All Things EMDR | Insights from the EMDR Europe Conference

All Things EMDR | Insights from the EMDR Europe Conference

All Things EMDR | Insights from the EMDR Europe Conference

One thing I love about EMDR is… you will hear many of my sentences start this way because there really is so much that I love! This week what I love is the way EMDR is intercultural. I was at the EMDR Europe conference at which nearly 2,000 people were in attendance and represented 26 countries worldwide. The foundation for all training in EMDR is the Standard Protocol as put forth in Francine Shapiro’s text Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. From here protocols for populations have been developed from clinicians all over. In a profession that has tended to be Western-focused, EMDR is a truly integrative and inclusive approach to the therapy process. 

The conference the year was in Dublin, Ireland, and had a topic of Pathways to Peace. For three days I read about up-and-coming research from clinicians worldwide. These consisted of the integration of VR into EMDR processing, use for the military, use for people in ongoing stress and political crisis, and expansion of established protocols to populations such as chronic medical conditions and the caretakers for these individuals. The use of working memory exhaustion techniques is even being looked at for aiding the treatment of difficult-to-treat trauma cases. These researchers are working with the same protocols developed by Francine Shapiro and those who have continued to develop EMDR therapy. New protocols are also continuing to be developed for specific populations while adhering to the 8-phase, 3-pronged approach which is the hallmark of EMDR therapy. 

Presentations I attended focused on the need for attachment and attunement in the EMDR process (I will have a whole post on this at a later date!), the use of EMDR and Jim Knipe’s concepts of defenses in treatment of love addiction, and EMDR protocols to treat moral injury. Others were on the use of EMDR in highly dissociative populations, working with bipolar individuals, and how to adjust protocols for use with personality-disordered individuals. Again, these presentations take place from clinicians worldwide who are continuing to engage in learning, work, and research. Isn’t this exciting????

As I spoke with clinicians from Italy, Ireland, France, Israel, Ukraine, Netherlands, Sweden and so many other places I found a passion for the work and a desire to continue to learn more about how they can be a change agent for people experiencing pain. Jodan says “We are all neural networks interacting with other neural networks.” These interactions happen no matter where we are in the world. When we engage with our clients using the AIP lens and question “when or how could this have first started” we are engaging in work that started over 30 years ago with a walk in the park and continues worldwide. What a fantastic legacy to be a part of! 

Here at CompassionWorks, we want to continue to teach EMDR Basic protocols and advanced trainings, to continue our part to spread the amazing work that is EMDR therapy. As always, let us know how we can support you in your work as you take a seat in front of your client for your next healing neural interaction. 

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Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S

Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy. 

Dr. Jose Carbajal, LCSW

Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.

Dr. Amanda Martin, LMFT-S, LPC, BCN

Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

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