Morning Session
- Foundations of integrating IFS with EMDR
- Understanding parts, protectors, and Self-energy
- Common protector dynamics in EMDR sessions
- How to interview and collaborate with protective parts
- Demonstration of working with a protector
EMDRIA Approved 6 CEs · On Demand · Lifetime access
Beyond the Basics in IFS-Informed EMDR: Working with Complex Systems
On-Demand Course
Advanced training for EMDR clinicians ready to work more effectively with complex trauma, dissociation, and protective parts.
Move Beyond Protocol-Only EMDR
Most EMDR trainings focus on doing the protocol correctly. That works until it doesn’t.
When clients present with complex trauma, dissociation, or strong protective systems, strict protocol adherence often leads to stuck sessions, extended preparation, or subtle avoidance that never resolves.
This training shows you how to work with those moments instead of around them.
You’ll learn how to integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) into EMDR so protective parts become collaborators in the process, not obstacles to it. The result is more fluid sessions, stronger therapeutic alliance, and better clinical outcomes with complex clients.
What You’ll Learn
You will learn how to:
- Understand how protective parts influence EMDR processing
- Work directly with protectors instead of bypassing or fighting them
- Reframe dissociation and blocking responses as adaptive strategies
- Assess EMDR readiness using both EMDR and IFS frameworks
- Apply parts-informed interventions without breaking EMDR fidelity
- Navigate extended preparation phases with more clarity and direction
- Maintain therapist Self-energy when sessions become intense or stuck
What Makes This Training Different
This is not another overview of EMDR or IFS.
It focuses on the exact moments clinicians struggle with most:
- When clients “aren’t ready” but never seem to get there
- When protectors block reprocessing repeatedly
- When dissociation disrupts momentum
- When your own internal reactions start affecting the session
Instead of treating these as problems to fix, this training reframes them as signals to work with.
You’ll leave with a clear framework for integrating parts work into EMDR in a way that is structured, clinically sound, and immediately usable.
“I discovered EMDR in 1997 and IFS in 2019, and cannot imagine doing trauma work without them! Your workshop was the best, most concise weaving together of these two modalities….and I’ve been to ALOT of trainings!”
Jennie Jordan
Course Details
- Format
- Zoom Recording of a Live Training (6 hours)
- CEs
- 6 EMDRIA Approved Advanced CEs
- Investment
- $189
Training Breakdown
Afternoon Session
- EMDR readiness through an IFS lens
- Working with dissociation and complex trauma
- IFS techniques for extended preparation phases
- Attachment, relational repair, and corrective experiences
- Direct Access and advanced parts work strategies
Your Trainer
Crystal Hines, LPC
Crystal is the founder of Align Therapy and Consultation and an EMDR consultant specializing in complex trauma and IFS-informed care.
She brings a brain-body-heart approach to her work and is known for being both direct and deeply compassionate. Her work focuses on helping therapists move from burnout and overwhelm into clarity and confidence in their clinical practice.
Crystal integrates her own lived experience, advanced trauma training, and years of clinical work to create trainings that are both practical and grounded in real-world application.
Crystal Hines, LPC: EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant, IFSI Approved Clinical Consultant
Who This Training Is For
This training is designed for EMDR-trained clinicians who want to deepen their clinical work.
This is a strong fit if:
- You already have basic knowledge of IFS, but no formal IFSI training is required
- You work with complex trauma or dissociation
- You notice clients getting stuck in preparation or reprocessing
- You already use parts language but want more structure
- You want to integrate IFS without losing EMDR fidelity
- You’re ready to move beyond rigid protocol use
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- 01
Analyze how protective parts function within the IFS model and impact EMDR processing
- 02
Apply strategies to collaborate with protective parts during EMDR sessions
- 03
Formulate interventions that address avoidance without pathologizing the client
- 04
Identify indicators of complex internal systems requiring protocol flexibility
- 05
Explain the integration of IFS concepts within EMDR therapy
- 06
Apply interventions that increase readiness and dual attention capacity
Work More Effectively with Complex Trauma
If your EMDR sessions feel stuck, slowed down, or overly dependent on preparation phases, this training will give you a clearer path forward.
Start the on-demand training when you are ready.
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