As trauma therapists, we understand that when we’re “triggered” by present situations that are similar to what we’ve been through before, the most important thing is to know that we’re triggered. We all know what it’s like to be “in it” rather than observing our reactions. To use a common metaphor...
Winter is only a month away and with its shorter days and longer nights, we can expect, again this year, a spike in cases of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is recognized as a major depressive disorder that...
The issue of fidelity has been around for as long as EMDR has been in existence. In the early days, before any training and accreditation standards existed, we discussed our cases together informally. We shared our fears and our mistakes as well as our triumphs. Francine published a newsletter with...
It has been two and a half years since COVID turned our world upside down. Images of death and dying flooded our screens, minds and bodies. The heroism of essential workers and their sacrifices weighed down our hearts. Death tallies rose daily with no...
In EMDR therapy, the resolution of a Target Memory is defined as a SUD of 0, VOC of 7 and a clear Body Scan. That means the client experiences no actual distress when bringing up what remains of the memory. The client also resonates with their positive belief to be “absolutely true,” about...
You’ve finished your Basic Training and are excited to take your next steps. You now have this powerful, transformative therapy approach to offer, but what happens next?
I know the leap from training to practice is a scary one. I remember that feeling well from my own experience as a fledgling EMDR...
What is Mindfulness Really?
Incorporating mindfulness sounds like a good idea, right? We’ve all been inundated with versions of mindfulness over the last several decades. It’s become a popular transtheoretical concept that informs many spiritual and therapeutic practices. For us as therapists, it...
It’s a predictable cycle.
I’ve always considered myself to be brave overriding my insecurities while practicing new skills in front of other people. It’s a predictable cycle. I start a new training feeling skilled. I learn something new and experience confusion. I finally integrate what I learned...
One of the cornerstones of EMDR therapy is the importance of staying out of the way and “letting whatever happens, happen.” That makes sense when you consider that EMDR was originally developed as a desensitization technique...
How is EMDR therapy different from any other type of psychotherapy? It is unique in giving the brain the opportunity to access an experience as it was encoded at the time, bringing it into conscious awareness. We call that dual awareness—knowing that...
While on our career paths, we are always in the process of learning how to become better at we do, while resisting the urge to be hard on ourselves for being imperfect while we continue to grow and develop ourselves and our clinical acumen. You are inundated with...
Manuals are filled with rules, procedural steps and protocols and they are perfect for people who want a step-by-step approach, kind of like a recipe for a good meal. Anyone who’s trained with me has seen me pick up the EMDR manual and say—Here are the basic core elements of this model. Yes, you...