The Star Theoretical Model & Its Application to EMDR Treatment of Youth with Complex Trauma

The Star Theoretical Model (STM) offers an integrative framework for understanding and treating trauma in children through EMDR therapy. Visually organized around five core theoretical perspectives, attachment, child development, dissociation, family systems, and neurobiology, STM provides a comprehensive approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning.

This article explores how each theory contributes to understanding the impact of trauma on children and highlights pathways for healing that can be integrated into EMDR therapy practice.

Learn more in this article from the Spring 2026 issue EMDR and Complex Trauma of Go With That Magazine® by Frances S. Waters, LMSW, DCSW, LMFT, Annie Monaco, LCSW, RPT-S, and Ann Beckley-Forest, LCSW, RPT-S.

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