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ForwardBeyond the Basics I: Intermediate Considerations for EMDR Therapy with Dissociation (2026 EMDR Seminar)
Abstract
Since the development of EMDR therapy in the early 1990s, a large body of research has shown that it is efficacious for treating PTSD; and since then, clinicians and researchers have also found positive treatment effects beyond PTSD for other mental health conditions. However, clinicians discovered early on that EMDR sometimes moved patients with complex trauma into dysregulated states rather than towards the expected, adaptive resolution when targeting traumatic memories. Stories of uncontrolled abreactions, unanticipated emergence of dissociated self-states, and subsequent destabilization leading to major setbacks or harm prompted some clinicians to dismiss EMDR as a viable treatment option for persons with dissociative features. Although some advanced EMDR therapy courses and publications consider these complexities and potential risks, initial EMDR therapy training generally does not. This two-day seminar is the next step in a learning journey for therapists already trained in EMDR therapy to address unprocessed life experiences and resultant symptomatic disturbances in individuals with more complex presentations, including dissociative experiences.
Keeping in mind the importance of appropriate client selection for employing standard EMDR therapy methods, this presentation will highlight considerations that can help us recognize and conceptualize trauma-related presentations. We will begin by reviewing some of the underpinnings of EMDR, including the AIP model, EMDR’s mechanisms of action and BL-DAS, relating each of these to dissociation and why EMDR may work differently when dissociation is present. The “red flags” for dissociation and the Eight Phases of EMDR Therapy will be reviewed, before moving into a discussion of CPTSD, dissociation, and the dissociative disorders. Participants will be introduced to the foundational concepts of treating CPTSD and trauma, including the three stages of treating complex trauma, and learning to identify signs of dissociation. Tools to screen and diagnose dissociative disorders will be reviewed and demonstrated in case examples.
In this seminar, participants will delve more deeply into the use of EMDR therapy methods for containment and stabilization Presenters will describe how to pace history taking and considerations for target selection, before moving into strategies to increase clients’ ability to engage in trauma processing - for instance, through use of fractionation, and contained or restricted processing.
The seminar will close with a discussion of some advanced considerations, including interweaves, and what to do when processing is blocked or stuck. Case examples will be used throughout the seminar to demonstrate strategies and deepen participants’ understanding.
Target Audience
Participants must meet the following criteria to complete registration for EMDR Virtual Seminar. Please be prepared to provide documentation to show meeting these criteria upon request:
- Have completed and received a diploma for a Masters or Doctoral degree in a mental health related field (social work, counseling, psychology, psychiatry, psychiatric nursing, etc), and be licensed and in good standing to practice as a mental health professional by their local licensing board.
- If a potential participant has completed a graduate degree in a mental health discipline, but is not licensed to practice independently, then they must be working toward licensure, submit documentation of working under the supervision of a qualified, fully-licensed professional, and provide a letter from the licensing supervisor voicing support of EMDR therapy training and practice in their current practice setting.
- If potential participants are currently enrolled in a graduate program, they must have completed their core coursework, be working under a licensed supervisor in an internship/practicum setting, and provide a letter from the licensing supervisor voicing support of EMDR therapy training and practice in their current practice setting. First-year graduate students are not eligible to participate in this training.
- All participants must have completed an EMDRIA-approved Basic Training (or international equivalent) to participate in this seminar. All participants will be asked to provide the proof of their training, training instructor and location of training during the registration process.
Learning Objectives
Day One
At the conclusion of this day of training, participants will be able to:
- Describe EMDR’s AIP Model, and how dissociation fits within the expanded model
- Name at least five characteristics, clinical signs, or symptoms of traumatic dissociation
- Name, and provide a brief description for, the three stages of trauma treatment
- Name at least three informal/relational signs of trauma-related symptoms and dissociation
- Describe the purpose of EMDR Phase VI: Closure
- Name and briefly describe Kluft’s three Treatment Trajectories
Day Two
At the conclusion of this day of training, participants will be able to:
- Identify at least five trauma-related screening and assessment options
- Describe how to scorecompetently administer a dissociation screening instrument (e.g., the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II))
- Name at least three indicators of readiness for standard EMDR therapy
- Name at least three ‘Red Flags’ for pathological dissociation
- Describe at least two strategies for stabilizing and containing traumatic material
Jennifer A Madere, LPC-S, EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Trainer
Jennifer Madere is a LPC-Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant/Approved Trainer in private practice. She is a founding partner of Intuitus Group in Cedar Park, Texas. She has accompanied child and adult survivors of trauma on their journey of healing and recovery in psychotherapy since 2003.
Jennifer has a passion for supervising graduate and post-graduate clinicians and consults and offers training and consultation related to treatment of complex trauma, pathological dissociation, and EMDR therapy. Jennifer is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), co-chair of the ISSTD EMDR Therapy Training Committee, and co-teaches the EMDR therapy training offered by ISSTD. Jennifer also trains fellow clinicians in the ethical integration of faith and spirituality in clinical practice.
In addition to numerous professional presentations in local, national, and international conferences, Jennifer is the published author of several scholarly works on the topics of consultation and screening, assessment, and differential diagnosis for dissociative disorders. She is the primary author for an article focused on best practices in consultation for EMDR advanced designation published in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research in 2020 and served on a working committee within the EMDR Council of Scholars focused on assessing the teaching and learning of EMDR therapy worldwide from 2021-2023.
Since 2015, Jennifer has collaborated with D. Michael Coy, LICSW, and Paul Dell, PhD to update the interpretive manual and associated documents for the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID) and make the MID documents and training accessible to clinicians and researchers world-wide. Michael and Jennifer regularly offer training and consultation to support practitioners in learning to interpret and apply the MID in clinical practice.
Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW
Sheri Van Dijk is a Social Worker who has been working with clients with severe mental health problems since 2000. With extensive experience in a hospital as well as community setting, Sheri now sees clients in private practice and provides consultation and training internationally to other clinicians. Sheri has had extensive training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness and has been providing DBT-informed therapy to individuals and groups since 2004. Sheri was the winner of the R.O. Jones award for her research on using DBT with bipolar disorder, presented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association Conference.
Sheri trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in 2018 and is an EMDRIA-approved Consultant; she is a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) and was a consultant for the ISSTD’s EMDR Basic training program. Sheri also uses Deep Brain Reorienting, Ego State Therapy, and Neurofeedback in her work with clients.
Sheri is the author of numerous books that focus on helping readers learn DBT skills and apply them to a variety of mental health problems, including The DBT Workbook for C-PTSD, The DBT Workbook for Emotional Relief, and the best-selling Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens.
This training is pending approval by the EMDRIA. Full participation over the two days is required. No partial credit is given for partial attendance.
Available Credit
- 12.50 APAThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
- 12.50 ASWB ACEThe International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), #1744, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/20/2024 – 08/20/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 12.50 continuing education credits.
- 12.50 ISSTD Certificate ProgramThis program is eligible for 12.50 credits in the ISSTD Certificate Program. No certificate of completion is generated for this type of credit.
Price
"Your Price" above reflects your final price based on your membership status and career level.
- ISSTD defines a student as those enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certification in the mental health field and who have an interest in trauma and dissociation.
- ISSTD defines an emerging professional as mental health professionals who have completed an advanced degree and are in the first three years of their career (or first three years after graduation for researchers).
- If you do not fall into one of the above categories please register as Professional/Retired.
These prices are for Tier I countries. For a list of countries by Tier click here. If you are located in a country that falls into Tier II-VI please contact ISSTD at [email protected] to receive the appropriate discount code.
Registration Policies
Cancellations prior to the seminar are subject to a $75 cancellation fee. No refunds are provided for no shows. The deadline for cancellations with a refund is October 31, 2026 at 5:00pm US Eastern Time. Requests for cancellation should be sent to [email protected].
Early bird registration pricing will be available until September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM US Eastern Time. At this time, registration fees will increase by $50.00 for Emerging Professionals and Professionals.
For additional seminar policies including completion requirements, filing grievances, requesting a disability accommodation, and awarding of certificates of credits, please visit our Seminar Policies page.