Healing Trauma (part 2)
Both trauma and the process of healing trauma are complex. Trauma is often broken down into the event, the individuals experience and the response. Commonly, trauma therapy is broken down into 3 phases: Education/Stability, Processing, & Meaning/Re-Connection. If you are interested in more information on the 3-phase model of healing trauma, check out this post that goes more in depth. However, some people (both therapists and clinicians) criticize the three phase model for taking too long to assist a client with managing their trauma. For example, when someone is experiencing nightmares, dissociations, depression, anxiety or unstable relationships as a result of the trauma, it can be hard to hear that the symptoms that are bringing them into therapy need to “go away” before they can begin truly working on their trauma. (Disclaimer: the symptoms don’t need to fully dissipate in a three-phase model, as long as they are stable enough to provide the client with safety). This is why the three-phase model is NOT considered the only available option for trauma treatment. Everyone is different and will require their own unique process of healing. An alternative to the three-phase model of trauma processing is IFS (internal family systems).
Internal Family Systems, better known as IFS, was developed by Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s. He was a family therapist who combined systems thinking with the view that the mind is also made of up relatively discrete subpersonalities. A great example of this is the movie Inside Out. Think about the emotions inside of Riley’s mind. IFS is of the understanding that all of us have multiple parts within us with their own unique viewpoint and qualities. The goal of therapy, in IFS, is to achieve balance and harmony within the internal system (IFS Institue, 2023). IFS believes that everyone has a Self, which is the individual’s true internal system. In therapy, one helps the self- differentiate itself from the parts so that the Self can lead and make decisions. Contrary to some depictions, IFS does not want to “get rid” of the parts, but instead, wants them to lend talents to the Self that reflect non-extreme intentions.
One of the ways that part healing is done is through the healing of emotional or internal wounds (trauma). It is common for people to develop parts after experiencing trauma. These parts can be broken into 2 distinct categories: exiles and protectors. Furthermore, protectors can be viewed as managers or firefighters.
Exiles are often parts that are hidden and are carrying the wound. Often, but not always, younger or more childlike parts that feel weak, casted aside, hurt, etc.
Protectors are then divided into parts that prevent the wound from being triggered, called managers. These are parts we develop to avoid being hurt again, such as people pleasing or avoiding conflict or using humor to deflect from talking about pain. Firefighters, on the other hand, are protectors that stop the pain when a wound is triggered. These include parts that engage in substance use, self-harm or dissociation to numb the pain.
In IFS therapy, a therapist will connect with different parts to better understand their role in protecting the wound. Using tools of empathy and patience, the Self can come to understand and accept the part & the part can come to trust the Self and the therapist. The therapist will help the part in sharing its job and fear with the Self. In IFS therapy, the therapist’s role is to help the client become more connected with itself. Rather than learning how to trust and relate to someone by using the therapist as a trusting and empathetic source, the part learns to trust and lean on the self, healing the internal relationship.
In IFS, trauma therapy is considered the unburdening of a wound. In this process, all parts would give permission for the self to let go of the wound. The process is broken down into a 5 step-process, including:
Witnessing- what does the part want you (the self) to know or see
Retrieval- the self will go into the scene and help remove the part
Unload- letting go of feelings, thoughts and beliefs related to the wound
Enter New Qualities- who does the part want to be moving forward
Check-In/Follow-Up- have the self check in with all of the parts for multiple weeks to reinforce neural networks, as well as the parts new roles
In cases of complex trauma (CPTSD), it may take multiple unburdening’s of different scenes/wounds/traumas before a part will feel ready to let go of old roles and old beliefs.
In a pilot study let by Hodgdon, Anderson, Southwell, Hrubec and Schwartz (2021), it found that 90% of participants who engaged in IFS therapy for treatment of PTSD, no longer met criteria for the disorder after 16 sessions. Although this is a small pilot study, it does show positive progress and effectiveness in this modality.
If you are located in the states of South Dakota or Colorado and interested in parts work for healing trauma, contact me here. If you are located outside of South Dakota or Colorado and interested in parts work, I recommend searching for an in-network provider on psychology today for your local state/area.
If you are a therapist or therapist in training who wants consultation services to learn more about IFS and parts work, reach out here.
Sources:
Hodgdon, H. B., Anderson, F. G., Southwell, E., Hrubec, W., & Schwartz, R. (2021). Internal family systems (IFS) therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of multiple childhood trauma: A pilot effectiveness study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(1), 22–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375
IFS Institute. (2023). The Internal Family Systems Model Outline | IFS Institute. Ifs-Institute.com. https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/internal-family-systems-model-outline