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7-Step Healing Process: Integrating DBT and IFS
Melissa Moreno - Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Specialized in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Melissa Moreno is a licensed clinical social worker with specialized training and experience in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). She utilizes a trauma-informed clinical perspective to help clients cope with emotional distress and self-injurious behaviors. DBT is a complex therapy that can be transformative, while IFS is a powerful tool that views each person as a system of protective and wounded inner parts.
Clinical therapy services are crucial for supporting mental health and emotional well-being, and they encompass a variety of therapeutic approaches tailored to meet diverse individual needs. The integration of DBT and IFS creates a balanced therapeutic approach, addressing both immediate coping needs and deeper emotional healing.
Establishing Stability with DBT
- Purpose: Before diving into deeper introspection with IFS, clients often need practical tools to manage overwhelming emotions or crises.
Transitioning to IFS for Root Cause Healing
- Purpose: Once the client has a stable foundation, IFS allows for the exploration and healing of internal conflicts and emotional wounds.
Clinical therapy services are crucial for supporting mental
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Focus: DBT helps individuals manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve relationships.
- Key Components:
- Mindfulness: Increasing awareness of the present moment.
- Distress Tolerance: Developing skills to handle crisis situations without resorting to harmful behaviors.
- Emotion Regulation: Learning strategies to manage and change intense emotional responses.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Building healthy communication and relationship skills.
- Therapeutic Process:
- Learning and understanding DBT skills.
- Balancing between acceptance and change.
- Behavior modification and reaching goals.
- Common Applications:
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Chronic emotional dysregulation
- Self-harm and suicidal ideation
- Anxiety disorders and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Focus: IFS views the mind as made up of different "parts," each with unique roles and needs. The goal is to harmonize these parts under the leadership of the "Self"—a core state of calm, curiosity, and compassion.
- Key Concepts:
- Protective Parts: These include managers and firefighters that defend against pain or vulnerability (e.g., avoidance, anger, or over-control).
- Wounded Parts: Often referred to as exiles, these hold hurt, fear, or shame from past experiences.
- The Self: A compassionate and wise internal presence that facilitates healing and balance.
- Therapeutic Process:
- Identifying and understanding the roles of inner parts.
- Building trust with protective parts.
- Healing wounded parts by addressing their underlying needs.
- Common Applications:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and depression
- Self-esteem issues
- Substance use
Transform Your Life with Melissa Moreno, LCSWR
7-Step Healing Process: Integrating DBT and IFS
The 7-Step Healing Process: Integrating DBT and IFS integration of DBT and IFS lays out a powerful, step-by-step framework for healing that addresses both emotional regulation and deep, internal transformation. This process combines the strengths of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) and IFS (Internal Family Systems) to guide individuals through stabilization, self-awareness, and deep emotional healing.
Here's a concise summary and how each step contributes to personal growth and transformation:
1. Emotion Regulation (DBT Focus)
- Goal: Empower clients to identify, manage, and reduce intense emotional responses.
- Strategies:
- Recognize emotional triggers and patterns.
- Use "Opposite Action" (acting contrary to unhelpful impulses) to shift emotional states.
- Purpose: Helps clients create a stable emotional baseline for deeper introspection.
2. Distress Tolerance (DBT Focus)
- Goal: Provide tools to handle immediate crises or overwhelming emotions without harmful behaviors.
- Techniques:
- Grounding exercises: Focus on the present through sensory awareness.
- Distraction methods: Temporarily shift focus to something engaging and neutral.
- Purpose: Builds a safety net for managing emotional spikes, supporting readiness for internal exploration.
3. Mindfulness Practice (DBT as Foundation for IFS)
- Goal: Enhance awareness of thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment.
- Application:
- Observing inner experiences with curiosity.
- Laying the groundwork for identifying and engaging internal parts in IFS.
- Purpose: Bridges DBT’s practical skills with IFS’s introspective work, encouraging a non-judgmental stance.
4. Interpersonal Skills (DBT Focus)
- Goal: Strengthen relationships and reduce relational stress that can trigger emotional dysregulation.
- Skills:
- Assertive communication.
- Balancing priorities in relationships.
- Purpose: Reduces external conflict, creating a supportive environment for internal healing.
5. Identify Parts (IFS Begins)
- Goal: Recognize and label internal "parts" (e.g., protector parts, wounded exiles).
- Process:
- Use mindfulness to tune into internal experiences.
- Identify the roles and feelings of different parts.
- Purpose: Helps clients gain clarity about their inner world and prepare for self-compassionate engagement.
6. Build Relationships with Parts (IFS Deep Dive)
- Goal: Develop understanding and trust between the "Self" and internal parts.
- Approach:
- Approach each part with curiosity and empathy.
- Explore how parts are trying to protect or express unprocessed pain.
- Purpose: Fosters internal harmony and creates pathways for healing.
7. Self-Leadership Activation (IFS Transformation)
- Goal: Empower the "Self" (core inner leader) to guide the healing process.
- Actions:
- Reassure protective parts so they can step back.
- Encourage "Self" qualities like calm, compassion, and courage to take the lead.
- Purpose: Promotes sustainable internal balance and resilience.
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Personal Coaching
Substance Abuse Assessment
Substance Abuse Assessment
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Substance Abuse Assessment
Substance Abuse Assessment
Substance Abuse Assessment
OASAS (Office of Addiction Services and Supports) Substance Abuse Assessment is a standardized evaluation tool used in New York State to assess individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders.
Relationship Coaching
Substance Abuse Assessment
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Mindfulness and Meditation
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Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness and Meditation
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Contact Information
Virtual Therapy Sessions
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in NY, AZ, CO, FL, MD
Office hours - by appointment
(845) 665-1234
Melissa Moreno, LCSWR
