In this episode of The Moon Collective Sanctuary podcast, Dr. Lydia Luna, PhD, welcomes Lauren Boasberg, an LMFT and EMDR therapist who specializes in Internal Family Systems therapy. Lauren shares her personal journey, including how her grandfather's Holocaust stories impacted her childhood and eventually led her to become a therapist. She explains IFS therapy's core concept that we all have different "parts" within us - exiled parts that hold pain, manager parts that keep us functioning, and firefighter parts that annihilate pain. Through practical examples, Lauren demonstrates how recognizing and communicating with these parts can help us access our "self energy" - our authentic core that exists beneath protective layers. The conversation explores how trauma creates protective mechanisms and how IFS offers a compassionate framework for healing by acknowledging each part's positive intention. Lauren concludes with a message of hope: "There's always a way back to yourself, literally."

Connect with Lauren Boasberg on Instagram at @emdrtherapistla or visit laurenboasberg.com.

Be sure to visit mooncollectivesanctuary.com or find us on social media @mooncollectivesanctuary for helpful resources.

Chapter Markers

00:29 Meet Our Guest: Lauren Boberg

00:48 Lauren's Early Life and Trauma

02:23 Coping Mechanisms and Early Career

05:55 Discovering EMDR and IFS

08:30 Understanding Internal Family Systems (IFS)

13:21 Practical Examples of IFS

17:55 The Role of Self-Energy in Healing

22:26 Understanding Complex Trauma

23:31 Defining the Highest Self

24:33 Accessing Self-Energy

25:08 Practical Steps to Connect with Self

26:59 The Role of Protectors in Therapy

27:48 Finding Joy and Resourcing

30:53 Humanistic Approach in IFS and EMDR

35:10 Unblending and Reintegrating Parts

40:06 Practical Steps for Self-Connection

42:26 Final Thoughts and Hope

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Connect with Dr. Lydia Luna, PhD:

Website: www.mooncollectivesanctuary.com

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@mooncollectivesanctuary

IG: @lydialunaphd & @mooncollectivesanctuary

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mooncollectivesanctuary