Course Description

EMDR therapy clients with Complex PTSD, PTSD, and/or addictions often report that spiritual crises play an integral role in their suffering, and use spiritual terms when describing healing. The AIP model posits that maladaptively processed traumas and adverse life events have a profound impact on a client’s ability to make meaning, which is perhaps the core issue addressed by spirituality. Participants will discover the role of spirituality and spiritual wounds in the etiology and treatment of Complex PTSD, PTSD, and addictions utilizing the 8 Phase Protocol. Case examples will highlight implications for case conceptualization, treatment planning, and specific spiritual interventions in this presentation by Stephen Dansiger, Psy.D., MFT.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify, through an overview of the literature, the role of spirituality and spiritual wounds in the etiology of Complex PTSD, PTSD, and addiction.
2. Participants will be able to apply at least 3 interventions in Phase 1 and 2 of EMDR therapy to assess for and begin treatment of spiritual wounds caused by trauma.
3. Participants will be able to investigate the posited spiritual elements of the 8 phase protocol in order to improve treatment planning and support for clients regarding spiritual healing that occurs during treatment.
4. Participants will be able to analyze case examples of clients with direct and indirect spiritual wounding histories, clients who report during reprocessing using spiritual terminology, and clients who report spiritual healing as a result of the 8 Phase Standard Protocol.

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.