What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

My primary lens for therapy, (and for my own life), is Internal Family Systems (IFS). In Western models of thought IFS is a relatively new way of looking at the mind. IFS teaches that we all have sub-personalities, or “parts,” and when these parts begin to feel like problems, they’re often showing up through the symptoms of anxiety, addiction, depression, chronic overwhelm, chronic pain, PTSD, complex PTSD, or perhaps the patterns we just can’t seem to shake. These parts are not signs of a weakness of will, nor are they something we must “fix” or eliminate. They are sacred and cherished beings with brilliant responses to environments that once required their adaptive skills.  Parts of you may have learned to stay hypervigilant, shut down your emotions, practice perfectionism, doomscroll, restrict eating, disappear into the background, keep the peace, or hold everything together—to name just a few adaptive behaviors. These strategies were probably useful to protect you in an environment that demanded such actions for survival.

So what do we do if we cannot eliminate parts or keep them from sneaking up on us and sabotaging our life?

We get to know them! Getting to know parts is often a creative and intuitive process. Together, we utilize imagination, movement, breath, connection with the natural world, somatic awareness, and creativity to shape a space for each part to express itself in its own way. Through the process of getting to know different parts something that initially seems rather magical organically emerges— Self. Your truest essence. Your innate healing intelligence. When parts experience Self-compassion, they often begin to soften, relax, and eventually feel free from the burdens of their cumbersome behaviors. They learn that they no longer have to rely on old survival strategies. Most parts don’t actually want to live in overwhelm or shutdown—they just didn’t know it was safe enough to do things differently. When parts do feel safe enough in the present moment, they reveal their authentic desires—to play, to create, to sing, to express, to connect with others, or perhaps to just rest and finally revel in the world. The ways that are our parts wish to truly exist is always celebrated by Self energy, and this celebration is often an ineffable occurrence felt deeply in one’s soul and which results in durable changes to the way we experience our lives.

What is a holistically informed approach to counseling treatment?

Many popular approaches for treating mental and emotional health in the Western Paradigm consider the mind and the body to be two distinct and separate systems. However, ancient and Eastern medical philosophies such as Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine consider the the mind and the body to be components of one continuous system. Modern psychological, neurological, and biological research is beginning to confirm the undeniable inter-connectedness of thoughts, behaviors, and physical well being into a much needed Western lens of health. I keep a holistic view of the continuous human system when working with clients in order to offer a tailored delivery of information and interventions which will best promote understanding and agency for each individual. Regardless, I guide my clients through movement, breath, and attention to their own bodily sensations and thoughts in order to fully integrate and truly know what it is they’re discovering about themselves.

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a
psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and
emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. 
Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience
the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.
It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to
heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from
psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. 
When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a
foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and
causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy
demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental
processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves
toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the
impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause
intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using
the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training
sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing
processes.

EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment.  Eye movements (or other
bilateral stimulation) are used during one part of the session. 

Taken from: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

Any other questions?

Please feel free to email me at mallory@sunmountaincounseling.com or head the to contact page.