Course Description

Addictions and compulsions are temporarily effective but problematic solutions in escaping the pain of traumatic memory. Most trauma clients will present for treatment with one or more addictive behaviors. EMDR will reprocess underlying trauma, which will reduce the need to self-medicate, but before that happens there are many points of intervention on the road to addiction treatment to shore up clients for EMDR reprocessing. This talk will demonstrate how many different types of resourcing interventions and the standard EMDR protocol can be used to address: motivation for change; stabilization including affect regulation; craving and triggers for use; reprocessing of relapse memories and root causes of addiction; addiction shame; engagement in broader support for sobriety; and identifying and strengthening adaptive coping mechanisms in place of addictive behaviors. Specific resourcing techniques will be identified and described, and case material will illustrate addiction interventions for all 8 EMDR phases and all three prongs.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify EMDR related resource interventions needed in treating substance use disorder and unwanted compulsive behaviors.
2. Participants will be able to identify how and when to apply 3 or more specific resource protocols and interventions at different junctures in the course of addiction treatment.
3. Participants will be able to apply creative resourcing to ensure success in EMDR standard protocol reprocessing.

Presenter(s)

Gerard Ilaria, LCSW-R

Gerard Ilaria, LCSW-R, has treated trauma for 35 years, beginning in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, then with combat veterans with PTSD, and most recently with cross-addicted members of the LGBTQ+ community. He is EMDRIA certified and has taught EMDR at NYC’s Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and presented in 2023 at EMDR Canada. Gerard trained at Columbia University as an undergrad and at Columbia’s School of Social Work. He was the director of the AIDS Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital and is the clinical director at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Center for Trauma and Addiction, Cornell Medical School’s EMDR trauma treatment practice.