IFS & EMDR Therapies

INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS)

ALL PARTS ARE WELCOME

A part of you feels like she has to constantly overperform and be the best....a part of you feels the need to eat an entire tub of ice cream when you feel rejected....and another part of you just feels hurt and scared.

What if we told you that all these parts are normal, and that they have a place in your inner system that has helped you to function? What if we told you that you could help your parts understand why they have such big reactions, and begin to shift to new ways of being?

Internal Family Systems is a model that helps us understand these parts, and move toward a Self-led existence filled with compassion, curiosity, calmness, clarity, courage, creativity, confidence, and connection.

DEEP WORK

To practice Internal Family Systems therapy, clinicians must undergo intense and costly advanced training. Some of our therapists have chosen to invest in learning and adapting this high level therapy model (often paired with EMDR, another advanced modality) because we believe it offers our clients an incredible opportunity to dig deep and uncover their roots.

IFS helps our clients discover why they believe what they believe, why they behave the way they behave, and why they feel the way they feel. Not only that, but clients then experience radical shifts in their inner systems that allow them to feel relief and wholeness as they come to know their true Selves.

Our clients really resonate with the IFS model, but we know you may have questions at first. Step one, let's make sure you find a great fit for a therapist!

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING (EMDR)

"Umm...what?" you may ask... We know that sounds really heady and weird at first. But it's actually a super-cool, extremely *effective* therapy that we are very excited to introduce you to. That is, if you're into super-cool, effective ways of talking through your issues and truly, genuinely moving past them (finally!). If so, this is definitely the thing for you.

EMDR uses eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation (fancy way of saying "stimulating both sides of your brain at the same time") to activate your problem-solving process, which is something that happens during REM sleep when your eyes are darting back and forth quickly. This is what we call the body's "natural healing process", and it's pretty flipping amazing that there's a therapy that allows us to mimic that process and harness it for your specific concerns.

When we focus on a specific problem or memory, including both its positive and negative emotions, sensations, and beliefs, then add the bilateral stimulation, your brain starts to problem-solve on its own. While we are focused on a particular problem or memory, your brain is able to work through it more effectively and intentionally than what would happen if that same problem or memory surfaced in your mind while you were sleeping.

THIS. IS. INCREDIBLE.

We can't even begin to tell you how cool your brain is and the awesome things it is capable of doing in therapy. You're just going to have to find out for yourself!

WHY CHOOSE EMDR?

As mentioned above, it's pretty remarkable. EMDR literally enables your brain to target feelings, experiences, beliefs, and memories, work through them, and re-store them in your brain. (what!?)

It's faster than traditional talk therapy alone. I have to be honest here, my clients are sometimes very surprised by how quickly we are able to get to the root of a problem and start to address the true underlying concerns.

It's versatile! Our preference is to balance EMDR with other forms of therapy like Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness approaches, and skills-focused techniques. EMDR interweaves nicely with other therapies, allowing us to truly customize your counseling experience.

It may allow you to access parts of yourself or your past that you have previously "blocked out," which means you'll walk away with greater insight into who you are and in what ways you'd like to use therapy to transform your life.

You're getting the best. EMDR is not something that just any 'ole Joe Shmo counselor can do. You should know that EMDR clinicians invest in an intense amount of post-masters training - including 40 hours of in-person professional development and training/practicum and 10 hours of supervision with an expert level EMDR trainer - to be able to provide clients with this expert level of care. You can feel confident in knowing that you're in very good hands.