What happens when you see a therapist for an issue you are having, only to discover that there is another underlying issue fueling the first? Patty Cabot met EMDR Certified Therapist and Consultant Leah Leatherbee, LCSW-R, to help with her eating disorder, which was driven by years of sexual abuse. How can EMDR therapy help? Focal Point Blog: EMDR Therapy and Eating Disorders by Marnie DavisGo With That MagazineTM: EMDR Therapy and Eating Disorders (login req), Volume 28, Issue 4, Fall ...

How does EMDR therapy help children and teens make sense of the internal fragmentation of dissociation? An active and flexible approach to EMDR makes therapists bolder in leading young people to trauma work, even in cases with significant and complex early trauma. Children and teens have unique developmental challenges. How does an EMDR therapist structure the participation and support of attachment figures? EMDR certified therapist, consultant trainer, and play therapist Ann Beckley-Fo...

Did you know that one person dies from an eating disorder every hour? Did you also know that EMDR therapy can help? EMDR-certified therapist and consultant Marnie Davis, MA. LMHC discusses her experience with clients who have eating disorders and how EMDR therapy heals. Jim Knipe's Loving Eyes ProtocolWhat is AIP (Adaptive Information Processing)? Internal Family Systems National Alliance for Eating DisordersThe Positive Treatment Goal by A.J. Popky Focal Point Blog: EMDR ...

Cancer. HIV/Aids. Long Covid. Back, joint, and muscular-skeletal pain. Pulmonary diseases. What do these all have in common? They are considered a serious illness. People who deal with them are usually in it for the long run. Serious illness is a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality AND either negatively impacts a person's daily function or quality of life, OR excessively strains their caregivers, according to the U.S. National Institutes for Health. Can EMDR therapy h...

According to the U.S. National Institute for Mental Health, an estimated 4.7 percent of the population experience a panic disorder at some time in their lives. They define a panic disorder as "an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms that may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress. These episodes occur “out of the blue,” not in conjunction with a known fear or...

A study in 2022 from the National Council of Youth Sports reported that 60 million youths between the ages of six and 18 are playing organized sports. Yet, seven out of those 10 youths dropped out by age 13. Can past traumas impact an athlete's performance? Yes, says EMDR-certified therapist and consultant Jennie Abito Carlestav, LMFT. Learn more about how EMDR therapy can help to heal those traumas and improve performance in sports, the workplace and performing and the creative arts. ...

According to the U.S. Census 2019, there were an estimated 22.9 million Asian Americans, 1.6 million Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), together accounting for 7.2 percent of the nation's population. The percentage of Asian alone-or-in-combination military veterans in 2021 was 2.4 percent. While the population numbers might seem small, the AANPHI community has also been touched by trauma. Enter EMDR Certified Therapist and Consultant-in-Training Sherry Yam, LCSW, to...

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S.  In 2021, 48,183 Americans died by suicide and 1.70 million attempts. The numbers tracked by the World Health Organization are more staggering: more than 700,000 people die each year by suicide.  How can EMDR therapy help those considering or who have attempted and the family/friends they leave behind? EMDR Certified Therapist and Consultant Marlene Kenney talks to us about how...

What is moral injury, and who can it impact? Moral injury, as defined by this episode's guest is: It is an existential and or spiritual crisis. that can be the consequence of having been trained to override the intrinsic and instinctive aversion to the taking of human life, that it is about killing, which is an act that can't be undone. And that humans are not prepared for the aftermath of that. It can also be the consequence of having engaged in combat operations, however necessary at the...

What does it mean to create an anti-oppressive EMDR therapy practice? It means that EMDR therapists take account of the impact of power, inequity, and oppression on people and actively combat it.  How can EMDR therapists offer anti-oppressive EMDR therapy for the LGBTQA+ community? EMDR-certified therapist, consultant, and trainer Roshni Chabra, LMFT tells us how.  Resources: The Trevor ProjectPray Away Netflix Documentary (Trigger Warning)Let's Talk EMDR podcast  EMDR for Vicarious Trauma...

The global COVID-19 pandemic forced us to find new ways to do things. Providing therapy was no different. Because of this, EMDRIA created Online EMDR Therapy Resources for its members. As the world emerged from lockdown, many EMDR therapists continued to see clients virtually. Are there potential tools that can help facilitate therapy sessions? Yes, says Tjeu Theunissen, a Dutch Ph.D. candidate, clinical psychologist, and EMDR therapist. He founded two E-health start-ups that focused on using...

The Cleveland Clinic defines neurodivergent as people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. How can EMDR therapists work with this population, and what do they need to know to serve their clients? EMDR-certified therapist and consultant Laurel Thornton discusses EMDR therapy, neurodiversity, and the neurodivergent.  The Network Balance Model of Trauma and Resolution - Level 1: Large-Scale Neural Networks, Journal of EMDR Practice & Research, D. Eric Chamberlin, Volume ...

What is vicarious trauma, and how can EMDR therapy help? How does our constant connection to images on the news or social media impact us? How do EMDR therapists find outlets for the trauma that they see and hear in their clients?  Find out more from EMDR UK Accredited EMDR Therapist Lee Anna Simmons in this episode.  Resources Headington Institute"Vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout: Tools for EMDR therapists," EMDR Therapy Quarterly, Autumn 2023,  EMDR U.K."Vicarious Trauma...

Anxiety is intense, excessive, persistent worry and fears about everyday situations. Four percent of the world's population experiences anxiety disorders. That may not sound like a large number, but it equals more than 301 million people worldwide. Can EMDR therapy help? EMDR-certified therapist Nancy Andino, LCSW, CASAC, says yes. Find out how EMDR therapy can heal anxiety.  EMDRIA Online EMDR Therapy ResourcesEMDRIA Client Brochures Focal Point  BlogEMDRIA Practice ResourcesEMDRIA's Find...

Religious and spiritual trauma is often an overlooked experience that enormously impacts generations. As more and more humans decide to leave organized religions or join cults, we are understanding the effects of those experiences as traumatic and adverse. Listen to Cassidy DuHadway, LCSW, discuss adverse religious experiences and how they lead to foundational belief systems that present as complex trauma. Concepts of religious messaging, shame, enmeshment, attachment, and negative spiritual...

EMDR has evolved from a simple desensitization technique to a broad-based psychotherapy approach, revolutionizing how EMDR therapists understand change and their treatment approach.  From early intervention protocols that address recent traumatic events for individuals and groups to ongoing psychotherapy, EMDR is not cookie-cutter. Its robust methodology has stood the test of time and research in the last three decades. Find out more with EMDR-certified therapist, trainer, and consultant...

According to the World Health Organization, 5 percent of the world's population suffers from depression. Out of 7.88 billion people on the planet, that's approximately 350,000,000 human beings suffering. Learn what EMDR therapist, trainer, and researcher Dr. Sarah Dominguez says about how EMDR therapy can help people with depression.  "Every Memory Deserves Respect: EMDR, the Proven Trauma Therapy with the Power to Heal" by Michael Baldwin and Dr. Deborah KornDavid Archer's Let's Talk EMDR...

According to the dictionary, grief is "the anguish experienced after a difficult loss, usually the death of a beloved person." So, all of us share this at some point in our lives. How does grief impact our ability to function? What is complicated grief? Can you overcome your grief? EMDR-certified therapist, consultant, and trainer Tamra L. Hughes discusses how EMDR therapy can help heal grieving.  EMDRIA Online EMDR Therapy ResourcesEMDRIA Client Brochures Focal Point BlogEMDRIA Practice...

Johns Hopkins University defines chronic pain as "long-standing pain that persists beyond the usual recovery period or occurs along with a chronic health condition, such as arthritis." According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, an "estimated 50 million adults experience chronic pain." Can EMDR therapy help with chronic pain? We talked to EMDR-certified therapist and consultant Gary Brothers, LCSW,  to learn more. Gary Brothers' BLS Drum Therapy...

According to an August 3, 2023,Wall Street Journal article, "Researchers estimate that one in five new mothers in the U.S. suffers from mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth—about 800,000 mothers yearly. Yet studies show that a large majority of women who suffer from maternal mental health disorders aren’t able to get help."  World Health Organization (WHO) statistics echo the same: "Almost 1 in 5 women will experience a mental health condition during...

The COVID-19 Pandemic forced EMDR therapists to find new ways to connect with their clients. How can an EMDR therapist provide EMDR therapy virtually? Is it as effective? How can you secure the client's health information because of HIPPA? Sharon Rollins, EMDR-certified therapist, trainer, and consultant, details how she implemented virtual therapy with her clients and why it works well for many.  EMDRIA Online EMDR Therapy ResourcesEMDRIA Client Brochures Comprehensive Demo on Offering BLS...

What is an EMDR therapy intensive? Find out what EMDR-certified therapist and consultant Robert A. Grigore, MCC, RCC, has to say about them. Learn how EMDR intensives can help to heal trauma, how to find an EMDR therapist who knows how to do intensives, what to ask your potential EMDR therapist about certifications, their area of expertise, and what you need to know as a potential client. Resources Intensive EMDR to Treat Patients With Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series,...

First responders spend their careers working in and around their communities to protect the safety and welfare of citizens. They experience daily personal and professional exposure to traumatic incidents. Enter EMDR therapy and EMDR-certified therapists like Kate Pieper, MFT. She has spent most of her 30-year counseling career working with firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and police officers. Learn more about how EMDR therapy helps this population, what kind of education, experience, and...

According to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, complex trauma is "both children’s exposure to multiple traumatic events—often of an invasive, interpersonal nature—and the wide-ranging, long-term effects of this exposure. These events are severe and pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect. They usually occur early in life and can disrupt many aspects of the child’s development and the formation of a sense of self. Since these events often occur with a caregiver, they interfere...