Trauma As Absence: The Biopsychosocial-AIP Approach to EMDR

This workshop is based on the biopsychosocial-AIP approach to EMDR which considers the therapeutic relationship as the innate healing system causally responsible for effective treatment outcomes in EMDR. Participants will learn how to establish and maintain biopsychosocial connectivity throughout all 8 phases of EMDR and create an informationally rich interpersonal context to work in. Specific techniques for trauma processing, self-integration, and attachment repair will be taught as a comprehensive approach to trauma treatment with EMDR. In addition, participants will learn interventions to help clients manage interpersonal disconnection at home and work and promote collaborative relationships. Special attention will be given to socio-cultural factors that contribute to individual traumatization, racialized trauma, and relationships characterized by patterns of domination. The format includes lecture on biopsychosocial-AIP theory and practice, mini-practicums on how to activate a connected-AIP system with clients, how to coach clients to establish connection with their self-system, and how to establish connection with others and manage interpersonal disconnection in both benign and malicious situations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define AIP in biopsychosocial terms
2. Describe how trauma, insecure attachment, and dissociation along with non-pathological factors thwart AIP.
3. Define “trauma as absence”.
4. Demonstrate the use of the “Rope Exercise” with clients to illustrate biopsychosocial connectivity.
5. Interpret how personal and interpersonal AIP happens in phases 1, 2, & 8.
6. Assess and identify small-t and relational traumas with a Biopsychosocial-AIP inventory.
7. Demonstrate the use the “Window of BPS Connectivity” to manage client’s defensive functioning inside and outside of therapy.
8. Demonstrate the use the “Window of BPS Connectivity” to describe professional boundaries necessary for EMDR practice.
9. Define the self-system in AIP terms.
10. Demonstrate the use the Never Fail Body Scan.
11. Assess therapist’s own patterns of insecure attachment.
12. Define “extra-personal attunement”.
13. Demonstrate the use of the Experiencing Self Exercise.
14. Demonstrate the use of the Office Space of the Mind’s Eye intervention.
15. Demonstrate the use of the Validate Don’t Compensate intervention.
16. Demonstrate the use of Attachment Resource Development.
17. Demonstrate the use of trauma processing interventions with disconnected historical
selves.

Percentage of EMDR: 90%