Cristina Mardirossian

Parts Work Therapy is an approach that helps individuals understand and heal from trauma by recognizing and working with the different “parts” of themselves that hold various emotions, memories, and coping strategies.

It is based on the idea that the mind naturally organizes itself into different aspects, or parts, especially in response to overwhelming experiences. These parts may hold pain, fear, or protective roles, and therapy helps integrate them into a more cohesive sense of self.

Grounded in the theory of structural dissociation, parts work is a non-pathologizing approach. It views symptoms as expressions of divided parts—not as signs of a flawed self, but as strategies shaped by trauma.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a form of psychotherapy that has been successful in helping people who suffer from trauma, anxiety, panic, disturbing memories, nightmares, etc. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping) while the client attends to memories and triggers to decrease or eliminate emotional distress connected to the memory.

Brainspotting is a somatic therapy that helps clients access the subcortical (non-verbal) part of the brain, where trauma is typically stored. According to the creator of Brainspotting, David Grand, “Where you look affects how you feel.” Since our eyes give us access to the subcortical brain, Brainspotting uses the visual field as a way to help release stored memories.

The Trauma Resiliency Module is a somatic approach that helps clients with traumatic stress reactions by learning skills to help stabilize the mind and body. Clients will learn to track body sensations and bring balance back to the nervous system. I am a Certified TRM practitioner.

The Havening Techniques® are powerful tools that can be used to treat the consequences of encoded traumatic or stressful memories. It is designed to change the brain to de-traumatize memory and remove its negative effects from both our psyche and body. I am a Certified Havening Techniques Practitioner.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their caretakers overcome trauma-related difficulties.

Course with Janina Fisher (specific training to treat Trauma, Complex Trauma, and Dissociative Disorders). This modality includes Sensorimotor, Internal Family Systems (parts-work), and mindfulness strategies that help clients connect to their minds, bodies, emotions, and traumatic events without feeling overwhelmed and avoidant. Parts work makes space for the conflicts between parts of the self. For instance, there are times when you might be attempting to work through a challenging or traumatic memory within therapy.

Although you feel ready to heal, there might be a part of you that interferes with the process to protect you from vulnerable feelings that threaten your sense of self. Parts work can also look at the “inner child” part(s) that still carry pain that is stuck in time. Parts work is very effective in making clients feel seen, heard, and attuned. This may be a modality to consider if you have been in therapy for many years without much success.

Level 1 actively incorporates awareness of the body, targeting the habits of physical action, autonomic dysregulation, and posture. By addressing the physical as well as the psychological effects of adverse experiences on the mind and body, SP supports a deep, effective, and unified approach to healing. SP for the treatment of trauma equips therapists to better understand the symptoms and issues related to trauma and traumatic attachment and to work with them more effectively.

The T.R.I.P approach involves working with trauma and its impact on the person as a whole. This approach recognizes that frequently memories are implicit and stored at a body level. The assumption of T.R.I.P is that the body, brain, emotions, beliefs, sensations, and relationships need both regulation and integration for the person to feel alive, and live in the present.

The T.R.I.P model has been influenced by the ideas, theories, concepts, and practices of the following therapies and seeks to integrate key aspects of each of these therapies:

1. OEI – One Eye Integration/Observed & Experiential Integration
2. IFS – Internal Family Systems
3. SP/SE – Sensorimotor Psychotherapy/Somatic Experiencing
4. EFT – Emotionally Focused Therapy
5. Developmental Attachment theory – Dr, G. Neufeld (Neufeld institute)

Dissociative disorders involve a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. They often stem from trauma and can manifest in various forms such as amnesia, fugue states, and identity fragmentation. Treatments include phases of establishing safety, processing traumatic memories, and integration or functional integration of identity parts.