Upcoming Events

Advanced Issues in Working With Complex Dissociative Disorders: Chronic Shame, Resistance, and Traumatic Memory (with and without EMDR)”

With Kathy Steele, MN, CS, APRN

April 22-23, 2017 9:00 – 5:00

 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55345

 Contact Jill Strunk for full info (jillstrunk1@gmail.com or 952-936-7547)

Kathy Steele is a world renowned expert in treating Complex Dissociative Disorders, with many awards and publication to her credit.

This advanced workshop will focus on several topics that can be particularly challenging in the treatment of complex dissociative disorders. We will explore chronic shame in depth, its physiology and functions, its many manifestations, and practical ways to resolve it, using cognitive, emotional, somatic, and imagery approaches, as well as EMDR when appropriate.

Chronic resistance will be discussed as a co-creation of therapist and client, and can best be understood as a phobic avoidance of what is perceived to be intolerable. Therapists will learn how to recognize and address resistance step by step without evoking further defense in the client, and will learn to recognize their own contributions to resistance. Shame and resistance are essential to address in the context of processing traumatic memory.

On the second day we will focus on special approaches to resolving traumatic memory in dissociative clients, with and without EMDR. One of the unique challenges of approaching dissociated traumatic memories is how to support not only the person as a whole, but each dissociative part, in remaining grounded and present. Resourcing each part is important. Managing flashbacks will be discussed.

Specific interventions will be discussed, including hypnotic imagery and other approaches that can be utilized with EMDR when appropriate. Participants will learn how to deal with non-verbal or pre-verbal memory with somatic approaches. We will also discuss the important of “bearing witness,” in which memory is shared in relationship as a narrative, rather than always viewed as a therapeutic problem. We will discuss how to determine which approaches might be most helpful to a particular client.

 

Clinical Treatment of Behavioral And Chemical Addictive Patterns

With Jan Schaad, LCSW

July 15-16, 2017 9:00 – 5:00

 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55345

 Contact Jill Strunk for full info (jillstrunk1@gmail.com or 952-936-7547)

The comprehensive treatment of people with addictions, co-occurring disorders, and trauma has been a challenge for our mental health and medical systems. Working with addictions and habits, the urges, triggers, and relapse, along with co-occurring disorders is quite a lot for both therapist and client to manage.

Jan Schaad, LCSW has taught therapists nationally, drawing from extensive training and many years of success with this population.

This very practical workshop will equip EMDR therapists with knowledge and skills to treat addictive patterns directly by focused utilization of the standard eight-phase EMDR protocol. In addition, those attending will learn to use specialized EMDR strategies to address motivation, defenses, feeling states, and relapse prevention.

You will learn the development of craving in the brain; how social and environmental factors influence chronicity of addictive patterns; how to increase client understanding of the function of their defenses and preparation for addressing their issues; case conceptualization with the Adaptive Information Processing System; treatment planning; application of the Feeling State Theory of Impulse Control; strategies for targeting urges; how to apply the eight phases of EMDR therapy to strategies specific to treating addictive/compulsive patterns; target selection for desensitization, including positive state-dependent memories; and stabilization and self-care strategies for long-term effects of change.

 

Utilization of EMDR with Traumatic Bereavement”

With Roger Solomon, Ph.D.

 September 16-17, 2017 9:00 – 5:00

 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN 55345

 Contact Jill Strunk for full info (jillstrunk1@gmail.com or 952-936-7547)

 Roger Solomon, Ph.D. is has long been known as an expert on treating grief and loss with EMDR therapy. Roger and Therese Rando are currently working on a book about EMDR and Grief and Loss.

This presentation will discuss grief and bereavement, the processes the mourner has to go through for adaptive assimilation and accommodation of the loss, factors that can complicate bereavement, treatment guidelines, and how EMDR can be integrated into an overall treatment plan.

Heavy emphasis is placed throughout the workshop on analysis of clinical material. Videotapes of EMDR sessions to the grief and mourning of traumatic bereavement as well as to demonstrate the “art” of EMDR. Case presentation and live demonstrations are also utilized.