EMDR and Telehealth Mastery Course

How the EMDR Approach Works

• The neuroscience of exposure therapy and cognitive therapy
• The neuroscience of relaxation exercises
• EMDR and other "transformative therapies"
• Why EMDR works so well from a brain perspective

Trauma Symptoms and Assessment Tools

• Traumatic memories and intrusive thoughts 
• Phobias and anxiety: Insula hyperactivation 
• Emotional hijackings and implicit memory 
• Avoidance cluster of symptoms
• Why treating avoidance in trauma is critical 
• DSM-5® symptoms in a nutshell 
• Connecting to a diagnosis
• Simple vs. complex trauma 
• Intergenerational trauma
• Symptom clusters and physical manifestations
• CAPS-5 and PCL-5
• Primary Care PTSD Screen 
• Dual diagnosis

Overcome Avoidance with EMDR

• Dual awareness
• What you are thinking about is the network you’re in
• Activate networks for change
• Neurons that fire together, wire together (Hebb’s Rule)
• EMDR as neuroentrainment

When to Use EMDR in Treatment

• Demonstrations and experiential exercises 
• Single event trauma
• Anxiety disorders involving imaginal exposure

EMDR Trauma Treatment

• The Original 8-Phase Model
• Client history and treatment planning 
• How to resource: Create a safe space
• Assessment: Choose a target, SUDS, connect with the image/emotions/thought
• Desensitization: Tactile vs. auditory vs. eye movement
• How to use touchpoints, Theratapper, CDs
• Positive Cognition Installation: Likert scale 1-7
• Body Scan: Locate tension and distress in the body
• Closure: Close the neural network and the 6-hour window
• Re-evaluation

Demonstration of Original 8-Phase Model

• Presenter demonstration
• Attendee dyad practice of the 8-phase model

EMDR Techniques to Resolve Traumatic Memories

• Modifications for Complex/Developmental Trauma
• Do not use standard protocol - Rationale for modifications
• Resourcing strategies
• Techniques to reinforce and activate positive neural networks
• Relevance of Polyvagal Theory, early trauma, and EMDR
• Sensory motor modifications and somatic approaches
• How to build Dual Awareness
• EMDR techniques to bring traumatic memories from the limbic system into the prefrontal cortex

Assess the Appropriateness of Virtual EMDR for Clients

• Establishing safety
• Creating Resources
• Dual awareness options
• Informed consent

Common Barriers to Virtual EMDR Treatment

• Keeping a consistent environment
• Distractions
• Checking on physical responses
• Safety in the environment

Ways to Increase Attunement in Virtual EMDR Sessions

• Accounting for cultural differences and physical environments
• How to create close proximity with your camera
• Attuned breathing on virtual platforms

Eye Movement Resources for Telehealth Practitioners Using EMDR

• Bi-lateral stimulation and its importance in the EMDR process
• Dual attention methods (eye movements, tapping, tappers, sound)
• Bilateral stimulation via video
• Butterfly hug
• Congruent tapping
• Sound pulses
• Other eye movement strategies
• Apps and BLS online resources

Addressing Safety in Virtual EMDR

• How to Manage the Potential Risks of Not Being There In-Person
• Establishing a visually safe environment
• Crisis intervention and safety plans
• Managing/assessing for relapse or maladaptive coping

EMDR for Direct Treatment of Traumatic Memories via Telehealth

• Attachment-based interventions in a disconnected world
• Interweaves for blocked processing
• Treating grief and loss
• Creating connection through parts work
• Working with isolation
• Creating empowerment and self-efficacy from a distance platform

Attachment-Based Trauma and Parts Work with Virtual EMDR

• How attachment styles impact processing
• Identifying the different roles that ‘parts’ play in traumatic healing and survival
• How to utilize and acknowledge ‘parts’ in EMDR processing
• Interventions and techniques to bring ‘parts’ forward for healing
• Techniques and tools for working with addicted ‘parts’ during EMDR