Course Description

When Dr. Francine Shapiro created EMDR therapy as a person-centered, mindfulness-based, cognitive, behavioral, body-oriented, feminist, and interactive psychotherapy, incorporating elements of all the major psychological traditions, she paved the way for EMDR therapy to create trauma-focused systemic change. EMDR therapy as a trauma-focused, integrative, and integrated therapy is the catalyst for healing at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. This presentation will demonstrate that when there is full integration of anti-oppressive practice into EMDR therapy, an intentional use of EMDR therapy’s mindfulness, and the implementation of EMDR as a complete psychotherapy, then trauma-focused systemic change is possible. It will describe how to fuse anti-oppressive practice, critical race theory, and cultural humility into the application of EMDR therapy. It will identify how mindfulness and Buddhist psychology provide the bedrock for trauma-focused systemic change. It will analyze how to leverage the Eight Phase Protocol and AIP Model to treat oppression trauma.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to analyze how to implement a trauma-focused, anti-oppressive approach to EMDR therapy through the integration of anti-oppressive practice, critical race theory, and cultural humility.
2. Participants will be able to identify how adopting the concept of mindfulness as a way of life can be the catalyst of fostering trauma-focused systemic change.
3. Participants will be able to describe the impact of oppression trauma including white privilege and systemic racism and identify a BIPOC and Ally approach to treating it through the Eight Phase Standard Protocol and AIP Model.

Presenter(s)

Stephen Dansiger, Psy.D., MFT

Stephen Dansiger, Psy.D., MFT, is the creator and founder of the MET(T)A Protocol (Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Agencies), which utilizes Buddhist psychology and EMDR therapy to create an agency’s primary clinical practice system. He is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Certified Therapist who provides EMDR Training and Advanced Topic workshops as Senior Faculty for The Institute for Creative Mindfulness. He is the co-author (with Jamie Marich) of EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma-Focused Care and Healing Addiction with EMDR therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide. In addition to maintaining a private practice in Los Angeles, he presents and teaches internationally.

Roshni Chabra, LMFT

Roshni Chabra, LMFT, identifies as an Indian Lesbian Intersectional Feminist Therapist and is the Founder and President of the Lavender Healing Collective. Roshni is also Co-Owner, Chief Clinical Officer, and MET(T)A (Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Agencies) Protocol Agency Director at Start Again Associates. Roshni has a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and one in Psychology as well as a master’s in Feminist Clinical Psychology. She is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, Approved Consultant and Adjunct Faculty at the Institute for Creative Mindfulness.