EMDR with children & adolescents: Play therapy techniques to increase engagement with EMDR Phases 1-4

Looking for resources to implement EMDR with children and adolescents? Join me for video case presentations demonstrating play therapy techniques for EMDR phases 1-4. We’ll focus on developmentally appropriate ways to increase client engagement while maintaining fidelity to the protocol. EMDR is an effective treatment for PTSD and traumatic stress symptoms for adults and with modification, for children and adolescents. However, engaging children and teens in the early phases of the EMDR protocol can be challenging. Youth can struggle with emotional regulation for state change, have difficulty maintaining the dual-focus for processing, and be avoidant of approaching their previous traumatic experiences directly. Play therapy is an evidence-based form of therapy that provides a framework for the modifications needed to use EMDR with children/adolescents. This presentation for EMDR-trained clinicians will provide tools for bringing together EMDR & play therapy techniques to engage young clients. Participants will explore the signs of traumatic stress for each age group, learn to recognize avoidance, where children/teens get “stuck” during therapy, and explore three ways play therapy can help engage clients: 1) make it playful (developmentally appropriate titration), 2) externalize further, and 3) develop needed resources.

Conference

English

DeLyn Griffin

Griffin, D. (2024, August). EMDR with children & adolescents: Play therapy techniques to increase engagement with EMDR Phases 1-4. Presentation at the HAP Conference, Philadelphia, PA