing journey.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-researched therapy specifically designed to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. During EMDR sessions, you’ll recall troubling memories while engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as holding pulsators or watching a light move back and forth on a light bar. This process helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories, after which they’re no longer emotionally charged in the way they were before.
Internal Family Systems therapy recognizes that we all have different parts within us that have taken on roles to help us navigate life’s challenges. For example, you might have a part that works hard to please others, another part that protects you by staying vigilant, and yet another that constantly criticizes you to try to keep you from being criticized by others.
In IFS, we also work with what’s called your “Self”—your core essence that is naturally curious, compassionate, and capable of healing. When your Self is in the lead, you can relate to your various parts with understanding and care, rather than being overwhelmed or controlled by them.
When I practice IFS-informed EMDR, I’m drawing on the strengths of both approaches to create a more comprehensive healing experience.
It starts in the preparation phase when we “install” resources that will help us during EMDR processing. In addition to the calm/safe/peaceful place and the container resources that are pretty standard for EMDR, I install what are called attachment resources: a nurturer, a protector, and a wise figure. These can be people, animals, trees, spiritual beings, fictional characters…whatever makes sense for you. These attachment resources represent aspects of your Self.
An important component of IFS-informed EMDR is dealing with what IFS calls “protector” parts. These parts may protect vulnerable parts of you, usually child parts; they may also protect your internal system against parts that feel dangerous. Not surprisingly, when we begin to use EMDR to process disturbing memories, these protectors often step in. When this happens, we work with the protectors to help them to feel safe enough to allow the processing to happen. Unless the protectors say it’s ok, EMDR processing won’t get anywhere!
Often, when we’re processing a memory, one of your child parts will show up. When that happens, it’s important to help that part to feel safe enough to not overwhelm you and keep you from being able to do the work. (In IFS terms, when a part takes over, you’re “blended” with that part; this makes EMDR processing more difficult.)
At the end of an IFS-informed EMDR session, we check in to see how your parts are doing. If we’ve been working with child parts, we help them to find somewhere comfortable to stay until the next session. (My child parts have a room they like to stay in that has a tree growing up through the floor (!), a woman in a rocking chair who represents my Self, and a bunch of puppies to play with.)
What does IFS-informed EMDR look like in practice? Let’s say you’re working on a childhood experience where you felt abandoned. In traditional EMDR, we would focus primarily on the memory itself. In IFS-informed EMDR, we might also explore:
- Which parts of you took on roles to help you cope with that abandonment (perhaps a hyper-independent part or a people-pleasing part)
- How those parts are feeling about revisiting this memory
- What those parts need to feel safe during the processing
- How your Self can provide care and understanding to the younger part of you that experienced the abandonment
This integrated approach often leads to deeper, more lasting healing because we’re not just processing the memory—we’re also helping your internal system reorganize in a healthier way.
Healing from trauma isn’t just about making bad memories less painful—it’s about reclaiming your wholeness and developing a loving relationship with all parts of yourself. IFS-informed EMDR recognizes that you are naturally equipped for this healing, and that with the right support, your Self can lead this process.
Both EMDR and IFS are evidence-based approaches with strong research support. When combined thoughtfully, they offer a path toward not just symptom relief, but genuine post- traumatic growth and self-discovery.
If you’re interested in learning more about how IFS-informed EMDR might support your healing journey, I invite you to reach out. Every person’s path to healing is unique, and I’m here to help you discover what approach feels right for you.