Tools to Aid EMDR Therapist in Case Conceptualization and Preparation

In my experience over the past twelve years of training psychotherapists in EMDR basic training, most report having difficulty working with clients who have very complex trauma in their background. The difficulty arises in identifying when and how to proceed with EMDR processing.  Therapist report concerns about their clients becoming overwhelmed by the EMDR process. They report receiving little or no education in their graduate program on recognizing dissociation.  Therefore, it is not surprising that the greatest criticism of EMDR is that it can be overwhelming to the client.  The powerfulness of the process makes EMDR so effective and yet very scary for some therapist when they are not sure of what they are observing and have no frame of reference.
    While EMDR does not cause dissociation, it does act as a lightning rod if dissociation is present in the client. Paulson and the EMDR task force created strategies using EMDR with ego state work. While the DES is a helpful tool to identify dissociation other tools are available to identify core beliefs that guide the client’s decision-making and coping skills.  Van der Hart identified that dissociation occurs on a spectrum, which may not be identified by the DES. 
 Jeffery Young’s schema approach conceptualizes a model of treatment for complex cases that can be combined with EMDR to get the most profound results. Theses additional tools help with making the approach to processing more strategic and smoother for therapist and client. These tools give therapist quick feedback and confidence in how to proceed in the case conceptualization and history-taking phase. 
     In my advanced training,"For Complex Trauma Found in Personality, Addictive and Dissociative Disorders", I help to increase the therapist's skills in processing EMDR with complex cases. Course objectives include: providing tools to the therapist to quickly assess the emotional needs of the client and develop personal resources designed for that patient. Learn the inner psychic experiences of their patients through schema testing for targeting and processing core beliefs that interfere with functioning and happiness. Gain skills on how to stabilize addictive disorder patients and weave EMDR into their treatment plan. Address the phobia of attachments and affect that interferes in developing healthy relationships with complex trauma and dissociative clients. This 14 hr course was developed from research applications and clinical case studies reported by myself and other EMDR therapist. The workshop is a EMDRIA credit  approved workshop.  For more information, to register for a workshop, go to www.emdrtrainer.com