Working with complex traumatized clients, the therapist is confronted with difficult questions, choices and dilemmas: is the client ready for the step towards trauma confrontation  or does the client need to develop more skills or resources?

• How do you assess bearing strength, and how do know it is enough?
• And what if the client cannot develop trauma processing skills because she is so devastated by trauma symptoms?  
• How can you create more client safety and control, without prematurely activating trauma networks? 
• And what can you do, when affect tolerance is insufficient to start EMDR?

In this workshop a systematic, structured approach to EMDR skills training is presented. The client’s processing skills are evaluated with an informal checklist instrument, ‘the Three Tests’, that helps client and therapist to make informed decisions at any moment in treatment.

It shows exactly what the client needs to learn at any moment, and provides the therapist with a tailor-made treatment plan.

In this workshop many, many practical ideas are offered to work on bearing strength (affect tolerance,  attachment and self-compassion). Some techniques and interventions will be practiced in small groups.

The presentation is illustrated with many examples, case stories, demonstrations and metaphors.