Course Description

This presentation—by Sheila Bender, Ph.D. and Maria Masciandaro, Psy.D.—distills procedures, strategies, and tools from hypnosis principles that do not necessitate induced trance and applies them to EMDR therapy; case conceptualization in general, and within the 8 phases and 3 prongs in particular. Verbal and non-verbal communication in the therapeutic dyad is described and methods to reduce negative attunement are discussed. Tools to develop negative/positive cognition’s and appropriate therapeutic interweaves are taught. Attention to and responses to non-verbal communication between therapist and client is also examined. Important non-verbal communications that occur between the client and the therapist during the session are identified to help therapists craft effective interventions.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to define the hypnotic template and give 2 examples of the misuse of language in an EMDR Therapy session. They will identify 3 myths and misconceptions about hypnosis.
2. Participants will be able to apply hypnotic principles in both their case conceptualization and in their application of the 8 phases and 3 prongs of the standard protocol to facilitate EMDR processing.
3. Participants will be able to identify material, during history taking and subsequent EMDR phases, to craft therapeutic interweaves for use if blocked processing occurs.
4. Participants will be able to identify important non-verbal communications that occur between the therapist and client during sessions. They will articulate how these messages may inform their interventions.

Presenter(s)

Sheila Bender, Ph.D.

Sheila S. Bender, Ph.D., is a New Jersey licensed psychologist and retired faculty from the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (legacy UMDNJ). She is an EMDR Institute facilitator, charter member of EMDRIA and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant. She has published and/or co-presented nationally or internationally on: EMDR & Hypnosis, EMDR and Transference/Countertransference, and EMDR and energy therapy. Other EMDR projects include an article on EMDR and the Dialectic in the EMDR Journal and two grants for EMDR, one treating PTSD with auditory BLS in an MRI scanner. Dr. Bender maintains a private practice in Morristown, NJ.

Maria Masciandaro, Psy.D.

Maria G Masciandaro, Psy.D., is a psychologist who has been utilizing EMDR and hypnosis for decades. She maintains Approved Consultant status with EMDRIA and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). She teaches Recent Traumatic Episode Protocol and Group Traumatic Episode Protocol both developed by Elan Shapiro. Also, she teaches hypnosis as a faculty member of the Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey (CHSNJ). She is an EMDR Institute facilitator, a former Regional Coordinator, TRN member, and field supervisor for Rutgers GSAPP. She formerly served as Psychologist-at-Large on the ASCH Executive Committee and was President of CHSNJ.