Course Description

The death of a loved one can be a time of unparalleled distress. EMDR therapy can be integrated into the treatment of grief and mourning to process distressing memories and present triggers that complicate the bereavement, and enable assimilation and accommodation of the loss and adaptive functioning in the future. Different theoretical frameworks (including attachment theory which research shows underlies the variation in grief reactions) will be presented to guide case conceptualization and utilization of the 8 phases of EMDR therapy for grief and mourning. Video tapes of sessions will illustrate the concepts.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to describe how to utilize the eight phases of EMDR to treat grief and mourning.
2. Participants will be able to identify 3 theoretical frameworks important for understanding grief and mourning.
3. Participants will be able to describe how EMDR therapy helps the grieving and mourning process through the development of an adaptive inner representation.

Presenter(s)

Roger Solomon, Ph.D.

Roger Solomon, Ph.D., a psychologist specializing in trauma and grief, is the Program Director and Senior Faculty with the EMDR Institute and teaches EMDR therapy internationally. He is a consultant with the US Senate, and has provided consultation to organizations including the FBI, Secret Service, NASA, and US Army. He teaches EMDR therapy workshops on grief, complex trauma, and the Art of EMDR Therapy. Dr. Solomon has authored or coauthored 49 articles. His book on EMDR therapy and grief has been published in Italian (Lutto e EMDR, dalla Diagnosi all’ Intervento Clinico), and will soon be published in English.