In-Person EMDR With Complex Trauma Training

This in-person six-hour training with Thomas Zimmerman, Ms.Ed., LPCC, (see bio) focuses on effective strategies in EMDR therapy with clients with complex trauma.  It introduces strategies to help clients develop Phase Two resources when they have struggled to respond to resources using more traditional approaches. It offers sensible accommodations in the reprocessing phases of EMDR therapy when complex clients struggle. If these locations do not work and you are looking for an online Zoom training, see here.

Prerequisites

This training is for clinicians who have completed an EMDRIA-Approved Basic EMDR Training (or compatible training in your country). Much of the training is unlikely to be helpful to therapists who do not have a solid foundation in EMDR therapy.

Offered in Multiple Locations

  • June 20, 2025. 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET. Columbus, OH. Hyatt Place Columbus/OSU, 795 Yard St., Grandview Heights, OH 43212
  • July 25, 2025. 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET. Cleveland, Ohio. Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development, 19910 Malvern Rd., Shaker Heights, OH 44122.

Cost

Six Ohio CEs and Six EMRIA Credits (No Other CEs Offered)Graduate Students, Financially Constrained, or Community Mental Health Worker Scholarship*
$70.00$35.00, use coupon code: CMH

*Community mental health workers in this context means that at least 50% of the clients of the agency are Medicaid/Medicare or local government or board-funded clients. The purpose of the scholarship is to allow people who do not have enough financial resources to still be able to attend. If you would like to attend this training, but cannot do so for financial reasons, please contact us and we may be offer you an additional scholarship.

Scholarship

If you would like to attend, but cannot because of financial reasons, you can request a full scholarship here: https://forms.gle/49Db1L1nTKLM6BRT9 (note that we may not be able to honor all requests). Because of the costs associated with the in-person Columbus training, the number of full scholarships for that training is limited to several people.

Register

Note the DATE of the training for either Cleveland or Columbus. When signing up, the date is how you select which training you are joining. They are offered in-person in one location only for each date. Please select the correct date for that location.

https://EMDRCleveland.as.me/complexin

Agenda

9:00 AMWelcome and Introductions
9:15 AMReview Trauma from an AIP Lens
What Makes Complex Trauma So Complex in EMDR Therapy
Core Resources for Complex Trauma
10:15 AMUnderstanding Containment
10:25 AMStrategies for Working with Dissociation
11:00 AMHow We Interact with the Memory Matters
12:00 PM-1:00 PMLUNCH
1:00 PMStrategies for Use Between Sessions
1:15 PMStrategies for Working with Deficits of Adaptive Information
2:45 PMThe Problem of Developmental Trauma Related to EMDR
3:00 PMAttachment Resources
3:45 PM-4:00 PMWrap-Up

The content of this program is consistent with the EMDRIA Definition of EMDR.

Learning Objectives

  • Articulate why many clients with extreme trauma struggle using standard resources in EMDR therapy.
  • List and describe how to conduct at least three “dip your toe in” resources that tend to be more tolerable starting places for clients with severe trauma.
  • List three types of dissociation that are potentially problematic in EMDR therapy and strategies for managing them.
  • Describe at least three strategies that can assist clients in the reprocessing phases  of EMDR therapy clear targets with less risk of client decompensation and increased probability of memory resolution.
  • List the advantages of attachment resources in the preparation phases of EMDR therapy.
  • Articulate three strategies to help clients develop some of the needed adaptive information for EMDR therapy.

CEs

This training has been approved for six-hours for Ohio counselors, social workers, and MFT’s. It is approved for six EMDRIA credits. CE certificates are sent via email within three days of the ending of the training. This training is NOT approved for any other CEs. Please verify that your state takes CEs from Ohio, many do not. If you are not pleased with this training, you can request a refund at any time and your payment will be refunded.

EMDR Cleveland LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

For the grievance policy, refund policy or cancellation policy, see organizational policies. Hanna Perkins Center is an accessible facility, as required by the Ohio CSWMFT board for CE trainings. If you have specific accessibility needs, please contact us.