Integrating the innate healing wisdom of the body to EMDR therapy

As an integrative, transdiagnostic trauma treatment, EMDR therapy involves: the mind and memory; the body and nervous system; and connection to self, clinician, and others. In this presentation Sarah will highlight how in each phase of EMDR - from history taking, case conceptualisation, preparation, target assessment, memory reprocessing, to integration – we work in relationship with our clients with the storage of memory and the body’s autonomic protective responses to heal from comorbid trauma presentations across the life span. This keynote highlights how moment-to-moment we work somatically through coregulation to heal. The aim is to enhance conscious awareness of this attuned bidirectional synchrony as a clinician (Dion, 2018), give language to working at the level of neuroception and somatic information, and to consider techniques to create safe and trusting presence as the foundation of therapy – As no human heals alone. This presentation encourages you to think outside of the box, by integrating knowledge of sensorimotor psychotherapy (Ogden & Fischer, 2015) and polyvagal theory and techniques (Dana, 2021; Porges, 2021) to enhance healing in EMDR Therapy whilst maintaining fidelity (Kase, 2023). The magic of EMDR is not what we do, but how we be with, hear, feel, and befriend our client’s minds and bodies.

Conference

English

Sarah Schubert

Schubert, S. (2024, May). Integrating the innate healing wisdom of the body to EMDR therapy. Keynote presented at the EMDRAA Conference, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia