EMDR with Kids: Play Therapy Integrated Through the 8 Phases with Fidelity
(In-Person in Orlando, Florida)
Are you ready to transform how you help children and teens heal from trauma? EMDR with Kids: Play Therapy Integrated through the 8 Phases is designed to do just that. In this live, online course, you'll learn how to seamlessly integrate the 8 phases of EMDR with playful, engaging approaches that truly resonate with kids—because children aren’t miniature adults, and their healing needs are different.
As a child therapist, you know how challenging it can be to apply the standard EMDR protocol to young clients. Children express themselves through play, not just conversation, and this course will teach you how to use play therapy techniques to bring the power of EMDR to life in a way that feels safe and effective for kids. From puppet play and turn-taking games to creative movement and sensory activities, this course equips you with practical, hands-on tools that support trauma processing while maintaining fidelity to the EMDR protocol.
Why Integrate Play with EMDR?
Children communicate through play: Play allows kids to express their experiences in a way that feels safe, much like adults use conversation. Incorporating play into EMDR helps children feel comfortable enough to process trauma without being overwhelmed.
Creates safety and increases regulation: Play naturally fosters safety and helps children move in and out of survival states with greater ease, allowing them to access more of their developing brain's potential. This is key in helping them process trauma and integrate new, healthier patterns of behavior.
Supports their healing and development: Play-based EMDR helps children reconnect with themselves and others, reducing trauma-related isolation and allowing them to process difficult emotions in a developmentally appropriate way.
Throughout this course, you'll learn how to move through each of the 8 phases of EMDR with play-based interventions. Whether you're working with a 5-year-old reprocessing trauma through creative storytelling or a teenager expressing emotions through art, you'll gain the tools to make EMDR therapy engaging and effective for children and adolescents.
What’s Included:
15 hours (2 1/2 days) of live experiential instruction where you’ll learn how to integrate EMDR and play therapy with fidelity to the 8 phases.
1-year access to course materials, so you can revisit the content and continue to sharpen your skills.
Who Should Attend?
This training is open to clinicians who are already at least partially trained in EMDR and are looking to expand their ability to work with children and adolescents. Please note, this is an EMDRIA-approved advanced course, not a Basic EMDR training.
Why This Training?
If you’re an EMDR-trained therapist who has struggled to move beyond the preparation phase with young clients, or you’re unsure how to adapt the protocol to their developmental needs, this training is for you. You’ll learn how to balance the structure of EMDR with the flexibility and creativity that play therapy offers, ensuring that your young clients receive the healing support they deserve.
Ready to Transform Your Practice?
This course is your opportunity to bring EMDR therapy to life for your child and teen clients. Register today and start using play-based EMDR techniques to support their healing, growth, and transformation.
Don’t wait—your kid clients are counting on you!