“Fostering resilience as an aid to the EMDR process”

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficult experiences, promoting successful adaptation in the face of adverse life events. Current research indicates that stressful and traumatic events experienced at specific times during childhood lead to significant problems in adulthood including anxiety, depression, dissociation, and a lack of resilience to successfully recover from later stressful events. Frequently, these children have difficulty developing positive beliefs about Self that carry on into adulthood and prevent them from being resilient with an ability to engage in their life in satisfactory ways. It is also documented that what the mind thinks, visualizes, and tells itself, the body responds as if it is real. In addition, current brain research tells us that by focusing the mind on specific topics the brain can develop new neural networks and pathways that create new maps for attitude and behavioral changes. Based on the resource development work of Deborah Korn and the active imagery/hypnosis work of Milton Erickson, this workshop will demonstrate three engaging exercises: 1) Develop Connections to Positive Qualities of Self, 2) Enhance Healthy Attachment, and 3) Create Positive Childhood Experiences. This enables the client to: 1) engage their system to build and strengthen connections to positive qualities of self, 2) think more positively about themselves 3) more fully engage in the EMDR process and tolerate strong reactions while processing traumatic material, 4) behave in ways that foster this positive growth, and 5) release dysfunctional beliefs that get in the way of strengthening these positive qualities.

Conference

English

Patricia Thatcher

Thatcher, P. (2017, April). “Fostering resilience as an aid to the EMDR process.” Presentation at the 13th Western Mass EMDRIA Regional Network Spring Conference, Amherst MA