Lifespan Integration (LI) Therapy was developed in the early 2000s by Peggy Pace, a counsellor who specialises in working with the impacts of childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect. It is a bottom-up, neurobiological therapy - which means that it emphasises somatic and embodied reactions to trauma and includes a deep understanding of how the brain processes traumatic memories.
LI uses repetition and visualisation of memory timelines to process trauma and integrate trauma memories, to produce a more coherent and connected sense of a person's whole life and sense of self. Each time a person replays the 'movie' of their life, they gain new insights into their own behaviours, beliefs, and emotional reactions. The intensity of particular memories, or the combination of disturbing or distressing events, lessens with each repetition. Different timelines are created with your therapist for different healing purposes, such as helping you feel more grounded and present, integrating a trauma memory that still feels present, focusing on a behaviour that you would like to change, or addressing a particular relationship (i.e. a difficult boss, an abusive ex-partner, or an institution like an employer, school, university, or medical system).
LI works by creating and strengthening neural pathways. By enabling the brain to connect these memories in time, the brain can recognise that the trauma is in the past and it can stop reliving it like it is a continuing present danger. This stops present reactions to past events, like becoming triggered by something in your environment and feeling overwhelmed with fear or anger, or freezing.
Lifespan Integration therapy can help with:
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The brain's ability to self regulate emotions
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Your ability to connect with and present as your authentic self
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Feeling self-compassion, self-love, and confidence
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Reducing feelings of guilt, shame, and negative self perceptions
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Feeling whole, complete, and with a clear sense of self
What to expect at a session
During Lifespan Integration therapy you will be asked to construct a timeline of your life. This includes short cues (a few words or short phrase) for as many years as you can remember. Sometimes these timelines have a particular focus, such as a relationship or trauma. This timeline will be created in session with the support of your therapist. During trauma processing, you will listen to your therapist read the cues, activating each moment briefly in the brain. This will be repeated over and over again, until the emotions connected to the memories are reduced. Your therapist may alter the speed the cues are read, which cues are read, and how much you engage with the memory to promote healing. During each repetition of the timeline, you may notice different things about your behaviour and your life, creating a deeper understanding of your trauma and yourself.
Research
"It was reported that the treatment led to reduced PTSD symptoms regarding avoidance, intrusive memories, physical symptoms, cognitive distortions and negative emotions. An increased ability to set limits was observed. Self-destructive behaviour ceased." Client experience of one-session treatment with Modified Lifespan Integration (MLI) after sexual trauma (2020).
"One session of Modified Lifespan Integration was an effective treatment with a low drop-out rate for females aged 15-65 with PTSD after one sexual assault... No adverse effects or drop-outs were seen." A One-Session Treatment of PTSD After Single Sexual Assault Trauma. A Pilot Study of the WONSA MLI Project: A Randomized Controlled Trial (2020).
[Lifespan Integration Therapy] allows a patient to connect with [their] experience, and improves emotional regulation and general well-being associated with self-acceptance... the sense of integration is perceived as a state of connection to one's identity and experiences, which integrates psychological bases such as safety..." Lifespan integration therapy: Patients’ discourse about outcomes and integration feeling (2024)
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15 min