An Introduction to Somatic IFS

Credit

Handouts

Faculty

Marcella Cox, LMFT, CEDS-C Related seminars and products

Kindful Body

---

Marcella Cox, LMFT, CEDS-C, is a therapist, author, and speaker who has dedicated her career to treating eating disorders, disordered eating, body shame, and trauma. She is a Level 3 trained IFS therapist and on the teaching staff of Susan McConnell, developer of Somatic IFS, an approach that blends the IFS model of therapy with embodiment practices. Marcella trains and supports clinicians in utilizing IFS and Somatic IFS through professional consultation, workshops, trainings and retreats. She is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and empowering learning environment where participants can explore the transformative potential of Somatic Parts Work. Her certifications as a body trust specialist, Safe and Sound protocol provider, mindful self-compassion teacher, as well as her studies of Somatic Experiencing inform her work. She recently contributed the chapter on IFS and disordered eating in Altogether Us: Integrating the IFS Model with Key Modalities, Communities, and Trends (Pivotal Press, 2023). Marcella is also founder of Kindful Body, providing online therapy and nutrition counseling for eating and body issues in California.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Marcella Cox maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with IFS Consultation Collective and Kindful Body. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Marcella Cox is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals.”

Additional Info

Access never expires for this product.

For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.

Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info

This product is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with the IFS Institute and does not qualify for IFS Institute credits or certification.

Objectives

1. Explain how to facilitate unblending using the five Somatic IFS practices (Hodgdon et al., 2022; Kuhfuß et al., 2021).
2. Describe at least two somatic interventions—such as somatic awareness, conscious breathing, mindful movement, or attuned touch—to support safe unburdening of trauma-related somatic patterns (van de Kamp et al., 2023).
3. Explain how restoring autonomic nervous system regulation and energy flow can enhance client resilience and support lasting trauma recovery (van de Kamp et al., 2023; Ahlmark et al., 2020).
4. Evaluate when somatic approaches may be an acceptable alternative to or complement for traditional interventions (Somatic Therapy Acceptability Study, 2025; Kuhfuß et al., 2021).

Outline

An Introduction to Somatic IFS: Transforming Trauma Through Embodied Healing 
Why Bring the Body into IFS Therapy? 

• Recognize how parts manifest in the body 
• Understand trauma as both an embodied and relational experience 
• Explore how burdens (personal, cultural, intergenerational) disrupted embodiment 
• Discover the body as the source of healing Self energy 
• Define what “embodied healing” means in practice 

About Somatic IFS 

• Learn the core principals and benefits of integrating Somatic IFS therapy into trauma treatment 
• Bring the body into the IFS therapy flow of unblending and unburdening 
• Experience the five Somatic IFS practices and how to weave them into parts work 
• Use these practices to help you and your clients access embodied Self energy 

Working Relationally with Parts in the Body 

• Establish embodied Self-to-part relationships that reduce overwhelm 
• Approach parts that fear embodiment and block awareness of the body with confidence 
• Being with parts without pushing for change, allowing for unburdening to unfold organically 

Considerations and Integration 

• Limitations of the research and potential risks 
• Incorporate Polyvagal Theory insights into Somatic IFS parts work 
• Therapist embodiment as a core intervention and co-regulatory presence 
• Closing reflections about trauma recovery and the body 
   

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Physicians
• Other Mental Health Professionals

Reviews