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.
How to reach high-performers who resist "trauma therapy"
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Hey there, High-stress professionals desperately need EMDR. But there’s an issue: They don't see themselves as trauma clients. Many first responders, special operators, and executives are struggling with unprocessed trauma, but traditional therapeutic approaches often miss the mark with these populations. And even though these clients carry enormous emotional burdens and desperately need trauma processing, they don’t often respond to "trauma therapy" language. So how do you help them effectively? In this episode of EMDRIA’s Let's Talk EMDR Podcast, I explore the unique clinical considerations when working with high-stress professionals: ✓ Why high-performers may resist traditional therapy (and how to reframe EMDR as nervous system education) ✓ How to address the "my problems aren't worthy" mindset that blocks treatment for many veterans and first responders (and other high-performers) ✓ How the Protocol Modification Decision Tree can help EMDR therapists better conceptualize cases and meet clients wherever they’re at ✓ My personal experience with EMDR as client, therapist, and consultant Listen to the episode: >>> [PODCAST] Using EMDR Therapy for High-Stress Professionals Until next time, Chris |
EMDR Therapist Weekly
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.
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...
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...
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...