EMDR Advanced Training
The Art of EMDR Preparation: Case Conceptualization and Readiness
Trainer: Crystal Wildes
Live: June 12-13th, 2025 from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm MTN | Available on-demand after
Getting your clients ready for EMDR is an art—and a science. Without the right preparation, reprocessing can stall, or worse, retraumatize. The Art of EMDR: Preparation, Case Conceptualization, and Readiness gives you the skills to confidently assess readiness, tailor preparation strategies, and build a strong therapeutic foundation before reprocessing begins.
In this course, you’ll refine your ability to conceptualize cases, strengthen your clients’ emotional resources, and troubleshoot common challenges in early EMDR phases. Whether you’re working with complex trauma, dissociation, or clients who struggle with affect tolerance, you’ll walk away with practical tools to ensure they’re truly prepared.
Master the essential—but often overlooked—phases of EMDR so you can set your clients up for success. Join us and take your EMDR practice to the next level.
This course will be recorded on June 12th & 13th, 2025.
Available for live, synchronous learning.
COURSE DETAILS
Successful EMDR therapy begins long before reprocessing. The effectiveness of EMDR processing hinges on a clinician’s ability to conceptualize cases thoroughly, assess nervous system readiness, and implement strategic preparation and treatment planning. This training is designed to deepen clinicians’ understanding of EMDR Phases 1 and 2, ensuring a strong foundation for effective trauma treatment.
Through a blend of didactic instruction, interactive case conceptualization, and hands-on practice, participants will review the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, Polyvagal Theory, and the 8 phases of EMDR, with a particular focus on Phase 1 (History-Taking & Case Conceptualization), Phase 2 (Preparation & Resourcing), and Treatment Planning. With a dynamic and engaging teaching style, Dr. Wildes creates a collaborative learning environment, ensuring participants walk away with concrete tools, structured frameworks, and confidence in their ability to implement Phase 1 and 2 strategies effectively.
A key emphasis will be placed on the 7 P’s of Case Conceptualization, a structured framework that helps clinicians assess a client’s presenting concerns, underlying trauma history, and overall readiness for EMDR. Participants will learn how to apply this model to the Preparation Hierarchy, a clinical tool from Polyvagal-Informed EMDR that guides decision-making based on nervous system regulation, stability, and client readiness for EMDR reprocessing.
This training will provide clinicians with a variety of treatment planning options and preparation practices that support nervous system regulation, increase client engagement, and enhance reprocessing success. Through case discussions, practice activities, and applied clinical decision-making, participants will leave with actionable strategies to ensure they are fully preparing clients for EMDR reprocessing in an individualized, attuned, and effective way. By incorporating Polyvagal-informed strategies, they will also learn to track autonomic nervous system states, apply interventions that promote safety and connection, and adjust preparation techniques based on a client’s physiological capacity for trauma processing.
SCHEDULE
DAY 1:
- 9:00 - 9:15: Welcome & Introductions
- 9:15 - 10:00: The Science Behind EMDR: AIP, Polyvagal Theory, & the 8
Phases - 10:00 - 10:10: Break
- 10:10 - 11:00: EMDR Phases One & Two
- Why Phases 1 & 2 are Critical for EMDR Success
- Role of Case Conceptualization
- 11:00 - 11:10: Break
- 11:10 - 12:00: 7 P’s of Case Conceptualization
- Overview of the 7 P’s Framework
- Application of 7 P’s Clinical Tool
- 12:00 - 12:10: Break
- 12:10 – 1:30: Assessing Readiness for Reprocessing
DAY 2:
- 9:00 - 9:30: Welcome Back & Review
- 9:30 - 10:00: Preparation Techniques
- Polyvagal-Informed Preparation & Resourcing
- 10:00 - 10:10: Break
- 10:10 - 10:35: Preparation Techniques
- Recognizing and Addressing Dissociation & Avoidance
- 10:35 - 11:00: EMDR Treatment Planning Techniques
- The Role of Phases 1 & 2 in Treatment Planning
- Comprehensive Treatment Planning
- 11:00 - 11:10: Break
- 11:10 – 12:00: EMDR Treatment Planning cont.
- Symptom-Focused Treatment Planning
- Laying the Foundation for EMDR Success: Key Strategies for Conceptualization, Preparation, & Treatment Planning in Phase 1 & 2
- Fractionated Treatment Planning
- 12:00 - 12:10: Break
- 12:10 – 1:30: Treatment Barriers
- Applying the 7 P’s & Preparation Hierarchy when Therapy is Not Progressing
- Troubleshooting Activity
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Describe the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, Polyvagal Theory, and the eight phases of EMDR, with a focus on their relevance to Phases 1 and 2.
- Analyze the role of case conceptualization in EMDR treatment and apply the 7 P’s framework to assess a client’s trauma history, treatment needs, and readiness for reprocessing.
- Assess client readiness for EMDR reprocessing using the Polyvagal-Informed EMDR Preparation Hierarchy and the 7 P’s of Case Conceptualization to determine appropriate treatment pacing and interventions.
- Demonstrate Polyvagal-informed preparation techniques and integrate nervous system regulation strategies to enhance Phase 2 resourcing.
- Apply EMDR treatment planning techniques that align with client presentation, conceptualization, and readiness for reprocessing, incorporating comprehensive, fractionated, and symptom-focused approaches.
- Evaluate common challenges in early-phase EMDR, such as dissociation, avoidance, and autonomic dysregulation, and implement strategies to address these barriers effectively.
- Apply problem-solving techniques when treatment is not progressing, using case conceptualization to troubleshoot obstacles and adapt treatment strategies accordingly.
- Integrate the principles of case conceptualization, nervous system regulation, and treatment planning to enhance EMDR therapy outcomes in clinical practice.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Prerequisites
Continuing Education
Course Completion
Cancellation Policy
ABOUT YOUR TRAINER, CRYSTAL WILDES
Dr. Crystal Wildes is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, EMDR-certified clinician, and EMDRIA-Approved Consultant and Trainer with extensive experience in trauma treatment, clinician development, and EMDR training. She specializes in working with complex trauma and has a strong passion for training students and new clinicians, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to become effective trauma therapists.
Dr. Wildes currently works in private practice, where she provides trauma-focused therapy, consultation, and supervision. She has a 20-year history of working in community settings, serving underserved populations, and remains committed to increasing access to high-quality trauma care. Her background in both private and community-based practice allows her to offer a comprehensive perspective on trauma treatment, case conceptualization, and clinician training.
As a leader in the field of EMDR training and consultation, Dr. Wildes integrates Polyvagal Theory, advanced EMDR strategies, and structured case conceptualization models to help clinicians develop a nervous system-informed approach to treatment. She has worked extensively with dissociation, attachment wounds, and nervous system dysregulation, ensuring that both clients and clinicians have the tools necessary for successful trauma processing.
