Hey there, One of the most common questions I get in consultation (and one that the protocol calls for) is some version of this: How do I know when my client is ready for EMDR? It’s easy to feel the pressure to move quickly. Clients want relief, we want to deliver results, and standard training often makes Phase 2 sound like something you breeze through in two sessions before getting to the "actual" work. That’s why today, I want to walk through what I look for before transitioning a client...
15 days ago • 6 min read
Hey there, If you've practiced EMDR for any length of time, maybe you've had a session like this: You’re in Phase 2, introducing the Container or Calm Place, and your client squints, pauses, and says, "I just see black. I can't picture anything." You might’ve first considered that your client is being resistant, severely dissociative, or just distracted, as many therapists do. The answer is often much simpler than that: Some clients can't visualize. In fact, roughly 3-5% of the population has...
22 days ago • 6 min read
The EMDR Therapist Weekly aims to provide a weekly dose of insights, tools, and opportunities for EMDR therapists; designed to support your growth, sharpen your practice, and connect you with what's next. To achieve this, we occasionally invite subject matter experts as guest writers. I'm excited to introduce a returning guest writer this week: Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S Dr. Quaranta-Leech is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Trainer, and...
29 days ago • 7 min read
Hey there, We’ve all had therapy sessions go sideways. Maybe a veteran's target selection kept unraveling as you got deeper in, or a pregnant client's activation climbed higher than you'd planned for. When this happens, it’s easy to feel like the standard protocol has failed us. Most of us EMDR therapists (and likely you too) learned about special populations one hard case at a time. The issue is, basic training only gives us a protocol, but not a lot of nuance about when to adapt it, and for...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Hey there, Being an EMDR consultant has always required a high degree of clinical agility. And lately, external macro pressures are making the consultation room feel a lot more complex. Beyond navigating EMDRIA's recent consultant standards updates, consultants right now are managing TWO overlapping challenges. One which has been ongoing for several years, the other is more recent since the boom of AI: Ongoing Challenge: Consultees are arriving with wildly inconsistent training. New...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hey there, Phase 2 doesn’t get the credit it deserves. At least, not in the way it’s commonly taught as a rigid checklist. I often see clinicians treat Preparation as a brief pitstop (in other words, a necessary chore to “get through” before Phase 4 begins). But in my clinical experience, I’ve seen time and time again how rushing through resourcing is actually the fastest way to stall a client's progress. That’s why today, I’d like to explore what it takes to build a solid foundation so you...
2 months ago • 5 min read
The EMDR Therapist Weekly aims to provide a weekly dose of insights, tools, and opportunities for EMDR therapists; designed to support your growth, sharpen your practice, and connect you with what's next. To achieve this, we occasionally invite subject matter experts as guest writers. I'm excited to introduce another guest writer this week: Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S Dr. Quaranta-Leech is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Trainer, and COO of...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey there, Have you ever run into a client who struggles to access or benefit from a calming resource the way the protocol intended? You walk them through the setup, they follow along, and they tell you they have an image, but something is missing. The felt sense isn't there, the imagery feels flat, or they return the next week and admit that when panic hit mid-week, the tool "just didn't work." If you've practiced EMDR for any length of time, you've probably hit this wall before. Container...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hey there, Here's a scenario that's probably familiar: A new client sits down across from you. They've been referred for trauma. They've done some research, read a few articles online, and now they're looking at you with that mix of curiosity and skepticism that's become really common with EMDR. "So... we're going to move my eyes back and forth? And that's supposed to help me with what happened to me?" You've answered this question a hundred times. Or the question from a counseling colleague...
3 months ago • 7 min read