IFS & EMDR Therapy for Lasting Change
Virtual and in-person therapy in Indiana
“You don’t have to keep carrying the weight of old burdens or fighting with yourself inside. Healing is possible — and it starts with compassion, clarity, and connection.”
– Emily Paxton MA, LMHC, RD
IFS + EMDR Therapy
A Path to Clarity, Calm, and Lasting Freedom
On the outside, you show up well. You keep your commitments, care for the people who depend on you, and handle the daily demands of life. But inside, it can still feel heavier than you’d like:
Your mind doesn’t quiet easily. Part of you pushes to keep going and do more, while another part just wants to step back or avoid it all.
The inner critic has a strong voice. Even when you accomplish something, it often whispers that it still isn’t quite enough.
Stress shows up in subtle ways. At work, you may feel like you’re running on autopilot. At home, you sometimes catch yourself snapping or pulling away — even though you care deeply about your family.
Past experiences linger. Certain memories, patterns, or old voices still echo, making it hard to feel fully present in the moment.
You long for more ease. Deep down, you want space to rest, to feel connected, and to live without so much pressure on yourself.
Many of my clients come in at this place — not necessarily in crisis, but tired of the same cycles, ready for something different. They want to understand why their inner world feels so conflicted, why old hurts still resurface, and how to finally feel more grounded in themselves.
Why IFS + EMDR?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) gives us a gentle yet powerful way to explore these inner voices. Instead of battling with them, we get curious. We map out the “parts” of you — the pusher, the critic, the avoider, the protector — and listen for the good intentions underneath. Together, we invite your calm, wise, Spirit-led Self to take the lead.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps release the old wounds and experiences your nervous system is still carrying. You may know in your head that the past is over, but your body often reacts as if the danger is still here. EMDR allows those stuck memories to reprocess, so you can live in the present without being hijacked by old pain.
Together, these approaches don’t just manage symptoms — they get to the root. Clients begin to notice a softer critic, more balance between pushing and resting, and a greater sense of freedom to show up in their lives with clarity, calm, and confidence.
What You’ll Experience in Therapy
In our sessions, you won’t just learn surface strategies to “manage stress.” With IFS and EMDR, you’ll begin to experience lasting change that touches every part of your life:
Relief from the inner chaos — finally making sense of why parts of you push so hard, criticize, or avoid. Instead of battling with yourself, you’ll learn how to meet those parts with curiosity and compassion. This creates space for calm where there used to be constant noise.
Freedom from old burdens — painful memories, patterns, or messages that once felt overwhelming can be reprocessed and released. With EMDR, your body learns that the past is truly over, so those experiences no longer hold the same power in your present.
A softer critic — that harsh inner voice doesn’t have to run the show. Over time, it can shift into a more supportive role, allowing self-kindness and confidence to grow where doubt and pressure once lived.
A grounded presence — whether at home or at work, you’ll notice yourself showing up with more steadiness, patience, and clarity. You’ll feel less like you’re snapping, withdrawing, or running on autopilot, and more like you’re living from your best, most grounded self.
Practical tools that last — beyond the therapy room, you’ll have new ways of relating to yourself that carry into daily life. Not just quick fixes, but skills and insights that help you navigate stress, relationships, and responsibilities with greater ease.
Clients often share that this combination of IFS and EMDR gives them a sense of relief, clarity, and confidence they didn’t think was possible — the kind of transformation that ripples outward into parenting, marriage, friendships, faith, and daily rhythms.
For those seeking a faith-based approach, this work can also open space to more fully notice the love, kindness, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit — not just as something you believe in, but as a steady presence you can actually experience in daily life.
A Glimpse of the Transformation…
At first, most clients believe they need to “fix” themselves: get rid of the critic, stop procrastinating, quiet the anxiety. But as therapy unfolds, they discover something different:
The critic softens when it’s finally understood.
The anxious part no longer has to shout to be heard.
The pusher can rest without everything falling apart.
Old memories lose their charge, allowing more choice and peace in the present.
And in that space, life begins to feel different. Parenting feels less like snapping or withdrawing, and more like connecting. Relationships feel steadier. Work feels less like constant pressure and more like meaningful contribution. Even when chaos resurfaces, you know how to meet it with curiosity instead of fear.
The Heart of This Work
IFS + EMDR therapy is about more than managing symptoms. It’s about finding your way back to clarity, compassion, and connection — both within yourself and in your relationships.
You don’t have to keep carrying the weight of old burdens or fighting with yourself on the inside. Healing is possible. And when you heal, the ripple effects touch everything: your marriage, your parenting, your work, your faith, your daily rhythms.
