Ask your questions and I will try to answer them or find someone to answer them. We may not be able to address all the questions that are asked, but my goal is to create a go-to resource when new EMDR trainees get stuck or have questions about how to proceed with clients with severe trauma. These responses are not meant to be definitive and they are not a substitute for comprehensive case consultation about your unique and specific client. Episodes will be released as captioned videos with full text that are about ten minutes or less each, with the goal of most being less than five minutes. If you are a consultant or CIT and would like to contribute to this project, let me know by using this form. Again, not all contributions may be used.
More comprehensive explorations of many of these topics may be found on the EMDR Podcast or in the book EMDR With Complex Trauma.
Special Populations/Contexts
Before We Start Questions
- If You are Overwhelmed by EMDR and Your Complex Clients (4:38 min)
- What is Adaptive Information and Why Is It So Important in EMDR Therapy? (6:17 min)
- Getting “Doctor Permission” to Do EMDR Therapy with Leslie Pertz (14:21 min)
- Making Peace with Sensible Modifications in EMDR Therapy (3:52 min)
Blocking Belief Questions
- A Deeper Look at What Blocking Beliefs Are in EMDR Therapy (6:25 min)
- Some Options for Working with Blocking Beliefs in EMDR Therapy (10:15 min)
Case Conceptualization/Treatment Planning Questions
Preparation Questions
- How to Know When a Client is Prepared Enough to Start Processing Memories in EMDR Therapy? (6:52 min)
- When Complex Clients Insist on Doing EMDR Processing Immediately (2:25 min)
- Resourcing and Adaptive Information with Jenna Burton (10:31 min)
- Resourcing and Adaptive Information with Patricia Rotsztain (14:28 min)
Where to Start with Complex Trauma?
- The Boat and the Fish Metaphor in EMDR Therapy (5:12 min)
- The Marathon, Mount Everest, and The Video Game Metaphors for EMDR Therapy (3:31min)
Processing Phases General Questions
- The Client Starts Phase Four and “Nothing” Comes in EMDR Therapy (9:15 min)
- The Client Tells Me Only Thoughts in Phase Four of EMDR Therapy (5:11 min)
- When the Client Narrates the Memory Only in EMDR Therapy (4:51 min)
- Why Some Clients Don’t Want to Do EMDR Therapy After Successfully Doing Some EMDR Therapy (9:07 min)
- Understanding the SUDs in EMDR Therapy (4:22 min)
- How Many Sessions are Too Many for a Single Memory in EMDR Therapy? (5:44 min)
- Parts are Not the Problem in EMDR Therapy (2:36 min)
Processing Phases Managing Activation
- Why Options to More Tolerably Interact with the Memory are Helpful with Complex Trauma in EMDR Therapy (5:48 min)
- Putting a Fence Around the Memory (5:04 min)
- When Already Activated, Don’t Keep Looking at the Memory (3:50 min)
- Using a Bean Bag to Help Manage Activation (1:49 min)
- Using the Videotape Approach to Put a Gate on the Memory Channel (6:07 min)
Reevaluation Questions
If you a therapist who has completed your foundational training, you can sign up for low-cost group or individual consultation with Thomas Zimmerman to explore your questions or complex cases. If you have not consulted with me before, you can use coupon code: 2025 to get 50% off your first group consultation.
365 Questions About EMDR With Complex Trauma 