Why We Use IFS-Informed EMDR: A Gentler, Deeper Path to Healing
If you’ve ever felt like you’re "just talking" in circles during therapy without actually changing, you aren't alone. Traditional talk therapy lives in the logical mind, but trauma and anxiety live in the body and the nervous system.
At IFS & EMDR Therapy Group, we believe you shouldn't have to choose between the structured clearing power of EMDR and the soulful, relational depth of Internal Family Systems (IFS). By integrating them based on the Syzygy Institute model of IFS-Informed EMDR, we offer a path to healing that honors your pace and every part of your story.
Photo by Marco Canepa on Unsplash
Ready for deeper healing?
If you’ve resonated with this post, you may be a good fit for IFS-informed EMDR therapy designed for people who feel stuck in therapy.
Understanding EMDR + IFS
What is EMDR?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based approach designed to help the brain "digest" traumatic memories. Using bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or taps), it moves distressing experiences from being "stuck" in the nervous system to being processed memories. It’s less about talking and more about letting your brain do what it was designed to do: heal.
What is IFS?
IFS (Internal Family Systems) views the mind as a system of "parts." You might have a part that is a perfectionist, a part that feels like a lonely child, or a part that uses substances to numb out. In IFS, we don't try to "fix" these parts; we get to know them. We believe that beneath and within each of these parts is your Self energy—a core of calm, curiosity, and compassion that can lead the healing process.
Both are powerful, experiential therapy modalities that facilitate deeper healing than just talking to understand our pain. EMDR and IFS move through it.
4 Reasons We Combine IFS with EMDR
While both are powerful alone, they are transformative together. Here is why our practice chooses this integrated approach:
1. We Move at the "Speed of Consent"
Traditional EMDR sometimes asks you to dive straight into your worst memory. For many, that feels like jumping into the deep end without a life jacket. With an IFS-informed EMDR lens, we don't push. We check in with your "protector" parts first. If a part of you is scared to look at a memory, we honor that. We only move forward when your whole system feels safe.
2. Your "Blocks" are Not the Enemy
Have you ever felt "stuck" in therapy? In traditional models, a block is an obstacle. In IFS-informed EMDR, a block is a Protector. If you can’t visualize a memory or feel "numb," we don't fight it. We build trust with that numbness. When your protective parts feel seen and valued, they naturally relax, allowing the EMDR processing to happen more deeply and permanently.
3. It Speaks Your Natural Language
We all naturally think in parts. You’ve likely said, "A part of me wants to quit my job, but another part is terrified of the risk." This therapy meets you where you already live. It acknowledges the complexity of being human rather than trying to fit your experience into a rigid clinical box.
4. Healing the Wound, Not Just the Symptom
EMDR is incredible at clearing the "charge" of a memory. IFS is incredible at healing the relationship you have with yourself. Together, they don't just stop the flashbacks or the anxiety; they help you feel more integrated, whole, and at peace with who you are.
The Bottom Line: IFS-informed EMDR creates a sacred space to deepen your internal relationship while simultaneously clearing the trauma that has held you back.
Is This Integrated Approach Right for You?
Healing isn't one-size-fits-all. If you feel like traditional therapy has only scratched the surface, or if you’ve tried EMDR before and found it too overwhelming, this integrated approach might be the missing piece.
We offer several ways to engage with this work:
Work with Katy:
Weekly Sessions: Consistent, steady progress.
Extended Sessions (90–120 minutes): More space to go deep without the "tapering off" of a 50-minute hour.
Work with Morgan:
Therapy Intensives: 3–5 days of focused work to make months of progress in a single week.
If you’ve resonated with this post, you may be a good fit for IFS-informed EMDR therapy designed for people who feel stuck in therapy.
About the Author: Katy Levine, LCSW, is a trauma therapist licensed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. She focuses on supporting women with complex trauma history, attachment wounding, anxiety, and perfectionism, using IFS-informed EMDR. Katy sees ongoing clients virtually and offers limited intensives to established clients in Pennsylvania.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for mental health care nor a recommendation or endorsement for any particular treatment plan, organization, provider, professional service, or product. The information may change without notice. No claims, promises, or guarantees are made about the completeness, accuracy, currency, content or quality of information linked. You assume all responsibility and risk for any use of the information.
IFS EMDR Therapy Group is an outpatient therapy group founded by Morgan Levine. We specialize in IFS-Informed EMDR to help adults struggling with the effects of living in dysfunctional systems move toward healing and wholeness. Our therapists work virtually with clients living throughout Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Florida. Morgan Levine also provides consultation to therapists worldwide.
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