How EMDR and IFS Work Together to Transform Trauma - 18/10/25
Trauma can leave us feeling stuck in the past, no matter how much time has passed. Using a gentle integration of EMDR and IFS, Dr Maria Tucknott helps you safely process difficult memories while caring for the parts of you that have been trying to protect you. Therapy is available in Hertford or online.
Imagine a therapy that blends the structured, brain-based power of EMDR with the gentle, compassionate approach of IFS. Together, they create a healing pathway that not only helps process painful memories, but also cares for the protective parts of you that have been working so hard to keep you safe.
As a Clinical Psychologist trained in both approaches, I have found that integrating the two together has been incredibly helpful in enabling my clients to recover from some very difficult experiences. I also attended some in-person training in London this month called ‘The Integrated EMDR & IFS model Level 1’. It was an incredible three days and reconfirmed my feelings about how powerful EMDR integrated with IFS is.
What is EMDR?
When we go through trauma, the memories often don’t get stored in the same way as our everyday experiences. Instead, we unconsciously hold on to the emotions, body feelings, and images from the original event. According to EMDR, they are dysfunctionally stored. This means that these memories can stay “stuck,” along with the painful beliefs we formed about ourselves during that original traumatic event. This can make us feel as though the past is still happening now and it can make it difficult for us to engage fully with the world around us.
EMDR provides us a way to reprocess these dysfunctionally stored memories so they lose their emotional charge. Once we let go of the emotions and beliefs that formed back then, we are freer to interact with ourselves and other people in the world around us.
What is IFS?
IFS is a therapy that helps us understand and care for our inner world. It is based on the idea that human beings are complex systems of interacting “parts”, which are natural divisions of the personality. We all have different “parts” inside us which shift and change depending on the situation we are in. Some parts worry, some parts protect, and some parts carry deep pain from the past. At the heart of us all is “Self” which is the key to healing and integrating our different parts. The Self is relaxed, open, accepting, curious, compassionate and is the natural leader of all your parts.
IFS helps you:
- Get to know your parts
- Understand why different parts of you react the way they do
- Develop compassion for your parts
- Gently unburden the parts from the pain they carry
- Feel more at peace with yourself
Why Combine EMDR and IFS?
While EMDR helps release the charge of traumatic memories, IFS adds a gentle way of relating to the different parts of yourself that may feel scared, protective, or wounded. When these therapies are blended:
- You feel safer. Parts of you that are nervous or fearful about doing trauma work can be heard and respected, so nothing happens without any of the parts permission (particularly the protectors).
- The process can flow more smoothly. If strong emotions, resistant or avoidant parts come up during EMDR processing, the therapist can use IFS to pause, listen to those parts, and then return to EMDR when it feels right.
- Healing can go deeper. After reprocessing with EMDR, IFS helps you integrate the changes, so all parts of you can benefit from the new sense of safety and relief.
- You stay in control. Both approaches are collaborative. You decide the pace, and your therapist will respects your inner system every step of the way.
What Might This Feel Like in Practice?
You and your therapist might begin by checking in with the parts of you that are most active on that particular day. For example, there may be a part that feels anxious about facing the past, or there may be a part that longs to get better and wants to just crack on with the session at speed. After all the parts have been given some space to be heard, you may start to work on a specific memory using EMDR whilst simultaneously making sure any protector parts feel supported, heard and safe throughout. This is a key step because if a protector isn’t happy then EMDR processing won’t go anywhere.
Is This Right for Me?
People who benefit from the integration of EMDR and IFS often tried other approaches (including EMDR therapy as a stand alone approach) but feel something is still “stuck.” If you’re drawn to the idea of therapy that honours all parts of you, then EMDR and IFS may be a powerful fit.
Work with Dr Maria Tucknott
Healing doesn’t have to mean reliving your worst memories or fighting against yourself. EMDR and IFS, together, offer a way to move through trauma with gentleness, respect, and self-compassion.
Dr Maria Tucknott is a Clinical Psychologist who integrates EMDR and IFS into her work. She provide stalking therapy in Hertford and also works with clients online, making this approach accessible wherever you are. Get in touch today to book an appointment or a free 15 minute consultation call.