IFS-Informed EMDR Integration Guide (Free PDF)
A practical integration guide for clinicians who use Internal Family Systems language inside the EMDR 8-phase protocol — where the two models genuinely fit, how protectors block processing, and how to negotiate permission before a target is touched.
Free PDF for EMDR clinicians. Get it by email.
What's in the guide
A seven-page clinician reference on integrating IFS parts work with EMDR (Twombly & Schwartz, 2008). It opens with where the two models genuinely overlap — a part 'stuck in the past' and a state-specific memory network are two descriptions of the same thing — then gives you a phase-by-phase integration map showing exactly where IFS language belongs in each of the 8 phases and what to watch for.
The core sections cover the moves that change stuck processing: the protector permission check before Phase 3 closes (with sample wording), unblending interweaves for when the client becomes the part mid-set, and target sequencing rules for protector fears versus exile memories. A final section is explicit about where IFS language does not belong — mid-set narration, clinician-imposed parts, and parts dialogue that has become avoidance of the memory.
Who it's for
EMDR-trained clinicians with working familiarity with the IFS model — or IFS-trained clinicians adding EMDR. It assumes Basic Training; the integration is a technique layer, not a substitute for either model's training pathway. For dissociative presentations, pair it with the Dissociation Screening Toolkit and the Structural Dissociation Parts Map — IFS parts work and structural dissociation are related but not interchangeable frames.
How clinicians use it
Most read the phase map once, then keep the permission-check wording and the unblending table within reach during Phase 4 sessions. The red-flag section is the one clinicians return to — it names the specific signs that the integration itself is making things worse (part proliferation, dependency on the frame, abreaction without SUD movement) and what to do instead.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need formal IFS training to use this?
Working familiarity with the model is enough for the integration moves in the guide — permission checks, unblending interweaves, parts-aware target selection. Deep parts work (especially with exiles) warrants IFS-specific training or supervision.
Is IFS-informed EMDR evidence-based?
EMDR has a strong evidence base for PTSD; IFS has a smaller but growing one. The integration itself rests on clinical literature (Twombly & Schwartz, 2008; Knipe, 2015) rather than RCTs — the guide is explicit about that and about staying inside the standard protocol's structure.
How is this different from the Structural Dissociation Parts Map?
Different models for different jobs. Structural dissociation (ANP/EP) is a trauma-dissociation framework with screening and phase-orientation rules; IFS is a parts framework for the general internal system. Many clinicians use both. The guide flags when a presentation needs the dissociation frame instead.
Can parts work destabilise a client?
Yes — clinician-imposed parts, unscreened dissociation, and parts dialogue used to avoid memory work are the main risks. The guide's red-flag section covers each, with the rule to return to Phase 2 and seek dissociation-specific consultation when they appear.
References
- Schwartz, R. C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. Guilford Press.
- Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Twombly, J. H., & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). The integration of the Internal Family Systems model and EMDR. In C. Forgash & M. Copeley (Eds.), Healing the Heart of Trauma and Dissociation with EMDR and Ego State Therapy (pp. 295–311). Springer.
- Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Knipe, J. (2015). EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation. Springer.
- Leeds, A. M. (2016). A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors, and Consultants (2nd ed.). Springer.
- Van der Hart, O., Nijenhuis, E. R. S., & Steele, K. (2006). The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization. Norton.
- Gonzalez, A., & Mosquera, D. (2012). EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach. Instituto Pi.
- International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (2011). Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in adults, third revision. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12(2), 115–187.