Melissa Moreno, LCSW-R Therapy & Treatment Services PC

The approach

Stabilize first. Then go deeper.

The 7-Step Healing Process lays out a framework that addresses both emotional regulation and deep internal transformation — combining the strengths of DBT and IFS to guide you through stabilization, self-awareness, and lasting emotional healing.

The two modalities

What each one is for

Skills & stabilization

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Focus: Manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve relationships.

Key components

  • Mindfulness — increasing awareness of the present moment
  • Distress Tolerance — handling crisis without harmful behaviors
  • Emotion Regulation — managing and changing intense responses
  • Interpersonal Effectiveness — healthy communication and relationships

Therapeutic process

  • Learning and understanding DBT skills
  • Balancing acceptance and change
  • Behavior modification and reaching goals

Common applications

  • Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
  • Chronic emotional dysregulation
  • Self-harm and suicidal ideation
  • Anxiety disorders and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Depth & integration

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Focus: IFS views the mind as made up of different parts, each with unique roles and needs. The goal is to harmonize these parts under the leadership of the Self — a core state of calm, curiosity, and compassion.

Key concepts

  • Protective Parts — managers and firefighters that defend against pain or vulnerability through avoidance, anger, or over-control
  • Wounded Parts — exiles that hold hurt, fear, or shame from past experiences
  • The Self — a compassionate, wise internal presence that facilitates healing and balance

Therapeutic process

  • Identifying and understanding the roles of inner parts
  • Building trust with protective parts
  • Healing wounded parts by addressing their underlying needs

Common applications

  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Self-esteem issues
  • Substance use

7-Step Healing Process

The order matters

Steps one through four build the emotional floor with DBT. Steps five through seven use that floor to do the deep IFS work safely. Skipping ahead is how people get overwhelmed.

1

Emotion Regulation DBT

Goal: Identify, manage, and reduce intense emotional responses.

Strategies: Recognize emotional triggers and patterns; use Opposite Action — acting contrary to unhelpful impulses — to shift emotional states.

Purpose: Creates a stable emotional baseline for deeper introspection.

2

Distress Tolerance DBT

Goal: Handle immediate crises or overwhelming emotions without harmful behaviors.

Techniques: Grounding exercises that focus on the present through sensory awareness; distraction methods that temporarily shift focus to something engaging and neutral.

Purpose: Builds a safety net for emotional spikes, supporting readiness for internal exploration.

3

Mindfulness Practice Bridge

Goal: Enhance awareness of thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment.

Application: Observing inner experiences with curiosity; laying the groundwork for identifying and engaging internal parts in IFS.

Purpose: Bridges DBT's practical skills with IFS's introspective work.

4

Interpersonal Skills DBT

Goal: Strengthen relationships and reduce relational stress that triggers dysregulation.

Skills: Assertive communication; balancing priorities in relationships.

Purpose: Reduces external conflict, creating a supportive environment for internal healing.

5

Identify Parts IFS

Goal: Recognize and label internal parts — protectors, wounded exiles.

Process: Use mindfulness to tune into internal experiences; identify the roles and feelings of different parts.

Purpose: Builds clarity about the inner world and prepares for self-compassionate engagement.

6

Build Relationships with Parts IFS

Goal: Develop understanding and trust between the Self and internal parts.

Approach: Approach each part with curiosity and empathy; explore how parts are trying to protect or express unprocessed pain.

Purpose: Fosters internal harmony and creates pathways for healing.

7

Self-Leadership Activation IFS

Goal: Empower the Self — your core inner leader — to guide the healing process.

Actions: Reassure protective parts so they can step back; encourage Self qualities like calm, compassion, and courage to take the lead.

Purpose: Promotes sustainable internal balance and resilience.

Start at step one
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