We have had so much activity in our EMDR Special Interest Group (SIG) these past few years through providing presenters to speak on diverse topics, all related to Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Reprocessing (EMDR), trauma, and dissociation… and we invite you to join! We have successfully transitioned our Executive Committee, with current Co-Chairs Peggy Kolodny and Chloe Rovitz, Secretary Jennifer Marchand, Angelique Vasilaros as Secretary-Elect, Holly Forman-Patelas Moderator and Michelle Kahl as Moderator-Elect. By scheduling one hour membership meetings bi-monthly (at different days and times to enhance inclusivity), we can offer 5-6 annual opportunities for speakers and watch parties! Our SIG meeting in person at the ISSTD Annual Conference invites all attendees interested in learning more about EMDR and our SIG, allowing for increased engagement with present and future members. Our 125 + members range from trauma therapists new to EMDR to certified consultants and trainers, authors, academic faculty, and leaders in the EMDR field.
Our SIG executive leaders meet bimonthly, organizing the speakers and topics for the membership meetings with full consideration of our members’ suggestions and current interests. Additionally, our members are encouraged to present on their specialized skills, integrative and other clinical approaches, populations, therapeutic themes, and their published work! This promotes increased professional connections among members in our SIG, and expanding our knowledge and capabilities in utilizing EMDR therapy. As a result, we have had fascinating topics these past few years involving ISSTD members and outside speakers.
Presentations these past 2 years have included Lemke’s video on hypnosis, art therapy and EMDR through bilateral drawing, Marchand’s Eco-informed EMDR, Ruh’s Creative Resourcing Techniques, Jenkin’s Equilateral® Equine Therapy with EMDR, and just last month, Marchese’s Addressing Race-Based Trauma with EMDR!
To pique your interest more, on July 14 at 4:00 PM US Eastern Time, we have invited the Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic SIG to join us in listening and learning from Dr. Hemda Arad’s presentation on “Integrating Relational Psychoanalysis and EMDR: Crossing the Divide!” September 17 features a watch party (TBA). Angelique Vasilaros will be speaking on her clinical experience on using EMDR with First Responders on November 19 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM US Eastern Time. We are topping off the year’s end with ISSTD members Jennifer Madere and D. Michael Coy discussing their highly relevant and comprehensive book EMDR, Dissociation, and Beyond: Re-examining and Expanding the Frame for Impactful Trauma Treatment on Dec 18 from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM US Eastern Time. This book exemplifies the purpose of our EMDR SIG! If you sign up to join our SIG now, you can join in hearing these exciting presentations!
A major goal of our SIG continues to be building community and networking within our online SIG site through encouraging members to post questions, resources, recommended publications, and peer support. A recent EMDR SIG poll our moderator Holly Forman-Patel posted mirrored these goals, revealing that current members are interested in networking, learning opportunities, prompted dialogues, discussion, resource sharing, in-person (local) social gatherings, more watch parties, and even more varied meeting times.
Our mission remains focused on the foundational reasons for our EMDR SIG, to learn more on how EMDR can effectively serve the complex trauma population, especially those with Dissociative Identities. We would love to encourage more ISSTD members to be educated on the efficacy and benefits of EMDR, a highly researched model grounded in neurobiology and trauma theory, utilizing 8 Phases that include diverse rhythmic bilateral stimulation and Adaptive Reprocessing Information (AIP) in decreasing the emotional intensity of adverse life experiences, thus fostering resources, reframing, resiliency and recovery. We further hope our SIG’s presentations motivate ISSTD members to attain further training in this evidenced-based model that so benefits our clients.