Understanding trauma, its effects, and pathways to healing is essential for anyone who seeks to navigate the complex landscape of mental health. To say that Internal Family Systems (IFS) is trauma-informed could be considered an understatement. The beauty of IFS is that it’s fundamentally interwoven with every aspect of trauma: how trauma impacts us so dramatically, why our Parts adapt to traumatic events in the ways that they do, and how they can be healed. In this article, I’ll provide an overview of what trauma is from my perspective and how IFS is purpose-built to address it.
Trauma Overview
The word trauma originates from the Greek word for "wound." As author and speaker Gabor Maté points out, trauma and wounds share many analogies. Wounds create a sensitive area that is painful to the touch; trauma makes us sensitive to emotional triggers. Wounds are covered with scar tissue that is inflexible, numb, and doesn’t grow; trauma’s impacts on a person can be described with precisely the same words. Trauma can thus be best understood as a psychological wound.
With trauma, there exists an opportunity to actively heal rather than passively wait for scar tissue to form. This is where IFS comes in. However, we first need a deeper look at the nature of trauma and its impacts on our lives.
Cause & Effect
It’s important to differentiate between trauma and the traumatic event; the latter serves as the cause of the former. Often, we think of trauma as the awful events we endure, but it’s actually about the internal consequences of what has happened: how a traumatic event impacts us today and what we make it mean about ourselves. As Thomas Hübl notes, “Many people think that trauma is the terrible event that happened to us. But trauma is the response that happens within the body’s nervous system.”
Overt vs. Covert Trauma
Traumatic events are frequently divided into two categories. The first category includes specific, overt events like physical or sexual abuse, or accidents. These events can inflict immediate trauma, and if not addressed, lead to long-lasting impacts on an individual’s life.
The second category is more subtle (covert) and often referred to as developmental trauma. This type of trauma arises from prolonged mis attunement between a child and their parents, resulting in emotional harm. When a child’s fundamental developmental needs aren’t met – a common occurrence in modern society – trauma manifests in profound and often hidden ways. Developmental trauma represents what didn’t happen, contrasted with overt trauma, which focuses on what did.
Thus, trauma is distinguished as Big-T and Little-T trauma. While the intention behind this language is understood, it’s essential to note that there is nothing “little” about Little-T trauma. Developmental trauma is more prevalent, and its insidious nature complicates its recognition. Many problematic behaviors, both at the individual and societal levels, arise from pervasive developmental trauma.
The Effects of Trauma
Whether overt or developmental, trauma exists on a spectrum— and each person finds themselves somewhere along that spectrum. The degree to which trauma affects our daily lives can often be astonishing. Importantly, we should recognize that these impacts are coping strategies, initially intelligent responses to our environments. These adaptations often arise from childhood trauma and can be effective for a time, but may become maladaptive over time.
Some of the most notable impacts include:
Disconnection from the Self: Trauma obscures our true selves. Instead of recognizing who we truly are, we often identify with our coping strategies. For example, when someone says, “I’m a very anxious person,” their real self isn’t anxious; rather, the anxiety is a response to trauma.
Disconnection from the Present Moment: Trauma affects our ability to remain present. We tend to think we’re reacting to present contexts, but frequently, we are actually responding to past traumas. Our coping mechanisms often draw upon the past, causing us to live in that space, rather than the present.
Turning Against the Self: We can internalize trauma so much that we turn against ourselves. This manifests as negative self-talk, self-criticism, and self-blame—creating a psychological autoimmune condition. Just as an autoimmune condition leads to harm by the body attacking its tissues, our mind inflicts harm on itself, often unconsciously, as a chronic condition.
Becoming Whole
The term "heal" derives from an Old English word meaning to “make whole.” Traditional thinking often equates healing with eliminating pain, but a broader perspective acknowledges our intrinsic need to return to wholeness. Trauma forces us away from our true selves, often splitting and shutting down parts of our minds and bodies. Consequently, the healing journey in IFS involves reconnecting with our Selves and restoring that sense of wholeness.
Treating Trauma with IFS
IFS is particularly well-suited to address trauma for several compelling reasons:
Parts-Centric, Trauma-Centric: IFS emphasizes that trauma impacts our Parts, which are the distinct aspects of ourselves, rather than our true Selves. Trauma can cause Parts to become stuck in the past, acting as inner children protecting themselves from re-experiencing trauma. Some Parts may be directly harmed by the trauma, while others adopt extreme roles to guard or conceal the hurt Parts. IFS aims to heal these Parts, restoring balance and functionality to our internal system.
Non-Pathologizing Approach: Through understanding that our Parts are not damaged but rather responding to trauma, IFS promotes a less pathologizing perspective. This awareness enables us to separate from our maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, cultivating self-compassion instead of self-blame. Self-compassion is an essential element of healing, as only by acknowledging our truth are we able to truly heal.
Bottom-Up Approach: IFS works primarily with the subconscious, contrasting the typical top-down methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that target conscious processes. IFS recognizes that the subconscious influences our reactions to trauma significantly more than our conscious thoughts, making the bottom-up approach more conducive to healing.
In summary, IFS presents a transformative modality for trauma healing by focusing on root causes rather than merely addressing symptoms. By viewing trauma symptoms as coping strategies of our Parts, and understanding the nature of these Parts within the domain of trauma, IFS offers invaluable insights and methods for personal healing and growth. This unique approach to therapy reaffirms the importance of self-compassion and the journey towards wholeness, emphasizing that healing is not just about managing trauma, but reconnecting with our essential selves
With Love and Gratitude
Kirandeep Kaur
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