Description
A guide to help EMDR practitioners to integrate somatic therapy into their sessions.
Clients who have experienced traumatic events and seek EMDR therapists rely on them as guides through their most vulnerable moments. Trauma leaves an imprint on the body, and if clinicians don’t know how to stay embodied in the midst of these powerful relational moments, they risk shutting down with their clients or becoming overwhelmed by the process. If the body is not integrated into EMDR therapy, full and effective trauma treatment is unlikely.
This book offers an integrative model of treatment that teaches therapists how to increase the client’s capacity to sense and feel the body, helps the client work through traumatic memories in a safe and regulated manner, and facilitates lasting integration.
Part I (foundational concepts) offers a broad discussion of theory and science related to trauma treatment. Readers will be introduced to essential components of EMDR therapy and somatic psychology. The discussion then deepens into the science of embodiment through the lens of research on emotion, memory, attachment, interpersonal neurobiology, and the impact of trauma on overall health. This part of the book emphasizes the principles of successful trauma treatment as phase-oriented, mindfulness-based, noninterpretive, experiential, relational, regulation focused, and resilience-informed.
Part II (interventions) presents advanced scripted protocols that can be integrated into the eight phases of EMDR therapy. These interventions provide support for therapists and clients who want to build somatic awareness through experiential explorations that incorporate mindfulness of sensations, movement impulses, breath, and boundaries.
Other topics discussed include a focus on complex PTSD and attachment trauma, which addresses topics such as working with preverbal memories, identifying ego states, and regulating dissociation; chronic pain or illness; and culturally-based traumatic events. Also included is a focused model of embodied self-care to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout.
Good book
Read this and then sign up for somatic experiencing training. If you’re already trained in EMDR, you’re used to spending money on CE’s anyway so dive in. Also the table of contents in this book is really good because if you are looking for a specific issue you’re working with a client on, it’ll guide you to the right page.
If I could give this six stars, I would! This book is for trained EMDR professionals and will get you connected to the important world of the body. The authors provide multiple exercises, which can be practiced and integrated into your sessions. Worth it!
If you are a therapist you NEED this book! There is brilliant science about embodiment, stress, and interpersonal neurobiology. There are a ton of interventions in this book that will be useful for you as a human and for your clients. There are interventions specific to Complex PTSD, attachment trauma, and chronic pain. There is a chapter on self care for therapists. You need this chapter. This book has been life changing for me as a therapist, as a trauma survivor, as someone who experiences headaches… If you are not including the body and somatic psychology in your practice, I’d like to invite you to learn from Arielle and Barb in this book. And if you already know and value somatic psychology – these interventions will be such a resource! I’ve learned how to get curious and notice my body which has changed everything and become my greatest tool as a therapist.
This book is amazing for EMDR clinicians. The language in the book is easy to understand but also gives depth. It also gives you a step by step scripts. Overall I would highly recommend this book for therapist and is definitely worth the money!
The only thing I would give constructive criticism on is I wish they also made a spiral bound version. This would make it easier to print of the script easier. Although i feel the flow of this book is really good, I wish the scripts were more separate from the reading text. By doing this it would make it easier to make copies when your going from “client to client”. Also maybe providing visuals aids might be helpful in understanding some of these materials.