EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology: Interventions to Enhance Embodiment in Trauma Treatment

by Arielle Schwartz, Barb Maiberger, Robin Shapiro (Foreword)

Clients who have experienced traumatic events and seek EMDR therapists rely on them as guides through their most vulnerable moments. Trauma leaves an imprint on the body, and if clinicians don't know how to stay embodied in the midst of these powerful relational moments, they risk shutting down with their clients or becoming overwhelmed by the process. If the body is not integrated into EMDR therapy, full and effective trauma treatment is unlikely.


This book offers an integrative model of treatment that teaches therapists how to increase the client's capacity to sense and feel the body, helps the client work through traumatic memories in a safe and regulated manner, and facilitates lasting integration.


Part I (foundational concepts) offers a broad discussion of theory and science related to trauma treatment. Readers will be introduced to essential components of EMDR therapy and somatic psychology. The discussion then deepens into the science of embodiment through the lens of research on emotion, memory, attachment, interpersonal neurobiology, and the impact of trauma on overall health. This part of the book emphasizes the principles of successful trauma treatment as phase-oriented, mindfulness-based, noninterpretive, experiential, relational, regulation focused, and resilience-informed.


Part II (interventions) presents advanced scripted protocols that can be integrated into the eight phases of EMDR therapy. These interventions provide support for therapists and clients who want to build somatic awareness through experiential explorations that incorporate mindfulness of sensations, movement impulses, breath, and boundaries.


Other topics discussed include a focus on complex PTSD and attachment trauma, which addresses topics such as working with preverbal memories, identifying ego states, and regulating dissociation; chronic pain or illness; and culturally-based traumatic events. Also included is a focused model of embodied self-care to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout.

Genres: Psychology, Counselling, Mental Health, Health, Nonfiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2018

About the author

Arielle Schwartz PhD is a clinical psychologist practicing in Boulder, Colorado.

Reviews

[Laura Karr · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a therapist you NEED this book! There is brilliant science about embodiment, stress, and interpersonal neurobiology. There are a ton of interventions in this book that will be useful for you as a human and for your clients. There are interventions specific to Complex PTSD, attachment trauma, and chronic pain. There is a chapter on self care for therapists. You need this chapter. This book has been life changing for me as a therapist, as a trauma survivor, as someone who experiences headaches... If you are not including the body and somatic psychology in your practice, I'd like to invite you to learn from Arielle and Barb in this book. And if you already know and value somatic psychology - these interventions will be such a resource! I've learned how to get curious and notice my body which has changed everything and become my greatest tool as a therapist.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very practical text that offers myriad interventions for working through trauma somatically with EMDR. I really liked that it briefly and succinctly summarizes EMDR and somatic applications and then provides SO MANY useful scripts for providers to adapt and easily use in all the ways trauma gets complex and stuck. 🙌🏻 Many similar books, even those aimed at clinicians, seem to spend a lot of time explaining trauma and its therapies and only briefly describe how to actually work through it.

That said, this is definitely written for clinicians with a pretty good understanding of trauma and therapeutic work, and who are trained in EMDR. Aaaaand it can get a little repetitive and dry. I’m certain I’ll refer back to this often as a reference and starting point for creatively adapting interventions for my clients.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that includes background, theory and examples of application of these therapies and some very concrete exercises. I think I would like to come back to this when I have looked into EMDR specifically a bit more. I especially found some of the discussion of different traumas and how these therapies can be helpful insightful. Totally unrelated I appreciated the idea that recovery from misatunement is a healthy and necessary part of attachment.

[Louisa]

appreciated the detailed scripts/interventions at first but found it really repetitive after a while. think the last few chapters on cptsd/npd could have been structured better, but on the whole appreciate the book and the thought put into citing everything, not everyone does that

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all her books, this one is also packed with practical, excellent resources.

[Kerry Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not learn anything new and it took a long time to get to the point in each segment and chapter. There are more succinct ways of teaching and sharing knowledge.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

It provides a lot of info and scripts. It was just a dry read

[Lynsey Gleim Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful toolbox style book. Tons of helpful interventions with scripts and step by step instructions for those that like that kind of thing.

[Hayley Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content is so essential for all EMDR therapists. However I did find audiobook version voice to be quite robotic and hard to listen to at times.