Developmental trauma: Using EMDR therapy to heal attachment wounds in children

Trauma occurring chronically and early in life impacts neurobiological development, memory integration, and identity formation. Many of these experiences occur when cognitive capacities are not yet developed and the right, nonverbal, emotionally-connected mind governs. This results in hidden burdens that become core organizers of the individual’s sense of self. The COVID pandemic has exacerbated previous trauma in children and their parents as they had to endure losses, seclusion, financial hardships, lack of social support and much more. This resulted in a distressed caregiving system that was forced to move out of connection and co-regulation into self- preservation and survival This presentation will focus on practical and creative strategies for working with children and their parents that have been impacted by environments that failed to provide the relational building blocks needed to attain a secure sense of self. Preparation strategies and protocols will be presented that increase affect tolerance and state change capacities. A multifactor model (Gomez) of stabilization is presented with various central organizers that facilitate the structuring and configuration of preparation phase with complex cases. Concepts from the Adaptive Information Processing Model, interpersonal neurobiology, structural dissociation, the polyvagal theory and attachment theory are utilized throughout the training. The capacity of the therapist to synchronize and align moment to moment to the client’s system is emphasized. Furthermore, the use of parts work to resource the "wounded self" and "the child's little self" will be addressed. The use of a number of interweaves will be presented. These includes reparative interweaves, storytelling interweaves and intergenerational tales among others.

Conference

English

Ana M. Gomez

Gomez, A. M. (2021, October). Developmental trauma: Using EMDR therapy to heal attachment wounds in children. Pre-recorded presentation at the EMDRAA Conference, Virtual