When EMDR Meets Blendy Systems: Fawnn Bryant on Safety, Attachment, and Healing

What Moved in the Room

In this episode of Healing My Parts, we sit down with Fawnn Bryant—a plural system living with OSDD—who shares their transformative journey with EMDR therapy.

Fawnn’s story begins with the search for safety: leaving an unsafe marriage, creating a home where all parts could finally exhale, and finding a therapist who truly saw them. That safety opened the door to a flood of memories, the sudden emergence of Littles and the raw reality of disorganized attachment.

Together, we explore the chaos of early system discovery, the rupture-and-repair cycle in therapy, and how EMDR became a lifeline—tailored to honor each part. Over three years, Fawnn’s world shifted from constant crisis to cautious hope. As they put it, the progress is “only half-magical,” but even that marks a profound move from drowning to beginning to breathe again.

This conversation is both tender and practical, offering validation for systems and insight for clinicians: healing is slow, nonlinear, and messy—but movement and connection are always possible.

Moments That Moved Us

* System Discovery & Safety (00:01:00–00:04:00)Leaving an unsafe relationship, creating a safe home, and the moment a gatekeeper stepped back—ushering in younger parts and sudden system awareness.

* Attachment Wounds & Therapy Ruptures (00:04:30–00:07:00)The turmoil of disorganized attachment and the uphill work of rebuilding relational safety.

* The Role of EMDR (00:08:20–00:13:00)Why EMDR was a game-changer for a blendy, often non-verbal system—and how one therapist adapted sessions to meet every voice.

* Three Years In: Half-Magical Progress (00:18:00–00:22:00)From 30 simultaneous crises to one topic at a time—journaling, trust-building, and authentic connection.

* Statistics & Soapbox (00:27:00–00:31:00)Eye-opening numbers: 12% of the population is dissociative, 48% live with insecure attachment—underscoring the need for trauma-informed training.

* Consent & Modality Fit (00:44:00–00:47:00)Why systems must advocate for themselves, why CBT often falls short, and why true healing requires consent and pacing.

* Emerging Into Connection (00:39:00–00:42:00)From derealization as an infant survival strategy to building real friendships in adulthood for the first time.

Did This Move You,Too?

If you’re part of a system considering EMDR — or a clinician wanting to better support dissociative clients — this episode brings both reality checks and grounded hope. Healing rarely unfolds in straight lines, but Fawnn’s story shows how safety, connection, and relational repair can crack open a truer sense of your system — and create space for more of your selves to be seen and supported.

What moved you(s)?

Resources:

Healing Together Conference Annual gathering centering lived experience and professional support for dissociative systems.

Dissociative Writers A growing network of writers with lived experience navigating OSDD/DID and complex trauma.

Hearts Multiplied – A community for systems, offering support, connection, and collective healing.

Peer Support for Multiples -Jade Miller – Peer coach and system advocate known for her accessible resources on system navigation and inner safety.

Crisses – Longstanding voices in the dissociative community offering tools, classes, and foundational education for systems and supporters.

Healing My Parts on Instagram – @healingmyparts — soft, sometimes sassy system-affirming content, tools, and connection.

Healing My Parts on Substack – Weekly blogs, downloadables, insights and tools by a therapist with living with DID.

Healing My Parts Website – Consultations for both professionals & systems, workshops, support groups, merch, and more.

Get full access to Healing My Parts at healingmyparts.substack.com/subscribe