Fort Hood Tragedy

By Scott Blech, Executive Director, EMDRIA

EMDRIA and the EMDR community extend their heartfelt sympathies to the military and families affected by last week’s tragedy at Fort Hood. There is an EMDR network in place in Texas ready to assist those in need.  Fort Hood has a staff of approximately 10-12 Army Family Life Chaplains who are EMDR-trained. Also, several of the Case Managers/staff at Moore Clinic, Fort Hood, attended a recent workshop (EMDR and the Treatment of War Survivors: Working with the Latest Generation) conducted by Dr. Steve Silver last month in Atlanta.

The VA’s Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)   teams have been notified to be on alert (and, some of them are EMDR trained).  And, there is a network of civilian clinicians under the direction of EMDRIA Member Maxine Trent that has been serving Fort Hood soldiers and families through a grant funded (TRIAD) project called “Homefront” under Scott & White Memorial Hospital.  In addition to EMDR clinicians near the base, clinicians in the Waco, Austin and Dallas areas have offered assistance. We appreciate the great outpouring of concern and offers for help and that all is being done that can be done at this time. The military may be calling on civilian resources later as needed.

New PESI Concerns from EMDRIA Members

I recently received an email for an EMDRIA member who was concerned about an advertisement she received from PESI regarding an EMDR course they were promoting. To address her first concern (and the concern of many other EMDRIA members), please be aware that EMDRIA continues to deny PESI courses EMDRIA approval and does not consider graduates from PESI programs as EMDR trained.

However, this advertisement also contained a blaring error which the member was kind enough to make us aware of — PESI is advertising the courses instructor is a “Certified Level II EMDR Practitioner”.  This is an increasingly common error despite EMDRIA’s work to publicize that there is no such thing as a Certified Level II EMDR Practitioner or even an EMDR Level II practitioner.

How should you advertise your EMDR skills?

• If you have completed Level I and Level II training with an EMDRIA Approved Basic Trainer (which PESI is not), then you are an EMDR Trained Practitioner and can advertise that you have attended EMDRIA Approved Basic Training Courses as well if you wish to do so.
• If you have undergone the additional Certification requirements (such as applying for certification with EMDRIA, attending additional EMDRIA Approved continuing education courses, receiving additional consultation hours, etc.) and have received your certification certificate (not membership certificate) from EMDRIA, then you can advertise yourself as an EMDRIA Certified Therapist.

Please help EMDRIA spread the word on both of these issues!

Hermosillo Daycare Fire & EMDR

Many of you may have heard of the tragic nursery fire in Hermosillo, Mexico on June 5, 2009. The blaze killed 49 children and injured more than 100 others — all of which were under the age of 6 years old. EMDR HAP – Mexico responded quickly to the need for trauma treatment, and has begun to offer pro-bono services to victims families.

“It was the worst tragedy of this kind in Mexican History. On Jun 31, July 1 & 2, the Mexican team gave EMDR part 1 training to 25 mental health professionals from that city and EMDR therapy to 17 children relatives. The team will give a total of 60 pro-bono hours of EMDR Basic training (20 hours consultation) and at least 1 year of free consultation,” said Nacho Jarero.

Thank you to all of you who volunteer your time and efforts to help victims of tragic events such as these.

Assessing Patient with “Black Outs”

By Lynette McDonald, MSW

I am a trained but not yet certified EMDR therapist with two years experience.

Recently an intelligent,  personable, energetic woman in her early 70s was referred to me for assessment for EMDR treatment.  I diagnosed her with depression and PTSD. In recent years this otherwise articulate, functional woman has had episodes she calls  “black outs.”

Example: patient remembers going into the door of the church where her best friend’s wedding is about to be held.  She says she must have blacked out because she cannot remember a thing more until the next day when her best friend tells her she doesn’t “want to know someone like her,” refuses to say why, never speaks to her again.

Another example: She is ending a good first date with a man she likes.  The couple is leaving a restaurant to go to the parking lot.  She thinks he may kiss her, then “blacks out” and “awakens” 100 yds or so away, by her car,  “and he never wants to see me again either, won’t return my calls.”

First time this happened was when she was 11 years old and an older boy “tried to kiss” her.  She  remembers nothing but woke up on the ground.  The patient was an only child. Her mother had severe and persistent mental illness and was institutionalized when the patient was 11 yrs old.  Patient has only a handful of memories of her early years. These point to her mother  abusing her in unpredictable, bizarre ways. From 11 yrs on she lived with her father whom she idealized but he worked long hours, leaving her alone after school and evenings.  Relatives were  ashamed of her because they associated her with her mother. She was sent away to boarding school where she excelled at age 12. She says she studied meditation and achieved a profound peace. She completed DES assessment with some indications of dissociation.

Does this sound like a patient with DID? Or a person too likely to dissociate, for whom EMDR would not be appropriate?  I would appreciate feedback.

Top Three Reasons to Become an EMDRIA Certified Therapist

Are you wondering what all the fuss about Certification is? Well, here are the top three reasons you should consider becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist:

1. Certification is a mark of excellence. It demonstrates that you have the knowledge to provide quality treatment in EMDR.
2. Certification demonstrates that you are consistently working to increase your knowledge and advance your skills as an EMDR Therapist by attending EMDR continuing education courses on a regular basis, as required for recertification.
3. Potential clients often prefer an EMDR therapist who is Certified and will search the EMDRIA website for therapists in their area who have this designation.

Please remember that completing EMDR basic training does not mean you are Certified!

For more information on the Certification process, Certification requirements or about EMDRIA Certified Therapists please visit the EMDRIA Certified Therapist portion of our website.