Back to the Basics: An EMDR Refresher with a Twist

As an EMDRIA Credit Provider and EMDR Consultant I’ve been asked many questions from my consultees and course participants, and over the years a common thread emerged. The vast majority of questions involved content covered in the EMDR Basic Training. I quickly discovered that providing a refresher on the “fundamentals” of EMDR was beneficial not only for new EMDR therapists trying to build their confidence, but also for more experienced EMDR therapists who needed to get back to the basics. In response, I began writing refresher content for both therapists and clients, paying close attention to the metaphors, stories, and examples that help bring the material to life. The result was a comprehensive overview of EMDR therapy, written in language that is helpful for the clinician, but still accessible to a new client. This distance-learning course is a video version of this content. It is an EMDR refresher course with a “twist,” because the content is delivered as though I’m speaking to a client who knows nothing about EMDR therapy. As such, the course invites therapists to reconsider EMDR from the perspective of a client, as though hearing it for the first time. The course draws on academic sources, but also harnesses the power of story, metaphor, music, and art to make the content entertaining and memorable. As a result, my hope is that course participants will be reminded of the basics, gain new insights, and become better equipped to communicate about EMDR to family, friends, colleagues, and their own clients.