Utilization of EMDR With Traumatic Bereavement

Traumatic bereavement is the state of having suffered the loss of a loved one when grief and mourning over the death is overpowered by the traumatic stress brought about by its circumstances. This clinically-oriented workshop focuses on integrating EMDR into the treatment of grief and mourning in traumatic bereavement.

The workshop utilizes Therese Rando’s six “R” processes of mourning as the framework for operationalizing what is necessary for healthy assimilation and accommodation of loss. Understanding these processes is important for the clinician to: assess the mourner’s progression through the mourning processes; understand where the client might be “stuck” or “blocked;” and identify what to target with EMDR to enable successful progression through the mourning processes.

In bereavement, trauma can disable the ability to cope, impair functioning, compromise the ability to adapt, and add significantly to the mourner’s distress. Trauma also complicates mourning by interfering with the processes the mourner needs to go through for assimilation and accommodation of the loss. A loss can be so distressing that access to emotions requiring attention is prevented and/or memory networks containing positive memories of the loved one are blocked. With EMDR processing, not only can emotions be worked through, but memory networks can become accessible and capable of playing a vital role in accommodation of loss. Memories of the deceased are the building blocks of an adaptive inner representation; they serve as an essential bridge between the world with and the world without the loved one.

EMDR processing seems to allow the client to experience, express, and discharge the pain associated with the loss. This is necessary both to learn the reality of that loss and for the eventual adaptive shifting resulting from the linking in of other networks with positive, adaptive information (e.g., healthy accommodation).
Heavy emphasis is placed throughout the workshop on analysis of clinical material. Videotapes of EMDR sessions will be used to illustrate the application of EMDR to the grief and mourning of traumatic bereavement as well as to demonstrate the “art” of EMDR. Case presentations and live demonstrations are utilized.

Goal:

The participant will learn how to integrate EMDR into the treatment of grief and mourning

Objectives:

1) The participant will be able to define grief, mourning, and traumatic bereavement
2) The participant will be able to delineate the six “R” processes necessary for the assimilation and accommodation of loss
3) The participant will be able to operationalize how EMDR facilitates an adaptive inner representation of the loved one, which is crucial for healthy mourning
4) The participant will be able to discuss how trauma complicates the mourning processes
5) The participant will be able to select EMDR targets that facilitate integration of the loss

Pre-requisite:

Participants must have completed Weekend 1 training before undertaking this workshop.

Schedule:

Day 1

Video presentation or live demonstration

• Fri 25 May 2012