Just a reminder that tomorrow evening's EMDR Playground Practice Lab begins at 6:00 PM EST. We'll be exploring Wabi-Sabi and AIP: Honoring Adaptation, Trusting Transformation and playing with imagery, metaphor, symbols, nature, expressive arts, and EMDR applications. I'm excited for this one. I've been thinking about these ideas for quite some time and can't wait to explore them together. If you plan to attend, please RSVP if possible so I have an idea of who's joining us. See you tomorrow at 6:00 PM EST! If you can't make it live, the recording will be available afterward inside the membership.

Remember to join us for this week’s EMDR Playground Practice Lab with Waldo Winborn. If you’ve ever wondered what to do when a client’s experience shows up through play, imagery, metaphors, sandtray scenes, sensations, or symbols rather than words, this Practice Lab is for you. Together, we’ll explore how symbols emerge before language, why that matters from a neurodevelopmental perspective, and how symbolic expression can inform all 8 phases of EMDR. More importantly, this won’t just be something you learn about. You’ll have the opportunity to brainstorm, discuss, and practice applying these ideas to your clinical work. You’ll leave with fresh insights, practical strategies, and new ways of understanding the symbolic material that naturally unfolds in therapy. One hour. A little teaching. Collaborative brainstorming. Hands-on practice. Real connection.

Something I’ve been thinking about lately…Over the years, parent consultation has become one of my favorite parts of EMDR with kids. When I first started, I think I looked at it as the time to get updates, answer questions, and give parents a few ideas to try at home. Now I see it differently!! I see it as an important part of the child’s EMDR therapy. I only get a small window into a child’s week. Their parents and caregivers are with them through everything else. So if I’m helping the child build resources, but I’m not also supporting the people who are walking alongside them every day, I feel like I’m missing a really important opportunity. For me, parent consultation has become so much more than giving advice. 💙 It’s helping parents notice what they’re already doing well. It’s helping them understand their child’s nervous system a little differently. It’s giving them support that actually feels doable. I’ve also found myself thinking a lot about the parents. So many of them come in carrying fear, guilt, exhaustion, or wondering if they’re somehow failing their child. I never want to forget how vulnerable that is. They’re trusting us with the person they love most. I don’t think parent consultation is separate from EMDR. I think it’s one of the ways we help create the conditions where the child’s healing can continue between sessions. I’d ♥️ to hear how you think about parent consultation. Has your perspective changed over time?

Welcome to EMDR Playground We’re glad you’re here. EMDR Playground is a learning community for clinicians who want to integrate play, creativity, attachment, nervous system awareness, and other expressive approaches into EMDR while staying grounded in the eight-phase model. Here is a simple path to help you begin. 1. Enter the Playground Start with the welcome and quick tour to learn how the Community, Classroom, and Calendar work. 2. Look Around Take a few minutes to explore. You do not need to understand or complete everything today. 3. Pick Up Your Starter Pack Open your welcome resources and download the clinical tools included with your membership. 4. Check What Is Happening Visit the Calendar and save one upcoming training, Practice Lab, Playdate, or Open Office Hour that interests you. 5. Meet the Community Introduce yourself in the main Community feed when you are ready. You might share: • Where you are from • Who you enjoy working with • What brought you to EMDR Playground 6. Choose Your Next Stop LEARN AND PRACTICE • Monthly Training Library • EMDR Practice Labs • EMDR Consultant Conversations FIND A CLINICAL TOOL • Therapeutic Tool Library • Recommended Resources GET SUPPORT • EMDR Consultation Corner • Open Office Hours You do not need to explore everything. Start with what feels most useful right now.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see in EMDR with kids is that we have to get them to comply with the protocol. I don’t think that’s the goal. I think we should prioritize play and use the eight phases to support the child’s natural process. Sometimes we’re more directive. Sometimes we’re not. Most of the time, it’s somewhere in between. Our job isn’t to control the session. It’s to guide it. When we understand the purpose behind each phase, we can be flexible without losing fidelity. 💙