get to the root of your challenges and finally feel whole.
IFS-Informed EMDR Therapy based in Southington & serving all of CT
You’ve tried talk therapy — but insight alone hasn’t stopped the emotional spirals.
You’ve “been there and done that”—read the books, listened to the podcasts, maybe even done years of talk therapy. You can name your patterns and even trace them back to the past—but somehow, you still feel stuck in the same emotional loops.
You might feel confident and capable one day—only to crumble under imposter syndrome the next. You catch yourself doom scrolling, overanalyzing every decision, trying to please everyone or to control every detail just to keep things from falling apart.
It’s confusing and exhausting to live this way.
You know better, but that doesn’t mean you feel any better.
Deep down, you sense there’s more to the story—something underneath the surface that’s still holding on. And even though you’re tired and frustrated, you’re not ready to give up on the hope of change and growth. You just want to connect the dots between what you’ve lived through and how you respond now—so you can finally move forward.
That’s where IFS-Informed EMDR Therapy comes in—helping you untangle the knots, get to the root, and get unstuck.
The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.
—Francine Shapiro, Founder of EMDR Therapy
How IFS-Informed EMDR therapy works
Getting to the root means healing from the inside out.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-Informed EMDR Therapy helps you access the parts of you that have been holding pain, fear, or shame—even when you’ve tried to think or talk your way through the tangle of emotions.
Instead of focusing only on what happened to you, this approach helps you understand what’s happening within you. You’ll learn how your mind and body have been trying to protect you—and how those same protective parts can begin to relax once they finally feel safe.
Through gentle, guided work, we’ll help your system process the distressing memories, strong emotions, and limiting beliefs that keep you stuck.
This isn’t about forcing change or “fixing” yourself — it’s about giving every part of you the safe space and chance to heal.
As you begin to reconnect with your inner world, things start to shift—the spirals quiet down, self-doubt softens, and you begin to feel a steadier sense of confidence and calm.
That’s the power of getting to the root. It’s the space where true, lasting change begins and inner growth blossoms.
EMDR Therapy is…
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EMDR’s guided protocol helps your brain safely reprocess difficult or overwhelming memories so they feel less charged. Instead of reliving the past, you’re able to remember what happened without the same distress.
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Traumatic memories often feel like a messy pile of papers scattered across the floor—overwhelming, disorganized, and impossible to sort through. EMDR helps your brain file these memories away neatly, so they take up less emotional space and no longer disrupt your day-to-day life.
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Many people don’t realize that present-day anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional reactivity often trace back to old experiences that were never fully resolved. EMDR uncovers and reorganizes those ‘unfinished’ moments so they no longer take over in the present.
How Internal Family Systems Informs EMDR Therapy
I integrate an Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach, also known as parts work, into EMDR Therapy. This means that we’ll compassionately pay attention to the different ‘parts’ of you that show up during EMDR Therapy—especially the protective parts that work hard to keep you safe.
When those parts feel understood rather than pushed aside, they naturally relax and allow the deeper healing work to happen.
Honoring and respecting all the parts of you ultimately makes EMDR feel safer, steadier, and more aligned with what you’re truly ready for.
The 8 Phases of IFS-Informed EMDR Therapy
Here’s a quick overview of what we’ll move through together —
always at a gentle pace that feels comfortable for you:
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We talk about what’s bringing you in, your history, and your goals so we can create a plan that feels safe, helpful and achievable.
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You’ll learn grounding skills, coping tools, and better understand your parts so that you feel steady and supported before we begin reprocessing.
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We identify a specific memory or event to target, along with the imagery, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs connected to it.
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Using eye movements or tapping (bilateral stimulation), we gently reduce the emotional intensity of the memory.
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We strengthen a new, positive belief about yourself that replaces the old, limiting one tied to the memory.
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We check in with your body for any lingering tension related to the memory to help ease any remaining distress.
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We make sure you leave the session feeling grounded, calm, and back in the present moment.
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At the next session, we review changes you’ve noticed and adjust your treatment plan as needed.
IFS-Informed EMDR Therapy can help you…
Understand your inner world—see the different parts of yourself with more compassion and clarity.
Release old emotional pain that’s been stored in your body and nervous system.
Soften the inner critic that keeps you striving, doubting, or second-guessing.
Meaningfully connect with loved ones—be mindfully present in the moment.
Process painful memories so they no longer hold the same charge.
Respond rather than react when stress or triggers arise.
Reconnect with your sense of Self—that inner steadiness that helps you feel capable and worthy.
Frequently asked questions about IFS-informed EMDR therapy
FAQs
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EMDR is effective for anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, PTSD, relationship challenges, performance anxiety and enhancement, and even chronic self-criticism or shame.
IFS-informed EMDR expands its usefulness to include attachment wounds and inner conflict. This approach can also be especially helpful if you’ve tried talk therapy but still feel stuck, if you tend to get flooded or shut down when discussing the past, or if you’re drawn to a gentler, more relational way of doing trauma work.
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No, you don’t have to tell your full story in detail or re-experience every memory. You can choose what you share with me as long as I know that there are changes occurring during your processing and that your distress level is improving.
The goal is to help your brain reprocess what happened in a way that feels safe and contained, not overwhelming. You’re in control every step of the way.
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I blend the structure and process of EMDR with the compassionate, curious mindset of Internal Family Systems, or parts work. Traditional EMDR focuses on reprocessing distressing memories. IFS-informed EMDR adds another layer of awareness—before and during reprocessing, we connect with your inner system to ensure all parts of you feel safe and ready.
Together, IFS and EMDR help you process traumatic memories while honoring and working gently with the protective “parts” of you that have developed over time. We ultimately work to heal your wounded parts so that your protective parts can rest. This often makes the work feel safer, steadier, and more integrated.
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In talk therapy, we often process challenges cognitively through insight and reflection. EMDR and Brainspotting both go deeper—helping your body release what words alone can’t reach.
EMDR follows a structured, guided process that helps your brain safely reprocess painful memories using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping). Whereas Brainspotting is more fluid and client-led, allowing your brain and body to guide the healing process. At times, I may draw from both methods if I believe it will support your healing.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) adds another layer of care by inviting compassion and understanding for your inner parts, so you can move through this work at your own pace—without pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.
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It depends on your goals, the type of life events, symptoms or trauma, and how your nervous system responds. Some clients notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions, while others do deeper work over several months. We’ll move at your pace—not a protocol’s.
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Absolutely, EMDR works very well through telehealth. Using your computer screen and a moving dot and sounds I will send you, I’ll guide you to engage in bilateral stimulation just as I would in person. Many clients appreciate doing this work from the comfort of their own space, where they already feel grounded and safe.
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IFS-Informed EMDR (and Brainspotting) Intensives are focused, concentrated therapy sessions with a customized treatment workbook, designed to give you the space to make progress more quickly.
Intensives are essentially extended therapy sessions clustered over a short period of time. I offer a 1-day, 2-day or 3-day format with 3-hour sessions, scheduled within a week or month depending on your needs. This model provides the flexibility, momentum and continuity needed for deeper healing.