Understanding Lifespan Integration Therapy

Lifespan integration therapy (LI) is a gentle, non-intrusive therapeutic approach developed by American psychotherapist, Peggy Pace, in 2002 to help clients who had experienced childhood trauma or neglect and were feeling stuck, be able to move beyond their memories of past distress without getting re-traumatized in the process.

Unlike regular talk therapy, lifespan integration therapy does not require that you discuss the details of your experience. Grounded in neuroscience and attachment theory, it bypasses the cognitive mind and relies, instead, on the mind-body connection and the brain’s innate ability to heal itself from past traumatic experiences that are still impacting the present.

Using a visual timeline and imagery, lifespan integration therapy focuses on uncovering what’s at the root of current issues; updating, rewiring, and reintegrating neurological pathways associated with the trauma; and resetting the body’s neural system.

How does lifespan integration therapy work?

At the core of lifespan integration therapy is the belief that your current symptoms are intrinsically connected to past traumatic experiences and that even though the past cannot be changed, it can be integrated into the present so it no longer has a negative impact on your here and now.

Traumatic memories are stored in the brain as fragmented experiences that continue to influence your present responses and perceptions. Since they are not in chronological order, they get triggered by anything that reminds you of the original trauma, and there is a momentary mind-body disconnect that makes it feel as though the event is happening all over again in the present.

Lifespan integration therapy’s goal is to help you put these fragmented pieces of your life back together and integrate them into your brain’s regular memory, so they become part of a coherent, orderly whole where each one is located in its proper place in time and space.

Studies have shown that actively visualizing yourself doing something in a focused and emotionally engaged way can produce the same type of brain activity as actually doing it. In keeping with these findings, lifespan integration therapy uses a methodical procedure that starts with creating a chronological timeline of memory cues that highlight significant events in your life.

These memories are sequentially revisited repeatedly as a movie or slideshow of your life, using guided visualization to help you focus on and process the emotional responses elicited by each one. With each repetition, neural tracts linked to the memories are activated, neurons that fire together begin to fuse and create new pathways, and healing gradually takes place as your body and brain each process and integrate your life experiences.

The more points of connection created between the neural networks stored all over your body and brain, the more internally integrated you become, and the stronger your core sense of self and well-being.

As the past and present become united, your brain learns that the past truly is in the past. Triggers are softened, distressing memories of past events feel less painful, your stability increases, you feel more connected to the strengths that enabled you to survive, and the narrative of your life becomes restructured into a more rational, integrated, and cohesive whole that enables you to move forward instead of remaining stuck in the past.

What can I expect in a lifespan integration therapy session?

At the start of therapy, your counselor will have you create a chronological timeline of memory cues that highlight significant events for each year of your life, starting from your earliest memory and ending in the present. They can be positive, negative, or neutral, and the cues don’t have to be detailed. A few words or a sentence that jogs your memory will do. This timeline will then form the basis for your therapy sessions.

Your counselor will use your list of memory cues to create several chronological slideshows, each one a slightly different version of the same story, to enable you to see your life unfold from several different angles. He or she will use visualization techniques to guide you through the process of sequentially revisiting each of these memories and reprocessing the emotions and physical feelings they bring up as you reflect on and connect with them.

The panoramic view of your visual timeline makes it easier to revisit each memory without being re-traumatized. Your counselor will briefly tap into each image just long enough to create some neural activation, and then quickly move on to the next one. This swift chronological progression through the rest of the movie of your life proves to your brain that what happened in the past is over and in the past.

The process is repeated over and over, and as different themes emerge, so do new insights into how your past is continuing to impact your present behavior and choices in a dysfunctional way.

Distressing feelings begin to fade, new subconscious memories start to emerge and expand creating a more cohesive and realistic life story. This enables your body and brain to grasp, at a deep neural level, that time truly has passed and that you are no longer living in the past.

As treatment progresses, additional protocols that target specific traumas may be used, such as inner child healing, where the counselor uses guided imagery to coach you on how to use active imagination to allow your adult self to connect with your younger self.

You will then help them to move through the past and feel safe integrating into your adult self as you soothe him or her and provide the affirmation, support, love, and/or protection that they needed at the time but did not receive.

What kinds of issues can lifespan integration therapy treat?

Lifespan Integration therapy uses a variety of techniques that can be personalized and adapted to treat a number of different issues.

Studies have found it to be particularly effective in treating people suffering from the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childhood abuse or neglect, attachment disorders, dissociative disorders, phobias, abusive relationships, and other trauma-related issues.

It has also been found to be a highly effective method for treating anxiety, depression, mood disorders, compulsive behaviors, substance abuse, and addiction, as well as the effects of highly stressful situations such as divorce, job loss, chronic illness, or the death of a loved one.

What are the benefits of lifespan integration therapy?

Lifespan integration therapy is a short-term treatment option that works quickly and provides many benefits. Some of the more common ones that have been consistently reported by both clients and therapists alike include the following.

• Greater stability, confidence, and resilience.
• Ability to regulate emotions, cope with the pressures of life in healthier ways, and respond to stressors with more clarity and composure.
• Improved self-esteem.
• More energy.
• Heightened self-awareness, insightfulness, and healthy perspectives.
• Greater self-acceptance and increased self-compassion.
• Improved quality of life.
• Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• Desensitization to painful memories.
• Relief from physical symptoms associated with emotional stress or trauma.
• Emotions related to past trauma become less intense and more manageable.
• Improved communication and ability to connect with others.
• Enhanced ability to enjoy life and close relationships.
• Ability to organize memories in time and space.
• People with memory gaps who have trouble remembering the past are enabled to connect the pieces of their lives into a coherent narrative.

If you have questions about this article on lifespan integration therapy or are interested in learning more about it, or if you would like to up an appointment to meet with one of the trained faith-based lifespan integration counselors at our location, please don’t hesitate to give our office a call.