Course Description

Many EMDR clinicians engage in ongoing professional development by learning new protocols or techniques; however, this approach does not always result in improved clinical fluency or effectiveness. This presentation addresses a common clinical gap by examining the difference between passive professional development and intentional practice aimed at strengthening core EMDR skills.

Drawing on learning science and expertise development models from other performance‑based fields, the session introduces intentional practice as a structured approach grounded in focused attention, effective learning strategies, and objective feedback. Participants will examine the concept of fluency and explore how targeted skill rehearsal may support faster pattern recognition, increased automaticity of foundational EMDR skills, and more efficient use of cognitive resources during sessions.

As foundational skills become more automatic, clinicians may experience greater capacity for clinical presence, attunement, and moment‑to‑moment decision‑making. This presentation emphasizes purposeful practice as a means of supporting ongoing skill development in EMDR, rather than the accumulation of additional protocols or techniques.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify differences between passive professional development (e.g., collecting protocols) and the core components of intentional practice (e.g., focused repetition, objective feedback) that support ongoing skill development in EMDR.
2. Participants will be able to identify three distinct EMDR skills (one from each phase discussed) and describe a corresponding rehearsal strategy suitable for subsequent clinical practice.
3. Participants will be able to outline a simple, time‑bound intentional practice plan, including a specific EMDR skill goal and a potential feedback source, for post‑session application.

Session Level: Introductory

Presenter(s)

Rotem Brayer, LPC

Rotem Brayer, LPC, is an EMDR therapist, consultant, and founder of The EMDR Learning Community. His clinical work focuses on helping clients resolve trauma and strengthen adaptive functioning using the standard EMDR protocol alongside attachment-informed approaches. Rotem integrates EMDR into treatment with individuals facing complex trauma, dissociation, and long-standing patterns shaped by early childhood experience. He is the author of The Art and Science of EMDR and teaches therapists how to apply EMDR with clarity, attunement, and confidence. Rotem maintains a full clinical practice in Denver and provides consultation to EMDR therapists worldwide.