8 Phases of EMDR with Children and Adolescents: Integrating Play Therapy Techniques

Date: March 01 - 05, 2021

8 Phases of EMDR with Children and Adolescents: Integrating Play Therapy Techniques

Presented by Jackie Flynn, EMDRIA Approved Consultant & Registered Play Therapist

Sponsored by Jackie Flynn, EdS, LMHC-S, RPT, APPROVED PROVIDER #20-628 & EMDRIA EC provider 19012

Due to COVID-19 health concerns, this one-time online event has been approved by APT for 24 contact CE hours.

This program is also approved 24 EMDRIA credits

In this innovative, experiential workshop, participants learn practical application of EMDR Therapy through the integration of Play Therapy. EMDR and Play therapies are a robust combination that is an ideal approach to use with traumatized children and adolescents.

Participants learn how to effectively deliver all 8 phases of EMDR Therapy with fidelity in a developmentally appropriate way through the therapeutic use of Play. A toy/art kit is mailed to participants prior to the training, providing the participant completes registration by February 21st, to support all of the experiential components though play-based emotional regulation, bilateral stimulation, somatic awareness, and expression.

Clinicians learn and practice each component of 8 phases of EMDR (History Taking, Preparation, Assessment, Desensitization, Reprocessing, Body Scan, Closure & Re-evaluation) and the 3-pronged protocol while holding true to the basic protocol. The neuroscience of working with children is applied to the Adaptive Information Processing model through the lens of the therapeutic powers of Play is interwoven throughout the entire training.

Participants finish the training with an abundance of knowledge and experience to confidently deliver EMDR therapy integrated with Play Therapy to their child and teen clients immediately following the workshop. This training is open to clinicians who are at least partially trained in EMDR.

This is NOT an EMDR basic training.

Learning Objectives

Describe how the 8 phases of the standard EMDR therapy protocol are integrated with Play Therapy when working with children and adolescent clients.
Describe the process of identifying secondary gains that may slow or stop progress.
Prepare a target sequence plan incorporating play therapy techniques.
Explain how a developing brain functions, maladaptive information is stored, and adverse childhood experiences impact children and adolescent clients.
Explain Adaptive Information Processing, AIP, model with children and adolescent clients.
Demonstrate how to collectively gather information from a parent/caregiver and child/adolescent client through 8 Play Therapy directives to perform (PHASE 1) to gather a comprehensive history, conceptualize the case, and create a comprehensive targeted sequence treatment plan.
Identify at least 10 play therapy techniques that support client’s feelings of safety and security in the play therapy space.
Prepare child and teen clients (PHASE 2) by supporting their emotional literacy, experiencing grounding techniques, developing a calm place image, creating a container image, and engaging in resource development through animal imagery through integration of Play Therapy.
Identify 3 key components of the preparation phase through the lens of attachment.
Explain when a client is adequately prepared to proceed to phases 3-8 of EMDR therapy.
Prepare a target sequence plan incorporating 3 or more play therapy techniques.
Explain 4 Therapeutic Powers of Play.
Demonstrate how to effectively conduct an assessment (PHASE 3) by utilizing play-based methods to determine the Subjective Unit of Distress.
List 3 play therapy techniques to support the measurement of the Validity of Cognition.
Identify 3 play therapy techniques to support the clients awareness of the felt sense of emotions somatically.
Utilize the “What Happened Next” expressive art drawing directive to identify explore associations.
Describe 3 play therapy techniques to support accurate identification of positive and negative cognitions.
Apply 6 (hands-on) various creative methods of Dual Awareness Stimulation through the integration of Play Therapy, aka Bi-lateral Stimulation, with child and adolescent clients to support desensitization and reprocessing of distress. (PHASE 4).
Identify 3 ways to engage child clients in Bilateral Stimulation in virtual sessions.
Use 3 Play Therapy directives to reassess and engage in positive cognition installment (PHASE 5).
Demonstrate 3 Play Therapy techniques to support strengthening positive cognitions.
Identify 3 ways to perform Bilateral Stimulation with clients present with limiting sensory related struggles.
Explain 3 sensorimotor focused play therapy techniques to support moving to the edge of the Window of Tolerance during Desensitization (PHASE 4) and Reprocessing (PHASE 5).
Demonstrate 10 play therapy techniques for state change to prevent/reduce/return from abreactions.
Apply 3 Play Therapy techniques to assist children and adolescents in identifying somatic distress and symptoms through a child friendly version of a Body Scan directive (PHASE 6).
Demonstrate effective use of pendulation and titration play-based techniques with children and adolescents clients to reduce somatic distress. (PHASE 7).
Demonstrate 8 resourcing and grounding techniques for stabilization and attainment of a sense of equilibrium (PHASE 7).
Demonstrate how to effectively conduct re-evaluation (PHASE 8) with child/adolescent and/or their parents/caregivers through the integration of Play Therapy.
Assess client’s readiness to proceed to future targets.
Describe 3 strategies through the lens of attachment theory to share with parents / caregivers to support continued growth following EMDR treatment.

Our Schedule

Monday

Begin at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time
Lunch at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time
End at 4:30pm EST Eastern Standard Time

Tuesday

Begin at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time
Lunch at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time
End at 4:30pm EST Eastern Standard Time

Wednesday

Begin at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time
Lunch at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time
End at 3:30pm EST Eastern Standard Time

Thursday

Begin at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time
Lunch at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time
End at 4:30pm EST Eastern Standard Time

Friday

Begin at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time
Lunch at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time
End at 4:30pm EST Eastern Standard Time