For many of us, experiences from childhood stay with us, shaping how we see ourselves and interact with the world. Many people carry pain from childhood experiences well into their adult lives, and this pain can shape how we see ourselves and interact with the world. Today, I’d like to share a bit about how IFS therapy can be incredibly helpful in healing adult childhood trauma. Together, we’ll explore what childhood trauma is, how it affects us as adults, and why IFS therapy is such a valuable tool for finding peace and healing.

Are you curious whether IFS therapy in Denver might be the right fit for you? Book a consultation, and together, let’s explore how this approach could support you in finding the healing and relief you’re looking for. 

Adult Childhood Trauma and Its Long-Term Impact on Adult Life

Childhood trauma includes any negative experience that overwhelms a child’s sense of safety or security. These experiences can range from overtly traumatic events like abuse or neglect to more subtle, yet still harmful, situations like emotional abandonment or a lack of stability at home. When children face these kinds of challenges, they often develop coping mechanisms just to get through. But because children are still developing emotionally, these coping strategies can be limiting or unhealthy, creating a foundation for how they understand themselves and the world.

As adults, these coping mechanisms tend to linger. Trauma from childhood doesn’t just disappear because we’ve grown up, it just lives on in different forms. Many individuals who have experienced childhood trauma tend to feel like they’re repeating old patterns or struggling with issues like:

• Low self-esteem

• Difficulty with relationships

• Persistent anxiety

• Self-criticism

• Feelings of unworthiness

• Mistrust of others

• “People-pleasing” to feel accepted

• Staying hyper-independent to feel safe

These responses are ways we try to protect ourselves from getting hurt again. They may help us feel protected in the short term, but over time, they can limit our ability to live fully and connect with others.

Understanding IFS Therapy

If you’ve heard of IFS therapy but aren’t quite sure what it is, you’re not alone. IFS, which stands for Internal Family Systems, is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. In IFS therapy, we view the mind as having different “parts” that represent different thoughts, feelings, or memories (more on this here!). Think of it as your inner world made up of distinct voices or images. Some parts of us carry pain or distress, while others are protective or critical, trying to keep us safe from reliving difficult memories.

In IFS, the goal isn’t to silence or fight these parts but rather to understand them. Each part has a reason for being there, usually rooted in an attempt to protect us. For example, if you have a part that criticizes you, it might seem harsh, but it’s often just trying to protect you from disappointment or failure. IFS helps us understand these parts compassionately and encourages us to connect with a core “Self-Energy” that is calm, compassionate, and wise. This Self can lead the healing process, creating space for all parts to be heard and understood.

How IFS Therapy Facilitates Healing

IFS therapy is particularly effective in treating adult childhood trauma because it gets to the heart of these protective parts and gently works with them. As an IFS Informed therapist here in Denver, we can explore these parts together in a safe, non-judgmental space.

One of the most powerful aspects of IFS therapy is that it helps us uncover parts of ourselves that may have been buried since childhood. While some of these parts are protective, they also carry deep wounds and memories from early experiences. By working through these layers, we can release old pain and build a healthier relationship with ourselves.

Benefits of IFS Therapy for Healing Trauma

IFS therapy offers several unique benefits that make it particularly effective for healing adult childhood trauma:

1. Self-Compassion and Understanding: When we understand that our coping mechanisms were developed to help us survive difficult experiences, it becomes easier to feel compassion for ourselves. 

2. Healing at Your Own Pace: Unlike some therapies that dive headfirst into trauma, IFS therapy is designed to work with your comfort level, going as slowly or quickly as feels right for you. 

3. Empowerment Through Self-Leadership: IFS helps you connect with your own inner leader, the Self, who can guide your healing. Instead of relying on external validation or approval, you become more confident in your ability to soothe and care for yourself. 

4. Long-Lasting Change: IFS therapy goes beyond simply coping with symptoms. By helping you connect with and heal those younger parts of yourself, IFS therapy creates deep, long-lasting change. 

Move Forward from adult childhood trauma

Healing from adult childhood trauma takes time, patience, and the right support. In my work as an IFS Informed therapist in Denver, I’ve seen how this approach offers a compassionate and effective path to understanding and healing old wounds. We all deserve the chance to live free from the shadows of our past and to create a future grounded in self-compassion and understanding.

Ready to take that next step toward healing? Book a consultation today to learn more about how IFS therapy in Denver can help you navigate your path with support and guidance. Let’s work together to create a way forward that feels compassionate, empowering, and tailored to you.