EMDR Therapy when Working with Family & Domestic Violence

This training is delivered by Dolores Mosquera, in partnership by Dr Sarah Schubert.

Overview:

Dolores’ Mosquera will present for the first time in Australia on the topic of using EMDR therapy when working with victims of family and domestic violence.   In this workshop Dolores will reflect on the reality that some people find themselves repeatedly involved in harmful relationships in which both abuse and maltreatment occur. Many individuals struggle to walk away from harmful relationships, aren't able to set boundaries or protect themselves adequately. Dolores will explore why that in some cases victims are aware that their relationship is harmful, potentially dangerous, and must come to an end, yet for others they are unable to assess these risks.

In Dolores' workshop she will present on authors hypotheses that victim's behaviors and choices occur, among other reasons, because of  intense emotions of guilt and learned helplessness that become activated. This could be explained, on the one hand, as part of the invalidation process to which they are subjected by their perpetrators and, on the other, as a result of the victim's own learning history.

Dolores will highlight two concepts that will be important to differentiate when working with family, domestic violence: responsibility and vulnerability. Although the perpetrator is the only one responsible for the mistreatment, the victim may have vulnerabilities that come from their personal history. In EMDR therapy it is essential to understand and heal these vulnerabilities to prevent an individual from becoming involved in future harmful relationships. In some cases, it may be necessary to strengthen the victim's resources so they can leave a ahrmful relationship. This will include offering psychoeducation on prototypical abusive behaviors and types of perpetrators, so that they can identify their partners as such and protect themselves from the strategies they use to retain victims by their side. At the same time, they may need to be guided through the complex process of leaving such a relationship. In other cases, it will be essential to overcome the traumatic bond generated with the perpetrator, which may involve working with apparently positive aspects such as idealization or the addictive component of the relationship.

In this presentation, Dolores will take a look at the different problem areas in which it is usually necessary to intervene in this population. Clinical cases will be presented from an EMDR therapy perspective, both in terms of case conceptualization and treatment. Dolores will talk about how to create an individualized treatment plan that contemplates aspects such as the psychoeducation needed by specific clients and the selection of targets for memory reprocessing on which must be a focus - since it will be necessary to work both on early personal history and previous negative relationships, as well as on the current relationship.

Training Pre-Requisites: Level One EMDR training

Training Details
Dates: 21st and 22nd February, 2025
Time: 9am to 5pm each day
Location: City of Melbourne Bowls Club
Flagstaff Gardens, Dudley Street,
West Melbourne VIC 3003

Please contact our Admin Manager via admin@drsarahschubert.com if you have any questions about this training program.