EMDR4Ukrainebc

Providing Free EMDR Services for Acute Stress Symptoms caused by War

Our EMDR team was compelled to help the overwhelming and historic number of displaced persons fleeing Ukraine who had planned to settle locally. We wanted to provide free EMDR services to help alleviate post-trauma symptoms that often follow such life-threatening experiences. Once we learned that obtaining an interpreter for each therapist one-on-one was not only not very likely or realistic, we realized we would have to come up with another way. Luckily Dr. Shapiro had already planned for such catastrophes after the Oklahoma bombings in the 1980s. Such a catastrophe launched the beginning of the EMDR Humanitarian Foundation, which trains EMDR therapists to be able to provide free EMDR therapy to those who have been affected by disasters or critical incidents. Given the high need for Ukrainian persons who will and now need our help, we decided that running an EMDR group would provide the most relief to many persons at once with one interpreter. After learning of the devastation in Ukraine, our team of EMDR therapists that attend the EMDR peer group agreed to train with Dr. Ignacio Jarero. His published research shows that the group protocol known as EMDR IGTP – OTS provides excellent relief from acute stress symptoms caused by War, disaster or other critical events.