EMDR with adoptee children, young people and the family system

The presentation will discuss the hypothesis that there is a connection between presenting symptoms in adoptee children and young people and unprocessed pre-verbal trauma. The science of neglect has shown that emotional deprivation can have lifelong impacts and affects how we attach and form relationships. During the presentation I will explore the meaning of relinquishment trauma and the impacts on the whole nervous system, including the body and brain. I will speak to the importance of a sound theoretical understanding of neurobiology and attachment and provide rationale supporting the need to work with the whole family system when working with this population. Dissociation in relation to a deficit of integration in children who learn to disconnect in order to survive, will also be explored and how this differs from adult dissociation. I will use case examples throughout the presentation to show how I incorporate this theoretical framework into my work with adoptee children, young people and their families, including clinical decisions around my integration of family work and EMDR. Case studies will include examples of using storytelling methods and standard protocol with adaptation for children and young people; playful and creative ways of engaging in phases 2 and 3; and resource development to extend the window of tolerance. My presentation will conclude with the position of hope, (using clinical examples), of knowing that just because a life started out with a certain attachment pattern does not mean that is how it has to stay for the rest of the adoptee child or young person’s life.

Conference

English

Janine Manderfeld

Manderfeld, J. (2024, May). EMDR with adoptee children, young people and the family system. Keynote presented at the EMDRAA Conference, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia