The Brilliance of IFS-Informed EMDR: Healing with Compassion and Connection
When it comes to deep healing, sometimes a single method isn’t enough.
That’s where the brilliance of IFS-informed EMDR comes in — blending two powerful approaches to create a deeply compassionate, integrative healing experience.
When it comes to deep healing, sometimes a single method isn’t enough.
That’s where the brilliance of IFS-informed EMDR comes in — blending two powerful approaches to create a deeply compassionate, integrative healing experience.
At Rebuilding Together Counseling, we often weave Internal Family Systems (IFS) into our EMDR work because together, they meet you where you are — with gentleness, curiosity, and a profound respect for all parts of you.
What Is IFS-Informed EMDR?
First, a little background.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps reprocess and heal traumatic memories by working directly with the brain’s natural systems.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy model that views the mind as made up of "parts" — different aspects of ourselves that carry emotions, beliefs, and memories.
IFS-informed EMDR brings these together.
Rather than focusing only on the memory or trauma itself, we also engage with the parts of you that are holding the pain, fear, or shame. We build a relationship with them, listen to their needs, and invite them into the healing process — instead of pushing them aside.
Why This Approach Is So Powerful
Traditional EMDR is incredibly effective, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming, especially when protective parts inside of us feel afraid to "go there."
IFS helps slow the process down in a supportive way, making room for all parts of you to feel safe and seen.
When we invite your internal system to participate in EMDR, something beautiful happens:
Trauma memories feel less overwhelming.
Protective parts (like inner critics or avoiders) feel respected, not fought against.
Healing happens with consent and collaboration, not force.
In other words, IFS-informed EMDR creates a trauma-informed, consent-based healing space — which is exactly what deep, lasting transformation needs.
How It Might Feel in Session
Rather than jumping directly into a painful memory, we might first spend time getting to know the parts of you that are hesitant, scared, or protective.
We might ask questions like:
"Is there a part of you that’s feeling nervous about starting EMDR today?"
"What does this part need in order to feel safe?"
"Can we offer that part some reassurance before we move forward?"
When parts feel heard and supported, your entire system becomes more open to healing. EMDR then becomes a collaboration — not something happening to you, but something happening with you.
Bringing It All Together
At Rebuilding Together Counseling, we honor the complexity and brilliance of your internal world.
IFS-informed EMDR allows us to meet you exactly where you are, building trust not just between therapist and client, but within yourself.
Healing doesn’t have to be harsh, fast, or overwhelming.
It can be gentle. It can be paced.
It can honor every part of you — even the ones that are scared to heal.
If you're curious about experiencing the difference that IFS-informed EMDR can make, we would be honored to support your journey.
Therapy for Therapists: Why Clinicians Need Support Too
As a therapist, you hold space for others — offering compassion, guidance, and a steady presence through life’s hardest moments. But who holds space for you?
As a therapist, you hold space for others — offering compassion, guidance, and a steady presence through life’s hardest moments. But who holds space for you?
Therapists are not immune to stress, trauma, or emotional exhaustion. In fact, the very nature of your work makes caring for your own emotional well-being essential — not optional. Seeking therapy as a clinician is not a sign of weakness; it’s a courageous act of self-awareness, resilience, and professional integrity.
The Hidden Weight of Holding Space
Working closely with others’ pain, grief, and struggles can take a quiet toll. Over time, many therapists experience vicarious trauma — a slow build-up of emotional residue from deeply empathizing with clients' experiences. Without intentional support, it’s easy to slip toward burnout, compassion fatigue, or simply feeling disconnected from your own sense of purpose.
Beyond the professional risks, therapists are people first. You carry your own stories, histories, relationships, and evolving needs. Personal life stressors don’t pause just because you're trained to help others. Therapy offers a space to tend to all of these layers — to process, to grow, and to be cared for.
What Holds Clinicians Back
Even knowing the importance of support, many therapists hesitate to seek therapy themselves. There’s a familiar inner voice that says, "Shouldn’t I be able to handle this?" Fear of judgment, concerns about confidentiality within a tight professional community, and the ever-present time constraints of balancing client loads and personal responsibilities — all of these can make reaching out feel hard.
But the truth is: asking for help doesn’t diminish your skill. It strengthens your capacity to stay present, grounded, and fully human in the work you do.
What Therapy for Therapists Can Look Like
Therapy for clinicians offers a unique kind of space — one where you are not the caretaker, but the one being held. It’s a confidential, judgment-free zone where you can talk about professional stress, personal challenges, or simply breathe without the expectation of always being the steady one.
At Rebuilding Together Counseling, we work with many therapists who seek support for a variety of reasons:
Processing vicarious trauma
Navigating personal transitions or loss
Recovering from burnout
Deepening their own emotional resilience
We often integrate EMDR, somatic approaches, and relational therapy, tailoring the work to your specific needs. Our telehealth services make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, offering flexibility without sacrificing depth.
You Deserve Care, Too
Choosing therapy as a therapist is an act of self-respect and professional stewardship. It ensures that you can continue doing the work you love — not from a place of depletion, but from a place of wholeness.
If you’re ready to prioritize your own healing, we’re here to walk with you.
The Magic of EMDR: Healing Beyond Words
Sometimes, talk therapy isn’t enough.
When pain lives deep in the body and nervous system, it often needs more than words to heal.
Sometimes, talk therapy isn’t enough.
When pain lives deep in the body and nervous system, it often needs more than words to heal.
That’s where the magic of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) comes in — offering a powerful, evidence-based path to processing trauma, anxiety, and emotional wounds that traditional approaches sometimes struggle to reach.
What Is EMDR, Really?
At its core, EMDR is a structured therapy that helps the brain reprocess stuck memories. These are the moments that, even years later, can still trigger anxiety, fear, shame, or grief — often without warning.
Instead of simply talking about those experiences, EMDR uses a series of guided eye movements, taps, or sounds to help the brain gently "digest" what once felt overwhelming.
It’s like your mind finally gets a chance to finish the story — moving painful memories from a raw, vivid experience to something that feels distant, manageable, and truly in the past.
Why EMDR Feels Different
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to tell your full story out loud, relive every detail, or analyze your experiences from every angle.
Instead, it taps into your brain’s natural healing processes — similar to how your body knows how to heal a physical wound without conscious effort.
Many clients are surprised at how quickly they notice shifts.
They describe feeling lighter, calmer, and more in control — not because they "thought" their way out of their pain, but because something inside finally released it.
What EMDR Can Help With
EMDR is best known for treating PTSD and trauma, but its benefits extend much further. It can help with:
Anxiety and panic attacks
Phobias
Grief and complicated loss
Low self-esteem rooted in past experiences
Performance anxiety (in work, creativity, relationships)
Feeling "stuck" despite years of personal work
At Rebuilding Together Counseling, we use EMDR not just to heal big, obvious traumas, but also the quieter wounds — the moments of neglect, criticism, or fear that leave lasting echoes in how we see ourselves and the world.
Experiencing the Magic for Yourself
Every EMDR journey is different.
Some sessions feel emotional; others feel deeply calm. Some memories shift quickly, while others take their time.
The beauty of EMDR is that it honors your brain’s natural pace — helping you heal in a way that feels organic, not forced.
We’re here to guide you through it with care, skill, and attunement, creating a space where you can safely reconnect with your inner strength.
If you're curious about whether EMDR might be right for you, we’d love to answer your questions.