Kim Tsui, LCSW
Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy Personalized Healing with EMDR & IFS
What is trauma-informed therapy?
People think of natural disasters, wars, or accidents when we talk about trauma. However, many people come into my practice for the less well-known, but more pervasive type of trauma -- it is called Developmental, Childhood, or Complex Trauma. People with complex trauma may be experiencing multiple medical problems, chronic sadness, anxiety, or difficulty developing close relationships. They may also be feeling removed from the world or from themselves. These symptoms can be seen as our psyches and bodies protecting us from early dangers. They are adaptive strategies that once served us, for example when we were small and vulnerable. Maybe these strategies (patterns) have become problematic in the context of our life today, now that we are adults. With curiosity, self-reflection, and plenty of self-compassion, we can get to know and become aware of our unconscious strategies, and thereby, become empowered to make conscious choices and create new and healthy patterns. Through our counseling, we will identify your symptoms, how they formed, when they get triggered, and the new alternatives you can adopt to experience greater freedom in your life.
What are the therapeutic modalities offered?
EMDR and IFS are very helpful for self-inquiry and trauma healing. They have somatic emphasis and can help us reintegrate fragmented parts of ourselves.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps a person identify and reframe disturbing memories in more adaptive ways. Once digested in this way, memories are reintegrated without the same emotional charges and they lose the type of hold they once have. It is especially helpful with single-incident traumas such as a car accident, but can also be used to process childhood and complex trauma.
IFS (Internal Family System) honors the unique parts or sub-personalities inside of all of us. Some parts hold painful memories while other are forced into extreme roles to keep us from feeling hurts and remembering traumas. Untouched by time and events is the core of the person (Self) that can heal all of one's parts when accessed. IFS is also a helpful framework to do shadow and spiritual work. Intuitive drawing can be used to externalize parts, especially very young non-verbal parts.
Combining these two healing modalities can be very helpful. For example, during an EMDR process, "protective parts" may unconsciously/automatically block us from looking at trauma (i.e. client gets overwhelmed or feels nothing). We can then use an IFS intervention to bring this to awareness and take time to understand and heal the protective parts first. In trauma healing, "going slow is going fast." Or, during IFS parts work, we can tap both sides of the body (an EMDR intervention) since activating both sides of the brain via "bilateral stimulation" can enhance learning and update our neurobiology/neuropaths. These are a few examples of how IFS and EMDR can be integrated during counseling to help the client.
Current Services
4 hour meeting This deep dive session works well to help you resolve a single key issue that's causing you to feel stuck. Clients often see a sustained change and feel lasting relief.
90 minute session each week Perhaps you’re experiencing an intense time of change, loss, or transition. You may notice old wounds and patterns resurfacing. This six-week program is designed to help you consciously navigate this time of change, and heal something deep inside.
30-90 minutes consultation For fellow psychotherapists and other helping professionals wishing to step back and look freshly at a client case, or to receive an IFS or EMDR session to help you integrate your own training and healing.
To read a bit more about the Half Day Intensive or Six Week Program
Getting ready to use IFS Intuitive Drawing
About
I was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to New York City at the age of 7, and earned my Masters in Social Work at Hunter College NYC in 1999. Then I spent most of my adult life in San Francisco. In 2023, I relocated to the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Most of my clients live in the United States, and I enjoy serving them via online sessions. I'm certified in IFS therapy (Internal Family Systems). I have completed Level 2 trainings for IFS, EMDR, as well as IFS-Informed EMDR therapies. My clients would describe my approach as gentle, empathetic, yet practical. There will be kind interaction, honest dialogue, intuitive drawing (if interested) and where appropriate, lightheartedness and laughter. I will provide reflections and feedback when helpful.​ My greatest desire for my clients is to help them increase self-awareness. It is in our awareness that we begin to have choices instead of acting out unconscious social conditioning/programming/learned behavior. As such, I'm also committed to doing my own growth work to transmute my own shadows/woundings to become most present in my work with others. State licenses: CA 24764; NV 10719-C Languages: English and Cantonese
Please get in touch if you'd like to learn more.
I'm generally faster with emails. Email: Contact [at] kimtsui.com Tel: 415-295-2775 Fax: 725-527-5775 Mail: 304 S. Jones Blvd, #7676, Las Vegas, NV 89107 Schedule an exploratory call: https://cal.com/kimtsui/explore Sessions are available via phone or online at Doxy.me/kimtsui or Zoom
