EMDR + IFS Therapy
Unlocking Healing Through EMDR & IFS Therapy
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapeutic approach designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories and distressing life events. Using guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation, EMDR works to desensitize the emotional impact of past experiences, helping clients reframe and integrate these memories in a healthier way. This process activates the brain’s natural healing abilities, allowing individuals to move through stuck points and reduce the intensity of negative thoughts, feelings, and physical responses associated with trauma.
Blah, blah, blah… what did all of that mean?? Basically, EMDR is a therapy approach that helps people work through difficult memories and experiences that may be keeping them stuck. By using guided eye movements or tapping, EMDR helps the brain process these experiences in a new way, so they don’t hold as much power over our thoughts and emotions. It’s like giving the brain a chance to heal, so you can move forward with less stress and more peace.
EMDR Therapy can benefit people who..
Are still reeling from birth trauma and can’t shake the feelings of powerlessness or fear you experienced during labor.
Struggle with the constant worry that your past trauma will affect your ability to be a good parent.
Feel like you’re drowning in grief after a miscarriage, stillbirth, or pregnancy loss, and you don’t know how to move forward.
Can’t stop replaying the emotional pain of infertility or failed pregnancies, and it’s messing with your mental health.
Are haunted by childhood wounds that you thought you had dealt with but keep creeping up in your current relationships.
Feel disconnected from your baby or partner after birth, like you can’t quite connect no matter how hard you try.
Struggle with anxiety and depression that’s tied to your experience of becoming a parent, and no one really understands how deep that goes.
Are terrified of passing on your trauma to your child, even though you’re trying to break the cycle.
Can’t seem to get over the constant fear or anxiety about your baby's safety or your own well-being, especially if you’ve experienced loss or trauma.
Need a way to process all the grief and loss that comes with infertility or pregnancy complications so you can heal and start to feel whole again.
What are the benefits & risks of EMDR?
Benefits of EMDR Therapy:
Helps reduce distress associated with traumatic memories and experiences
Can quickly alleviate symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression
Often effective in a shorter time frame than traditional talk therapy
May improve self-esteem and increase emotional resilience
Allows the brain to process and integrate difficult experiences naturally
Can reduce emotional and physical reactions to triggers
Provides tools for coping with stress and negative thoughts in the future
Healing deep-rooted pain (childhood wounds, birth trauma, etc.)
Reconnect with yourself, your baby, and your partner
Effective for grief and loss (miscarriage, infertility, etc.)
Risks of EMDR Therapy:
May bring up strong emotions or memories, which can feel overwhelming during sessions
Possible temporary increase in anxiety or distress as memories are processed
Some individuals may experience physical reactions like dizziness or lightheadedness during sessions
Uncomfortable memories may resurface
Requires patience for lasting results
Not suitable for everyone (certain mental health conditions, active crisis)
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
IFS, or Internal Family Systems, is a therapy that helps you understand and heal the different “parts” of yourself. Imagine you have all these little voices or sides inside you—some are calm and nurturing, while others are scared, angry, or hurt. These parts are shaped by your life experiences, and they often show up when you’re triggered or overwhelmed, especially in stressful times like pregnancy or postpartum.
In the perinatal period, you might be dealing with a ton of stuff, from body changes and pregnancy loss to postpartum anxiety or depression. IFS helps you “meet” these parts of yourself—the ones that are struggling—and understand why they’re acting out. Maybe the part of you that’s terrified of not being a good mom is really a younger version of yourself that felt abandoned or unworthy. Or maybe the part that feels angry about your pregnancy journey is a protector trying to shield you from more pain.
With IFS, we work to get these parts of you talking to each other, understanding their role, and calming them down so you can feel whole again. It’s like having a team of supportive, compassionate people inside your own head. The goal is to heal these parts, so you’re not constantly battling yourself and can fully show up for your baby, your partner, and most importantly, yourself.
IFS Therapy can benefit people who..
Struggle with feeling like you’re not "good enough" as a parent, especially if your past childhood wounds are affecting your confidence.
Are overwhelmed by the emotions that come with pregnancy or postpartum, like fear, guilt, or anger, and don’t know how to make sense of them.
Have a hard time connecting with your baby or partner due to unresolved trauma from your past or birth experience.
Feel like you’re constantly battling different parts of yourself—like the part that wants to be a good mom vs. the part that feels terrified of messing it up.
Are dealing with grief from pregnancy loss, infertility, or miscarriage and can’t seem to heal because old parts of you keep getting triggered.
Can’t seem to break free from anxiety, depression, or feelings of inadequacy, and it’s holding you back from fully enjoying your new role as a parent.
Feel like you're carrying the weight of your trauma and it’s impacting your ability to bond with your baby or thrive in the postpartum period.
Want to better understand why certain parts of you feel out of control during stressful moments and find healthier ways to manage them.
Are dealing with the trauma of birth, whether it was physical, emotional, or a traumatic experience, and need help processing and healing from it.
Have trouble accepting your changing body after birth and need to heal the parts of you that still feel hurt or unworthy.
Why EMDR and IFS Therapy?
So, why combine EMDR and IFS? Well, both are total game-changers on their own, but when you put them together, it’s like getting the best of both worlds for healing deep trauma and finding emotional balance—especially during the rollercoaster of perinatal life.
EMDR is like the trauma reset button. It’s super effective for quickly processing painful memories and neutralizing the emotional charge attached to them. Whether it’s birth trauma, a miscarriage, or childhood wounds, EMDR helps you move past the crap that’s holding you back. It’s fast, it’s efficient, and it helps you stop the past from running the show so you can be more present in your life.
Then there’s IFS. This one’s all about getting cozy with the parts of you that are hurting. I’m talking about the anxious parts, the overwhelmed parts, the ones that feel like you’re not doing enough or that you're just not cut out for this parenting thing. IFS helps you understand where these parts are coming from and helps them get along with each other. Instead of feeling torn apart, it brings you back to a place of balance, where all parts of you can show up and work together.
When you combine these two, you’re tackling trauma from the inside and the outside. EMDR helps clear the emotional junk, while IFS helps you nurture and heal the parts of you that need it most. If you’re dealing with birth trauma, grief, or feeling totally overwhelmed with the whole parenting thing, this combo can help you find your center, connect with your baby, and get back to feeling like you again.