Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Working with Your Parts: Complex PTSD, Dissociation, and Hypervigilance with Elizabeth Ferreira

Dec 16, 2024

Elizabeth Ferreira, an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in California, shares her expertise in somatic therapy and complex PTSD. She discusses the integration of Internal Family Systems with somatic approaches, emphasizing how our internal parts relate to emotional states. The conversation touches on navigating emotional numbness, hypervigilance, and the importance of self-acceptance. Elizabeth also reflects on her personal journey managing C-PTSD and ADHD while supporting others in their healing processes.

01:21:55

Episode guests

Elizabeth Ferreira

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The integration of Internal Family Systems and somatic therapy offers a holistic approach to understanding and healing complex trauma through physical and emotional awareness.

Recognizing and validating the diverse internal parts influenced by trauma helps individuals create a coherent sense of self and meet their emotional needs.

Hypervigilance and emotional numbing serve as protective mechanisms in trauma, and mindfulness practices can assist individuals in reconnecting with their feelings.

Deep dives

The Link Between Somatic Therapy and Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and somatic therapy are interconnected approaches that can enhance therapeutic outcomes for clients. Somatic work focuses on the relationship between physical sensations and emotional states, allowing therapists to help clients connect their parts, including traumatic responses, to specific nervous system states such as fight, flight, or freeze. This connection facilitates awareness of internal experiences that may otherwise remain fragmented, promoting healing. Furthermore, Janina Fisher's contributions to IFS emphasize a bottom-up approach, enabling therapists to integrate bodily awareness into the treatment process, which can be especially beneficial for individuals with complex trauma.

Intro

3min

Understanding Internal Family Systems

16min

Navigating Dissociation and Boundaries

14min

Navigating Relationship Needs and Emotional Well-Being

6min

Navigating Emotional Numbness

5min

Navigating Self-Acceptance and Trauma

18min

Navigating Mental Health Challenges

10min

Exploring Parts Work and Self-Awareness in Therapy

4min

Navigating Trauma, Hypervigilance, and Emotional Resilience

5min

Somatic therapist Elizabeth Ferreira joins the show to discuss complex trauma, dissociation, and working with challenging emotions. Forrest and Elizabeth start by exploring the relationship between Internal Family Systems and somatic therapy, including how we can apply a somatic lens to working with our parts. They then apply that framework to complex PTSD, cognitive bypassing, emotional numbing, hypervigilance, and other difficult experiences. Other topics include issues around comparing trauma, windows of tolerance, appreciating individual needs, and Elizabeth’s own journey of becoming a therapist while managing C-PTSD and ADHD.

About our Guest: Elizabeth is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist working in California. She specializes in somatic approaches to trauma work.

You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

1:15: What is the crossover between IFS and somatic therapy?

12:25: What helps a psychologically literate person who struggles to have a felt experience?

19:05: How can I track my capacity and needs in social situations before dissociating?

35:05: Why do I feel numb, and how can I move past it and feel my feelings again?

41:05: How can I address hypervigilance and stay present with my feelings without catastrophizing?

48:40: How do I respond to friends (or clients) who minimize their own pain or trauma?

58:55: What has supported Elizabeth in pursuing her vocation amidst challenges with trauma and neurodivergence?

1:10:40: Recap

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Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

Working with Your Parts: Complex PTSD, Dissociation, and Hypervigilance with Elizabeth Ferreira

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Link Between Somatic Therapy and Internal Family Systems

Understanding Fragmentation in Trauma

Navigating Hypervigilance and Emotional Numbing

The Problem with Trauma Comparison

Building a Life with ADHD and Complex Trauma

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts