Our Approach

Healing trauma. Restoring Lives.

What is Attachment-Focused EMDR?

Attachment-Focused EMDR is an orientation to the practice of EMDR.

AF-EMDR is client-centered and emphasizes a reparative therapeutic relationship using a combination of Resource Tapping (Parnell, 2008) to strengthen clients, EMDR to process traumas and talk therapy to help integrate the information from EMDR sessions and to provide healing derived from therapist-client interactions.

AF-EMDR can be used for clients with severe early attachment trauma, as well as for all clients who require that the therapist attend to their needs as unique individuals. AF-EMDR has five guiding principles that define it.

Guiding Principles of Our Teaching

Safety

We emphasize the importance of client safety.

Before trauma work can begin, a client must have resources in place so they remain safe throughout the healing process. Our students learn to use a variety of resources to increase safety during sessions.

Relationship

The development of a safe and secure therapeutic relationship is essential.

We value the importance of the therapeutic relationship and view it as the foundation upon which the healing of psychological injury can take place. We train our students to be caring, clear, boundaried, positive, and professional.

Client-Centered

The therapy is client–centered, adapting the approach to the unique needs of each person.

Our clinicians learn how to listen to, respect, and adapt what they do according to the unique needs of each individual. They learn to attune to their clients and understand how to use EMDR with traumas and Resource Tapping to repair developmental deficits.

Resource Tapping

We use Resource Tapping to strengthen and prepare clients as well as to repair developmental deficits.

Modified EMDR

We use Modified EMDR (EMDR-M) that flows better than standard EMDR and supports the attunement and connection between therapist and client.

Become a Certified Attachment-Focused EMDR Therapist

Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) is client-centered and emphasizes a reparative therapeutic relationship using a combination of Resource Tapping, EMDR, and Talk Therapy.