Presented By
Beau Laviolette, LCSW
Credits
1.5 EMDRIA Credits
Learning Format
Online Course
The online course teaches clinicians how to design and lead nature-based retreats that integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR. Drawing from clinical experience and the Healing Protectors retreat model used with military veterans and therapists, participants will learn how to combine trauma-informed care with nature’s regulating and restorative qualities. The course introduces core IFS teaching elements (Self, Parts, Self-to-Part relationship, and Burdens), outlines common retreat structures (including solo hikes, small-group processes, and fire rituals), and reviews considerations related to safety planning, structure, and facilitation roles (such as guides, servers, and speakers). The IFS Self Leadership Scale is introduced as a tool for assessing changes in Self-energy over time. This online course is designed for EMDR clinicians seeking to expand their work into nature-based formats and to create structured, ethical, and immersive retreat experiences that support stabilization, integration, and lasting transformation.