Testimonials

'The Dance of Attachment' EMDR training allowed me to integrate my Gestalt and Daring Way background into an EMDR framework so that I could fully support my clients through their journey. This training gave me permission to bring my authentic self as an EMDR therapist. I can now use EMDR freely and truly dance with my clients bringing all of me and my therapeutic skills to the work.

I’ve practiced EMDR for 25 years and Deany’s trainings and strategies still offer me new opportunities to continue to grow and enhance my skills and treatment perspectives. Her trainings are always an edifying and gratifying experience, and I recommend them to all—especially those of us well seasoned and ready to learn more and grow.

This EMDRIA-approved Basic Training with Deany Laliotis has made me a better therapist! Even though we were online, I really felt like we all took the journey together! I have more confidence as I continue to develop my work with clients who have complex trauma. EMDR helps better integrate the connection between the body and the mind beyond standard talk therapy. It's integrative and transformative for us as therapists as well as for our clients!

Deany's EMDR Basic Training was overall the best training experience I have ever had. It was both personally and professionally transformative. I highly recommend it, even if you're already trained as an EMDR therapist! The training experience itself was challenging yet supportive, growth-promoting yet affirming.

Run, do not walk, to Deany's next training!

As a newly certified EMDR therapist, I have been actively looking to integrate my clinical skills into my work using EMDR. While there are many trainings out there, none have resonated with me so deeply as Deany's approach. It just makes sense to me now. Learning EMDR is often described as akin to "drinking from a fire hose." It's an accurate assessment, I think, but learning from Deany has helped tremendously in bringing more clarity and focus, and has renewed in me a sense of excitement for the work. I can't wait to learn more!

As an EMDR therapist, I was finding myself getting stuck with more difficult cases and found myself seeking trainings around anything related to attachment and deciphering what other modalities I would need. It was overwhelming. Deany's 'Dance of Attachment' training was exactly what I was looking for and needed. Her approach has such a humanistic feel, a strong mind-body approach, while also simplifying how to conceptualize and approach cases. I highly recommend this training for anyone who is looking to advance their EMDR skills.

Deany is an exquisite trainer. She is not only clear and thorough in her teaching, but is incredibly compassionate and responsive to those who are learning from her. Her approach is both artful and soundly rooted in science, while maintaining the focus on the relational aspect of the work. Learning from Deany has quite literally changed my life and the way I am able to work with my clients. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to train with her.

Any trainer can present material, but Deany Laliotis’ trainings are more of an experience. She not only is knowledgeable about the material, but she engages the audience by being personable, asking thought provoking questions, and spends the time making sure we get it. Though she is a thought leader in the EMDR community, she makes you feel like a peer, and connects in ways I have not experienced in other trainings. At my last training people flew from all parts of the country to attend, and we were all eager to take another training with her. If you are serious about advancing your skills as an EMDR therapist, train with Deany.

As a mentor, Deany has a strong and comfortable shoulder to lean on. She offers her support not to cry or sleep, but to stretch into courage, awareness, and Greatness. Deany is a wise and caring Teacher to guide you towards becoming your future best Self. Grateful as ever!

Deany is an extraordinary speaker. Her presentations are powerful in content, dynamic, and engaging. The audience definitely loves her! What more can you ask for in a speaker?

Both personally and professionally, I have benefited so much from Deany’s EMDR Therapy Basic Training. This program was a perfect combination of didactics, videos of real therapy sessions, small group discussions, and, most importantly, the opportunity to practice EMDR therapy with other trainees! I grew immensely from my experiences as the therapist, client, and observer. Plus, I received support for specific questions that came up in my clinical work. I appreciate Deany’s passion, expertise, and comprehensive teaching approach!

Deany is the truth! She radiates the room with passion, patience, and support provided to aspiring EMDR therapists. From lecture to video and discussion, she gives insight into her clinical techniques and decision making. Furthermore, I appreciate the authenticity about the experience we all share as therapists during sessions. Deany's insight and the information shared is invaluable.

In the 25 years since I was first trained in EMDR, Deany Laliotis stands out as one of the very best teachers I have ever had the pleasure to learn from. Her warm and engaging style, and clear and concise ability to distill complex information into nuggets that I can quickly and easily incorporate into my practice are truly unique. She is one of the first leaders to bring an attachment lens to the model of EMDR, which has contributed to the growth in the model as a fully formed therapeutic approach to treatment. When I see that Deany has a new Advanced training, I know that I'll be attending!

Deany is a charismatic teacher and mentor, a warm and heartful person. She is genius, authentic, and highly professional. I enjoy every minute of training and consultation with her, not only because of her clarity and sound clinical judgment, but also her humor and her unique way of explaining things, simple and to the point.

I am an experienced simultaneous interpreter and I can say that translating Deany is by far the best experience I have ever had in my professional and personal life. Deany is a great therapist, an excellent speaker, and a wonderful person. We have worked together quite a few times now, however, since the very first time, she has always shown utmost respect for my job. She not only speaks at a pace that perfectly suits the need to translate English into a much longer language (like Italian), but she is always extremely clear in her narrative. I am proud to be her Italian voice and – as she always puts it – the blond part of her own Self!

Deany's experience and knowledge base of EMDR therapy, combined with her ability to teach complex theory in a manner which is easily accessible makes her, in my mind, the best EMDR therapy trainer that I have had. She integrates the relational component of attachment theory into an EMDR framework and in doing so, has helped me bring my best self to this work. Deany has successfully moved EMDR away from being simply a technique to being an integrative psychotherapy in its own right. To quote Deany, “It is the therapeutic relationship which creates the conditions for change, EMDR therapy is the method we use.”

Since undergoing my first weekend of EMDR Basic Training with Deany in 2014, I have taken several advanced courses over the years with numerous instructors, and Deany is by far the most knowledgeable, generous, and thought-provoking of them all. Her style of incorporating concepts from various areas of psychology and academic research into a cohesive understanding of how the human brain, heart, and body are intertwined, is impressive. Deany’s engaging personality and generous spirit in sharing her own clinical work for learning purposes makes for an inspiring learning experience. I look forward to her future offerings!

Deany's Basic Training opened my eyes. It was truly excellent. It not only showed me how to practice EMDR but also to understand my clients’ struggles in a different way, more holistically. It was surprising to see my clients literally transform in ways that I could have not imagined before and with only a few EMDR processing sessions! I learned EMDR with Deany, and I am here to stay with The Center to be able to use this method to heal others. It was not only effective for my clients but powerful for my own healing. If you want your clients to take big steps forward, this training is a must!

As an EMDRIA Consultant, I so appreciate how Deany's trainings are both grounded in the fidelity of the AIP model and the EMDR method. She supports a holistic approach to psychotherapy. The attachment lens integrates into the EMDR framework seamlessly. And what a gift that Deany offers a case consultation with the training to help us integrate the material, making it more tangible and accessible. I feel rejuvenated and inspired as a clinician and a consultant after this experience! Thank you!

I can’t wait for my next training with The Center. I always feel that I learn cutting-edge material that greatly enhances my clinical skills. Deany Laliotis is a superb clinician and trainer who has an amazing ability to integrate theory and practice in a way that makes complicated concepts understandable. Deany's liberal use of video footage allows us to see these concepts being applied by a master therapist. I feel resepected and empowered when I train with Deany and her staff.

I've taken my EMDR Therapy Basic Training as well as The Craft through The Center for Excellence. I have been practicing for 11 years, and these professional trainings have been invaluable to me. EMDR therapy has completely revolutionized my approach to treatment! Deany Laliotis and her talented facilitators provide excellent guidance and support to help you learn EMDR as a comprehensive psychotherapy framework. The biggest lesson I have learned through The Center is that EMDR is much more than a technique - it is a true vector of healing.

The EMDR Basic Training with Deany and all the staff at The Center for Excellence was just that, EXCELLENT! The attention to every detail including presentations, breakout groups, feedback and answering questions along with the training materials, was truly outstanding. Hands down, this is the best training I've ever taken! I feel well prepared and excited to become an EMDR therapist after completing my Basic Training!

Hosting Deany for a training with our EMDR community in Brazil has been a delightful experience! Her radiance comes through the screen as she shows us how the craft for the clinical practice and the technical skills can complement one another. Deany brings the relational perspective of EMDR, expanding our options for therapists who want to master the "go with that," but "stay with me," principles during reprocessing. We are thrilled to have her as a mentor to our community!

Ann and Annie are simply the best! I have had the immense pleasure of attending many of their trainings, ranging from their Basic EMDR course to their advanced Playful EMDR course. Their trainings and consultations are characterized by a depth of knowledge in both EMDR and play therapy and grounded in current research. They are engaging, organized presenters who obviously care deeply about what they are teaching and who draw their participants in through practical applications, practice, and play! I’ve attended a lot of workshops in my 40 years in the field and can definitively say that everything I’ve taken from them is among the best and most applicable I’ve ever experienced!

Hope’s approach to treating addictions and compulsions with EMDR therapy is like no other. She talks about addiction as a relationship we have, and for many, it’s an attachment. As a teacher and therapist who understands our client’s difficulties through an attachment lens, that makes a lot of sense to me. Hope works with clients in all stages of change, to include clients who are actively using, and encourages therapists to be curious about how addiction works for each client. I love Hope’s magic trick: She reminds us that if you’re working with complex trauma, you’re working with addictions. So, training with Hope is a must. I can listen endlessly to her teaching.

Hope Payson, LCSW, LADC is a widely respected expert in the treatment of addiction and trauma. She brings over 30 years of experience in community mental health and addiction treatment to all of her professional work. She is a trainer, consultant and sought-after presenter for conferences in the US and around the world. She also helps treatment programs integrate EMDR therapy in all phases of their treatment programing. She produced the documentary film about addictions and recovery, “Uprooting Addiction: Healing From the Ground Up.” We are proud to have Hope as a member of The Center’s Adjunct Faculty. 

I've found my training in RTEP/GTEP invaluable—both for recent trauma and as a way of helping clients manage these uncertain times. The presentation was clear and compelling and I was able to use the protocols immediately to help my first responders keep going during COVID and after. The step-by-step guidance for integrating RTEP & GTEP led to positive results and the profound relief of my clients. I believe all therapists would benefit as I have from adding the healing power of R-TEP & G-TEP to their repertoire.

Maria Masciandaro's R-TEP & G-TEP trainings transformed how I guide clients through recent trauma. This comprehensive method mitigates trauma's impact on the body, granting relief and a roadmap to authentic healing. I highly recommend Maria’s training for anyone looking to enhance their skills in guiding clients through recent traumatic events.

I attended this training in person as a Master Retreat and it was a professional game changer for me. The opportunity to grow, both in my clinical skills as well as garnering a deeper understanding of myself as a therapist, was priceless. The emotional and psychic space to be in my own struggle and to appreciate that I was not alone in it was truly transformative. I really learned that healing the healer is a requirement if we are going to be present to our clients' suffering in the way that's needed. The "icing on the cake" were the personal and professional connections I made during this time with other like minded clinicians, some of whom I am still connected with today! This is an investment in yourself and your career that is 100% worth it.

Relational EMDR Therapy℠: The Dance of Attachment took all of us to a higher level regardless of where we were in our work when we started. I am always inspired to learn more with Deany which is not easy for someone like me who is also an instructor and who’s been in the field for over 40 years. R-EMDR assigns a greater respect for the therapeutic relationship and raises the bar for us as therapists to bring our best selves to this work. I love Deany Laliotis, I love Relational EMDR. Relational EMDR Therapy℠ is the future!

The Craft of EMDR Therapy was a transformational journey, both personally and professionally, and raised my expectations of what’s possible in my work with clients with complex trauma.

The didactic portion of the training provided a deep understanding of how and why clients adapt to early adverse experiences. Being able to see the patterns of these adaptations in both myself and others provided insight into why I struggle with certain clients and other people in my life. Deany and her team clearly explained and demonstrated how to take the practice of EMDR therapy to a new level, to help clients become less identified with their adaptations, and more appropriately oriented to their here-and-now experience.

The portion of the training that involved personal work was probably the most powerful part of the process. Seeing how my own unhealed wounds were getting in the way of being fully present and attuned to others was both eye-opening and incredibly liberating. The training emphasized how the attuned presence of the therapist is the crucible for transformation, and provides the relational field necessary for deep healing to occur. The effectiveness of this work has been evidenced by the significant progress of my clients since taking this course, particularly those clients with whom I previously struggled.

Deany Laliotis is an exceptional trainer and therapist, and beautifully demonstrated how the process of EMDR therapy can go beyond symptom relief, to become a life affirming and joyful process for both client and therapist.