Readiness for trauma processing: EMDR therapists’ perspectives on adults with complex trauma

EMDR therapists often face uncertainty when deciding when clients are ready to transition to the trauma-focused phase of EMDR therapy. This uncertainty can be particularly pronounced for newly trained EMDR therapists and when working with clients presenting with complex trauma. Research on how EMDR therapists make these client readiness decisions is scant, and there appears to be a gap in understanding EMDR therapists’ perspectives on assessing client readiness for trauma processing, particularly with adults experiencing complex trauma.

Therefore, this study examines Australian EMDR therapists’ perceptions of client readiness for trauma processing in adults with complex trauma. It explores how therapists assess readiness, the strategies they find effective, and the challenges and barriers they face. It also examines their views on whether a practical guide or framework could support clinical decision-making and help inform the development of such a guide.

This presentation will report survey results from the first phase of the pragmatic mixed-methods study and provide insights into Australian EMDR therapists’ decision-making regarding transitioning clients with complex trauma to the trauma-processing phase. These findings contribute to the evidence base for EMDR and support clinical decision-making in trauma-focused treatment.

Conference

English

Kim Golda

Golda, K. (2026, May). Readiness for trauma processing: EMDR therapists’ perspectives on adults with complex trauma. Poster presentation at the annual EMDRAA Conference, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia