Complex Trauma & Diverse Brains EMDR Consultation Group
EMDR case consultation for adapting EMDR to complex trauma, dissociation, neurodivergence, and diverse populations while maintaining fidelity to the model. Created to fit EMDRIA consultation standards.
Open to all levels including those working on: ICM basic training, certification, non-certification or post-certification support.
Each group activity focuses on one phase of EMDR. After the activity, the group is open to all case questions. All 120 minutes are case consultation on participants' de-identified cases.
Live online · 2 hours · $125* · limited to 6 clinicians · drop in
*save with a package
Upcoming Groups
Tues, October 27, 3–5 ET/12-2 PT: Phase 1 History Taking/Treatment Planning
Weds, November 11, 1–3 ET/10-12 PT: Phase 2 Preparation
Mon, November 23, 2–4 ET/11-1 PT: Phase 3 Assessment
Weds, December 9, 1–3 ET/10-12 PT: Phase 4 Desensitization
A clinically grounded space for complex EMDR work
Complex cases rarely need a one-size-fits-all answer. A client may need more preparation, a different pace, clearer consent practices, more accessible resourcing, or a more nuanced understanding of what is happening in the moment. In this group, we think carefully about those questions without losing the treatment frame.
The focus is not on making EMDR more complicated. It is on making the clinical reasoning more visible, responsive, and usable.
Together, we will consider how to adapt the work when a client’s processing is nonlinear, their internal experience is highly protective, their nervous system is easily overwhelmed, or conventional instructions are simply not landing in the way you hoped.
Bring the case. Name the question. Leave with more clarity about what to notice, ask, or pace differently next.
What to expect
1. A structured case conceptualization activity for a portion of the group
2. Time for open case consultation questions after the activity
Each activity focuses on one phase of EMDR and brings together case consultation and hands-on clinical application. The group cycles through the 8 phases (1 phase per group and then restarts). You may attend one group at a time. There is no series commitment or expectation that you attend every date.
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Bring a focused case
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Explore your case through a structured activity
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Receive case-focused feedback
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Leave with a next step
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Open case discussion time after the activity
The live group activity moves through all eight phases of EMDR over time. Each group activity focuses on a single EMDR phase. Each meeting is designed to stand on its own, so you can attend all groups or just drop-in when you'd like.
The kinds of questions you can bring
You might bring a case where you are wondering:
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How can I tell whether the client needs more preparation, more resourcing, or a different pace before moving forward?
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What can I do when the client becomes flooded, shuts down, loses access to language, or has difficulty tracking what is happening internally?
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How can I make bilateral stimulation, instructions, or session structure more accessible for a neurodivergent client?
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What might be protective, sensory, relational, or dissociative about the point where the work begins to stall?
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How can I preserve client choice and consent when the work feels emotionally intense or hard to predict?
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What is the most clinically appropriate next step when the case is complex but I do not want to lose the EMDR treatment direction?
What we mean by adapting EMDR
Adapting EMDR does not mean discarding EMDR standards. It means responding thoughtfully to what the client needs while keeping the treatment plan, pacing, consent, and protocol fidelity in view.
Depending on the case, consultation may explore pacing, preparation, target readiness, language choices, sensory preferences, resourcing, bilateral-stimulation options, session structure, and the meaning of protective responses. We will consider what should stay the same, what can be adjusted, and what needs more information before moving forward.
This is not a foundational EMDR training or a proprietary model. It is a standard consultation space for careful, phase-specific clinical reasoning.
A neurodivergence-informed lens
Neurodivergent clients may communicate, process, sense, organize, regulate, and respond to treatment in ways that call for more curiosity and flexibility from the clinician. This group creates space to consider those differences without reducing the client to a label or assuming that one adaptation fits everyone.
You may explore questions such as sensory load, interoception, alexithymia, masking, pacing, literal or abstract language, executive-function demands, predictability, movement, choice, and the conditions that help a client stay present enough for the work.
The emphasis is on collaboration and fit: What helps this particular client understand what is being asked, communicate what they need, and participate in EMDR in a way that feels sufficiently safe, clear, and workable?
This group may include expressive arts activities and tools.
What are expressive-arts-informed tools?
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These are simple ways to use color, shape, symbol, movement, imagery, or words to make internal experience easier to notice and discuss.
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The process matters more than the product.
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No one is expected to be artistic.
Who this group is for
This group is a good fit for licensed mental health professionals who have completed at least part 1 of their EMDRIA-Approved Basic Training and want a respectful, clinically grounded place to think through complex EMDR cases.
It may be especially helpful if you work with clients whose trauma is layered, whose presentation is highly protective or hard to organize, whose sensory or communication needs affect the treatment process, or whose EMDR work needs more thoughtful pacing and adaptation.
You do not need to be an expert in dissociation or neurodivergence to attend. You do need an active, fully de-identified EMDR case and a willingness to approach the case with curiosity, care, and clinical humility.
What to bring
Please bring one active case with all identifying details removed.
Before the session, you will receive a brief preparation guide to help you identify the case material and the question you want consultation on.
A helpful preparation question is:
“What is the one clinical decision or uncertainty I most need help thinking through?”
Your preparation may include the presenting concern, current EMDR focus, protective patterns, resourcing work, and the point where you feel unsure how to proceed. You remain responsible for protecting client confidentiality.
Group details
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FORMAT: Live, 120-minute group EMDR case consultation
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GROUP SIZE: Enrollment is limited to 6 clinicians to preserve meaningful case-focused discussion
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AUDIENCE: Licensed mental health professionals who have completed EMDRIA-Approved Basic Training
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PREPARATION: A brief pre-session guide and an optional case-focused prompt that may be visual, tactile, written, movement-based, verbal, or use no materials.
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CASE MATERIALS: Bring a fully de-identified clinical case and a specific consultation question
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OPTIONAL EXPRESSIVE MATERIALS:
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Blank paper (or a journal)
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Pens or markers
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Colored pencils, crayons, or pastels
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Optional: collage scraps or sticky notes, any other creative supplies you'd like to include
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You’re welcome to use any/all artistic modalities/mediums that speak to you. You’re not limited to this list.
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Free Parts Mapping Tool
If it fits your clinical question, you are welcome to use my free Parts Mapping Tool in our consultation group, in preparation for the group, or afterwards to process. It can offer a flexible visual space to organize client patterns, protective responses, resources, relationships, and questions that may be useful for EMDR case conceptualization.
You are responsible for fully de-identifying all client material before using the tool or sharing any visual with the group. Please use the tool only in a manner that aligns with your state laws, licensing-board requirements, workplace policies, informed-consent practices, and professional privacy obligations. Do not enter identifying client information.
Frequently asked questions
Important notes: This group is professional consultation for qualified clinicians. It is not therapy, emergency support, a substitute for supervision, training, or personal therapy, or a guarantee of certification credit. Please protect client privacy by fully de-identifying all material brought to consultation.
Do I need specialized training in neurodivergence or dissociation?
No. This is a consultation space, not an advanced-certification course. You are welcome whether you are building confidence in this area or already bring substantial experience. The group is designed to help you think carefully about the client and case you are carrying.
Do I need to attend every phase or date?
No. Each lab stands on its own. You can register for the dates that fit your schedule or the phase of EMDR that is most relevant to a current case.
Is this a training workshop?
No. This is a case-consultation group. The live session is centered on de-identified clinical cases and consultant feedback, not on delivering foundational theory instruction.
Can I bring a case focusing on autism, ADHD, high sensory-sensitivity, dissociation, or otherwise complex or neurodivergent?
Yes, provided you fully de-identify all case material. The group is a useful space to think through how sensory preferences, communication style, pacing, executive-function demands, protective responses, and client choice may shape the EMDR process.
What if I am not sure whether my case is a fit?
If your question involves helping EMDR feel more accessible, paced, and responsive for a complex case, this group is likely a good fit. If you need foundational EMDR training, personal therapy, emergency support, or individual supervision, a different service may be more appropriate.
Can I bring my own internal reaction to the case?
Yes, briefly and in service of the external case. For example, you might notice an urge to hurry, pull back, or over-explain. The group may use that reaction as one tentative clue while returning to client information, pacing, readiness, consent, and the treatment frame. The group does not become personal process work for the clinician.
Can EMDRIA consultation credit be guaranteed?
This group is created to fit within EMDRIA consultation standards. As with all EMDR consultation groups, it is up to you to use the time in a way that meets EMDRIA's expectations. Credit cannot be guaranteed by the consultant.
Each participant is responsible for confirming their own eligibility, maintaining their records, and following current EMDRIA requirements.
Although rare, in the case of an audit, your documentation of the group will be the determining factor.
Keeping your documentation clear
To support your own certification application, attend the full session, bring an active fully de-identified EMDR case, participate in case-focused discussion, and keep a personal record of the date, actual duration, consultant name, and group format. Save the Approved Consultant’s verification letter or log with your other application materials. EMDRIA makes the final determination about what it accepts, so each participant is responsible for confirming their eligibility and following the current requirements