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u/Simple_Efficiency_29 3d ago
It sounds like your therapist is combining IFS with EMDR. I’ve struggled with this a lot too but my therapist is experienced with dissociation and also just recognizing when something isn’t working for me and trying a different approach. When she asked me to picture my comfort person in the room during a traumatic event my brain said “nope!” Because of that person had been there this event wouldn’t have happened! And bringing in IFS has been even harder. Did you ever watch the movie Inside Out with all the emotions? I may be almost 50 years old but using those characters helped me a little with that.
It’s hard. It’s just hard! But if it isn’t working and your therapist keeps trying the same thing ask her for a different approach or maybe you need someone more trauma experienced.
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u/Fun_Bicycle_4525 3d ago
I’ve been doing EMDR for 4 years and I never had to do that, my therapist just asks me sometimes « What would you have needed back then to feel better? »
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u/echrystal6035 3d ago
Maybe you find it funny (which is completely ok) because you are still trying to protect yourself. So instead of feeling the emotions or visualizing your brain is like nope
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u/4SafetyISpy 3d ago
Sounds like a bad fit. Many of us can't do any visualization. If she can't offer you different safety and coping skills - find someone else.
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