Healing is relational, and sometimes the best care happens when clinicians work together.
Collaborative EMDR Care that Supports the Work Already in Place
Adjunct EMDR Intensive Services
Thank you for considering an Adjunct EMDR Intensive for your client.
I value collaboration with other clinicians and recognize the importance of the therapeutic relationship you have already established with your client. When a client is referred to me for adjunct EMDR work, my role is not to replace their primary therapist or redirect their ongoing treatment. My role is to provide a focused period of trauma treatment that supports and complements the work already taking place in therapy.
You may be considering an adjunct intensive because EMDR is outside of your scope or training, your client could benefit from more concentrated trauma work, or the traditional therapy hour does not provide enough time for the work you believe your client is ready to address.
Whatever brings you here, I approach referral relationships with respect for both the client and the treatment that has already occurred
Considering an Adjunct EMDR Intensive
An intensive is not automatically appropriate simply because a client has trauma to work through. Readiness, stability, dissociation, current stressors, internal and external resources, treatment goals, and the client's capacity to remain within a workable range of activation all matter.
My clinical work is primarily with adults experiencing complex and developmental trauma, childhood and attachment wounds, dissociation, PTSD/CPTSD, religious trauma and deconstruction, grief, and relational concerns.
My approach is grounded in EMDR and the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and informed by Structural Dissociation, parts work, attachment and developmental perspectives, and nervous system and somatic approaches.
With complex trauma, I do not assume that difficulty accessing or processing a target means a client is resistant or that EMDR is not working. Protective responses, dissociation, attachment adaptations, autonomic states, developmental experiences, and different parts of the internal system may all influence how trauma material is accessed and processed.
For this reason, an intensive may include preparation and resourcing, parts work, attention to dissociative and protective responses, target development, trauma processing, breaks, reflection, and integration. The additional time gives us room to slow down when needed rather than feeling pressured to fit meaningful trauma work into a traditional therapy hour.
Collaboration With The Primary Therapist
Collaboration is an important part of my Adjunct EMDR Intensive process.
With the client's written authorization, I connect with the primary therapist before the intensive to better understand the reason for referral, relevant clinical history and treatment considerations, work that has already occurred, and the goals you and your client have identified.
I am particularly interested in what you already know about your client: what helps them regulate, what tends to overwhelm or shut down their system, known dissociative or protective responses, resources that have been helpful, and targets or themes that repeatedly emerge in therapy.
Your knowledge of your client matters.
Following the intensive, and with the client's authorization, I coordinate with you again to share clinically relevant observations and themes that may support continued work in ongoing therapy.
Clients are also offered a post-intensive follow-up with me to assess integration, explore what has continued to emerge, and determine whether additional EMDR work may be helpful.
The goal is continuity of care rather than creating two separate treatment processes.
Before You Refer
If you are wondering whether an Adjunct EMDR Intensive may be appropriate for your client, I am happy to consult with you before a referral is made.
We can discuss the general clinical presentation without sharing identifying information and consider whether the structure and focus of an intensive appear to be a reasonable fit.
If the client moves forward, they will complete my intake and preparation process before beginning intensive work. When appropriate, referring therapists are also welcome to support clients in considering potential areas of focus, resources, current triggers, and desired changes.
The intention is not to determine every target ahead of time. The client's presentation and therapeutic process ultimately guide the pace and direction of the work.
Considering a Referral?
I welcome referrals and collaboration with clinicians both within and outside of the EMDR community.
If you would like to talk through whether an Adjunct EMDR Intensive may be an appropriate fit for your client, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to answer questions about my approach, the intensive process, and what your client can expect.