Therapeutic Approach

IFS-INFORMED EMDR

Holistic Wellness Centre in Kingston, Ontario

About IFS + EMDR

At Spear Counselling & Psychotherapy, we believe in the power and magical alchemy of mixing multiple therapeutic modalities.

IFS informed EMDR, gently combines both approaches, to create a gentle yet powerful and effective trauma therapy for treating PTSD, C-PTSD, and a variety of other mental health + behavioural issues.

The combination of IFS and EMDR is a comprehensive and integrative treatment approach, leading to positive and sustainable outcomes for clients.
Blending EMDR + IFS is an effective and powerful approach to treating trauma.
EMDR often works with “exiles” as referred to within the IFS framework, which can often be scary for our other parts (“managers”), who have worked so hard, for so long, to protect these vulnerable parts & keep them hidden, as well as to prevent us from re-experiencing the pain associated with past events.
Some reasons for combining the two, include:
- More supportive & integrative approach for treating complex trauma
- Addressing resistance or barriers to EMDR treatment
- Assisting with “stuck” or “blocked” processing during EMDR treatment
- More compassionate approach
No, not all EMDR Therapists combine IFS & this combination is not a standard practice, or needed, for everyone.
This type of combination is especially helpful for those with complex trauma and/or those who are not making progress immediately with EMDR therapy.
No.
In order to provide IFS-Informed EMDR, a therapist must have training in both modalities.
It is also best practice for a therapist providing this type of therapy to have specialized training in IFS-Informed EMDR.

Benefits to Combining IFS + EMDR

IFS Helps Prevent & Work Through Resistance to EMDR Therapy

IFS can help you identify different “parts” in your system that may be resistant to change + growth and/or acting as a barrier during EMDR therapy.
It is not uncommon for protective parts to hold onto traumatic memories as this is perceived as familiar and therefore “safer”. Unfortunately, when pain and suffering is what our system is used to, healing & growth can seem terrifying to some of our parts!
When healing & growth is foreign, we often see barriers to EMDR treatment, such as dissociation, distraction, and hypo or hyper-arousal.
IFS-Informed EMDR provides a framework for working with these protectors within an EMDR framework, so that we can overcome resistance & move towards successful trauma processing & openness to change.
IFS-Informed EMDR as an effective treatment for Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)

When working with complex trauma (C-PTSD) there is often more “layers” of traumatic experiences to address.
EMDR and IFS as stand alone treatments have demonstrated to be effective treatments for C-PTSD, however, the combination of both IFS & EMDR may be especially beneficial for those with complex trauma, due to the complexity involved.
IFS-Informed EMDR is a beneficial treatment for C-PTSD as it allows for a more comprehensive understanding of a clients system, which has been impacted by various types of trauma.
In general, the research for C-PTSD recommends a multi-intervention and multi-method approach for treating complex trauma.
Other Benefits

Combining IFS + EMDR is helpful because:
1. It is consent based. Often, this type of approach gets permission from the ‘protectors’ to access the exiles to which EMDR is helping. Therefore, it does not “bypass” protectors & takes a compassionate and gentle approach to addressing deep + painful traumatic memories.
2. Attachment Oriented. IFS-Informed EMDR works with the entire internal system. It often helps both exiles (the parts carrying the trauma) and protectors, so that you feel more balanced and harmonized, internally.
3. Reduces Risk of Overwhelm. IFS-Informed EMDR reduces the risk of vulnerability shame & having protector parts “backlash”
4. IFS-Informed EMDR help clients prepare for EMDR by creating a more grounded internal state, in order to be able to tolerate EMDR therapy with more ease, stability & resilience.

IFS-Informed EMDR: A Powerful & Holistic Approach

IFS-Informed EMDR equips you with tools & resources to maintain progress that was established during treatment in order to promote long-lasting recovery & relapse prevention.

Start Healing with IFS-EMDR

Book a FREE 15-minute consultation call with someone off our team, today.

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Our IFS-EMDR Therapist

Brittnee has completed her level 1 training with the IFS Institute (2024) and has completed 90-hours of intensive training with the IFS Institute involving: lectures, group discussions, supervised practice & experientials.
Brittnee is in the process of completing a Level 2 Training with the IFS Institute and actively engages in monthly IFS Consultation with a Certified IFS Practitioner and approved Consultant with the IFS Institute.
Additionally, Brittnee has completed advanced (Step One and Step Two) trainings with the Syzygy Institute that focus on the integration of EMDR + IFS.
Brittnee’s approach to therapy blends both IFS & EMDR approaches.
She also specializes in psychedelic assisted therapy, offering psycholytic Ketamine Sessions, paired with IFS + EMDR.
The powerful synergy of EMDR + IFS and low-dose Ketamine is more than a treatment, it’s a combination that can transform mental health care by accelerate healing & create lasting recovery.