Yoga Skills for EMDR Therapists:  

Enhancing Preparation, Case Conceptualization, and Managing Difficult Situations in Reprocessing

January 21-22, 2021

8:30am-4:00pm Eastern Time Each Day

Description

The clinical and research evidence for yoga as a supplementary practice in the treatment of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders continues to mount. There are many natural applications to how skills, techniques, and philosophy of yoga can work alongside the eight phases of EMDR therapy and the AIP model to more holistically prepare EMDR therapists for managing difficult situations in Phases 3-6 like abreactions and working with dissociation. Even if an EMDR therapist is not a formally registered yoga teacher, the willingness to build and grown their existing yoga practice, can give them numerous strategies for enhancing their efficacy in history taking and preparation/resourcing (Phases 1-2) which naturally translates to closure and re-evaluation (Phases 7-8).

This workshop is designed to give EMDR therapists a complete toolkit for seamlessly integrating EMDR therapy and the skills, techniques, and philosophy of yoga. The presenters are both EMDR therapy trainers and yoga teachers and are poised to speak to how one practice informs the other in their lives and in working with clients. EMDR therapists are also encouraged to continue cultivating their own yoga and meditation practices to help them stay more focused, alert, and able to maintain the calming presence during difficult EMDR sessions and as well as a measure for burnout prevention. No previous experience with yoga is necessary and all practices can be modified for a chair. Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably. 

*Partial training in EMDR therapy is required

Objectives

After completing this workshop training, participants will be able to:

1. To define grounding from a clinical perspective and develop/implement 2-3 grounding skills inspired by yogic and meditation tradition that can translate to EMDR therapy practice
2. To discuss the roots of Eastern meditation in Dr. Shapiro’s mind-body evolution that led to her development of EMDR therapy
3. To compare and contrast the history of yoga as a religious practice and modern day yoga as a spiritual yet secular practice as an alternative lens to trauma and wellness.     
4. To describe the triune brain model and discuss how holistic strategies like meditation, yoga, and EMDR therapy are believed to bring about a sense of healing and integration to the brain impacted by trauma
5. To compare and contrast the view of trauma as described by the adaptive information processing (AIP) model in EMDR therapy and as described through yoga philosophy (e.g., The Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali and other ancient texts) 
6. To develop and implement no fewer than 5 pranayama (breath work) skills informed by yoga practice into EMDR therapy Phases 2 & 7 and as a proactive measure in working with abreaction or dissociation 
7. To develop and implement no fewer than 3-5 asana (posture/pose) skills informed by yoga practice into EMDR therapy Phases 2 & 7 and as a proactive measure in working with abreaction or dissociation 
8. To implement yoga-based skills learned in this workshop into an individualized, trauma-focused self-care plan for the EMDR therapy practitioner in order to enhance burnout prevention and increase potential for keeping a calming presence within EMDR sessions
9. To discuss the natural threads of comparison between EMDR therapy and skills, techniques, and philosophy of yoga and how this can lead to a more culturally-attuned and holistic implementation of EMDR therapy
10. To review implementation of new skills learned in Day 1 for optimal retention and clinical application
11. To list the 8 limbs of yoga (within the context of the general understanding of yoga history) and discuss how each relates to clinical concepts in both trauma-focused care and EMDR therapy
12. To develop a greater attunement to the yogic concept of witness consciousness and experience/explain how it helps to build the EMDR therapy concept of “notice that” or “just go with that” in orienting clients and working with difficult situations
13. To complete, under supervision, a practicum experience sharing skills learned in the training with a training partner and receive feedback this work can be applied to EMDR therapy practice 
14. To present a case conceptualization plan (using the 8 phases of EMDR therapy in concert with the skills covered in the workshop) for a chosen client or case
15. To discuss the stance of the literature on the use of yoga and meditation-related strategies in the treatment of PTSD and review ethical guidelines for sharing yoga strategies with clients within the scope of trauma-focused care