How We Treat Trauma
Trauma deserves more than talk therapy
At Eclectic Minds Therapy, we use evidence-based modalities — EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) — to help you move beyond coping, toward genuine healing. Trauma isn’t just what happened to you. It’s how your nervous system, your beliefs about yourself, and the parts of you that learned to survive carry that experience forward. We work with the whole you: body, brain, and the layered parts of self that have been protecting you all along.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing helps the brain process traumatic memories that have been stuck — the ones that still feel as vivid as the day they happened. Through guided bilateral stimulation, EMDR allows your brain to integrate the experience and store it as something that happened, not something still happening. Endorsed by the WHO and APA as a frontline treatment for PTSD.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS helps you understand the different parts of yourself — the inner critic, the protector, the people-pleaser, the hurt child — and build a compassionate relationship with each. Rooted in the idea that we all have multiple parts and one core Self that is calm, curious, and compassionate, IFS helps you understand why you react the way you do and how to lead from your Self.
Our Approach
Why we combine EMDR + IFS
Most therapists are trained in one modality. Our team is trained in both EMDR and Internal Family Systems — and we use them together intentionally. EMDR helps reprocess specific memories. IFS helps you understand and work with the parts of yourself that hold those memories.
Used together, they reach the wounds talk therapy can’t, while honoring the protective wisdom your psyche has built over a lifetime. For many of our clients, this combined approach is what finally moves them from managing their trauma to actually healing from it.
EMDR can help with
- Single-incident trauma (assault, accidents, medical events)
- Complex or developmental trauma
- Childhood emotional wounds
- Anxiety and panic rooted in past experience
- Grief and loss
- Performance blocks tied to past failures or criticism
IFS can help with
- Inner critic and harsh self-talk
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional overwhelm
- Relational and developmental trauma
- Eating struggles and body image
- Identity questions, including gender and sexuality
- Patterns in relationships you can’t seem to change
What makes Eclectic Minds Therapy different?
LGBTQ+-affirming & trauma-informed
Our team specializes in LGBTQ+-affirming care and trauma-informed therapy, ensuring every session feels safe, seen, and deeply personal.
Sliding scale & telehealth across CA
Therapy from your couch, your car, or wherever feels safe — across all of California. Sliding scale fees available with each clinician. Access shouldn’t depend on your zip code or income.
Trained in EMDR and IFS
Most therapists are trained in one modality. Our entire team is trained in both EMDR and Internal Family Systems — reaching the wounds talk therapy alone can’t.
