Understanding and working with aggression & violence in Children within the context of EMDR therapy, complex trauma & dissociation

Aggression and violence in children are multifaceted and intricate issues with a compound of underlying causes. Violent children must self-organize to meet the internal and external demands of having to co-exist with daily reminders of their trauma. They carry truncated defenses, internalization of wounding attachment figures, trauma bonds and shame which lay at the core of their challenges. Dysregulation, emotional constriction and dissociation become part of their inner everyday reality. Aggression directed toward others as well as self-attacks, self-betrayal and shame are often present in severely traumatized children, constituting one of the biggest challenges for EMDR therapists. The presence of perpetrator-imitating parts that hold a strong attachment to wounding figures is at the core of the major conflicts inside the dissociative system and with-it incidents of self-harm or violent acts towards others. This keynote presentation will support clinicians in understanding the origins of aggression in children within the context of complex trauma and dissociation as well as providing a framework to conceptualize and work with self- and other-directed aggression and hostility in children within the eight phases of EMDR therapy. Portals and entry routes into shaming, hostile and aggressive parts that are developmentally appropriate for children will be provided. How to utilize a multimodal approach within the EMDR framework and incorporate the use of metaphors, play therapy, Sandtray and expressive arts strategies will be covered. How to join the child while providing the companionship, containment, co-regulation and co-organization of their experiences which provide the foundation for integration and healing to take place will be addressed. Parts work and tips on the labor that is often needed with hostile, critical and perpetrator-loyal and perpetrator imitating parts will be covered as well as the systemic work that needs to accompany the treatment of such children. Top down and bottom-up approaches and strategies will be covered as well as ways to titrate the entrance into the embodied mind of the agressive and violent child.

Conference

English

Ana M. Gomez
Sue-Anne Hunter

Gomez, A. M., Hunter, & S.-A. (2021, October). Understanding and working with aggression & violence in Children within the context of EMDR therapy, complex trauma & dissociation. Presentation at the EMDRAA Conference, Virtual