Tools for EMDR and Trauma therapists who work with complex trauma, dissociation and neurodivergence.
The Art of Preparation: Expressive Arts Strategies for Phase 2 of EMDR Therapy
Pricing & Continuing Education Credit:$115 Generative Access $95 Traditional/Sustaining Access $75 Supported Access
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Sam Bergstein LISW-S, LCSW, REAT, EMDRIA-Approved Consultant
Tools for EMDR and Trauma therapists who work with complex trauma, dissociation and neurodivergence.
I went to EMDRIA with a booth full of rainbows, art supplies, BLS Arcade, parts-work tools, tiny expressive arts kits, and approximately seventeen thousand ideas. I came home with more ideas. Rude. 😂 ↓ Hi! One comment I heard several times was some version of, “This looks so cool, but I don’t work with kids.” I mostly work with adults! I think we still have this weird idea that play and creativity belong to children, or that adults need to be “artistic” for expressive approaches to make...
Here's something that doesn't come up enough in EMDR training: bilateral stimulation is not one-size-fits-all. ↓ For many clients, a standard light bar or moving dot works just fine. But for clients with sensory sensitivities, high baseline arousal, ADHD, autism, or complex trauma histories, that same tool can actually work against you. The sterile, clinical quality of a basic light bar can keep a client's protective system on alert. The repetitive, unvarying movement can cause a...
We talk a lot about pacing in trauma therapy. But sometimes pacing isn't about speed. It is about proximity. ↓ When a client starts to flood, asking them to "slow down" doesn't always work. The material is already too close. They may need distance. I use a visual tool called the Distancing Menu. It gives clients different ways to interact with hard material without being consumed by it. I'm a big fan of menus for many reasons. Instead of finding the words to explain what they need, they can...