Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy
by
Dr. Stephen Dansiger & Dr. Jamie Marich
OUT NOW! Order your copy through Springer Publishing today!
Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide byDr. Jamie Marich and Dr. Stephen Dansiger
For over 15 years I have championed the use of EMDR therapy to treat addiction. I have presented at several conferences about it, written articles about it, and created the MET(T)A Protocol, using EMDR therapy as a complete psychotherapy integrated with Buddhist psychology and mindfulness to treat addiction. Springer Publishing, the premiere medical publisher of books on EMDR therapy, presented me and Jamie Marich with the opportunity to put all of our passion, knowledge, clinical practice, personal experience, strategies, and evidence base surrounding EMDR therapy to treat addiction into one book. Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide is based on the now accepted premise that at the root of addiction is trauma, and in order for people to recover, their trauma must be directly treated. Starting with our previous 2018 Book EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma-Focused Care, Jamie and I have suggested that we take this now well known set of trauma-informed principles of care driven by thought leaders, and to become action leaders in elevating trauma-informed care to a more proactive trauma-focused care.
I have been honored to witness the healing of countless individuals struggling with addiction through the use of EMDR therapy after numerous other approaches have been either unsuccessful or could not provide a long term sustainable recovery. My hope is that through this book and the dialogue and practice that it engenders, the addiction treatment community will see EMDR therapy as a comprehensive primary psychotherapy for addiction treatment.
Springer Publishing affirms, “This innovative and brand new EMDR therapy guide for healing addiction is the first book to underscore the efficacy of EMDR therapy as a primary modality for treating trauma and addiction.” This book offers a comprehensive collection of best practices and strategies for using EMDR therapy to treat addictive disorders. It includes case studies, “Tips and Tricks from the Field,” practical exercises, and discussion questions to assist clinicians in translating the knowledge gained from the book into clinical practice settings. It provides a comprehensive guide to the standard eight-phase protocol and adaptive information processing model as groundwork for case conceptualization and treatment. It discusses already established addiction protocols and provides guidance on how to implement them in clinical practice.
My hope is that the release of this book will help in one or many ways in the transformation, and even the end of suffering.
OUT NOW! Order your copy through Springer Publishing today!
This is the official book course for “Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy” featuring exclusive video content from the authors, Dr. Jamie Marich and Dr. Stephen Dansiger. This course allows readers to receive credit for reading and studying the latest book from Dr. Jamie Marich and Dr. Stephen Dansiger, Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide. The exclusive video content from the authors expands on insights from each chapter not available to the general public. This book course becomes the Institute for Creative Mindfulness' official “flagship” advanced topics course for working with addiction in a comprehensive way within EMDR therapy. The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is approved by the following organizations to offer 12 continuing education (CE) credits for this course: EMDR International Association, American Psychological Association, National Board for Certified Counselors, Association of Social Worker Boards, and State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.
What people are saying…
“Often asked, "What about EMDR to treat addiction?", Marich and Dansiger came together as skilled clinicians to create an innovative book that offers an investigation into therapies which can assist therapists to assess trauma and how it impacts the mind-body. It provides a clear guide to therapists in changing the way healing addiction is imagined.”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Change
"Jamie and Steve emerge in this fabulous book as the Lennon and McCartney of contemporary EMDR creativity. Like John and Paul, they draw on - and, as the Beatles did, gaily quote - the richest rhythms and disciplines of the past, crafting a masterful and inspiringly original exploration of EMDR. This, I suspect, will become an instant EMDR classic, appealing to therapists working with the widest range of presentations. Beautifully and accessibly written, and you'll love their metaphors, ranging from toilet plungers to badly-cooked meals. It's practical, refreshingly free of jargon and dogma, and eloquently anticipates EMDR's necessary future as, from the first session, a comprehensive and complete trauma-informed psychotherapy. Conversational, superbly referenced and topical, Jamie's and Steve's manual is perhaps the first to bring EMDR smartly into our Covid-changed world. Think the Beatles with Rubber Soul in 1965 - this is a Marich/Dansiger 2021 version for EMDR."
- Mark Brayne
Director, EMDR Focus, EMDR Europe Accredited Consultant, Dip Psych, MA, UKCP
"There are just so many things that I love about this book that I simply don't know where to begin! Marich and Dansiger take an approach that is comprehensive, integrative, relational, and deeply hopeful. They share their wisdom and lived experience as skilled clinicians AND as vulnerable human beings who themselves have struggled with addiction, benefiting in profound ways from EMDR therapy. They are fierce advocates for this model, challenging the status quo in addiction treatment and advocating with all their might for a creative, inclusive, trauma-informed approach to recovery. They do a masterful job of citing and weaving together all that has come before in terms of therapeutic protocols and strategies, providing readers with a crystal clear conceptual framework to help with moment-to-moment decision-making. And, all of this is done with a sense of humor, beautiful metaphors, and a style that is both accessible and inspiring."
- Deborah Korn, PsyD
EMDRIA Approved Consultant and EMDR Institute Senior Faculty Member
Trauma Research Foundation - Adjunct Teaching Faculty
Co-author: Every Memory Deserves Respect
“This must-read volume, offers clinicians a road map to navigate the often convoluted and intricate journey of accompanying clients suffering the aftermath of trauma and addictions. Clinicians will find in this book the guidance, foundational and advanced skills, as well as an incredibly rich repertoire of stabilization strategies. Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy presents in a clear and concise manner how to stay true to the heart of EMDR therapy while honoring the uniqueness of each individual client and making the adjustments, additions and modifications that will best serve their healing journey. It honors the importance of attunement and synchrony in the therapeutic relationships while demonstrating how to masterfully utilize techniques and protocols. Marich and Dansiger utilize an exquisite and dexterous approach that enhances and promotes critical thinking in the moment-to-moment decision making. This book will be an active companion to the community of clinicians around the globe dedicated to alleviating human suffering and healing the root causes of addiction”.
- Ana M. Gomez, MC, LPC
Author of EMDR therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation
“Healing Addiction with EMDR is tailored to support therapists along the different phases of EMDR Therapy. It focuses on understanding each individual case, through case conceptualization and treatment planning, and avoiding the simplistic “What protocol should we use?” question. People need to be understood as individual beings since this is the essence of EMDR Therapy. The author’s ability to integrate the latest research and clinical practices in the field of EMDR and addictions makes Healing Addiction with EMDRa practical, clear, well-written, and respectful guide. And since integration is a crucial part of our work, this guide is undoubtedly a true gift for EMDR therapists.”
- Dolores Mosquera, Co-Author of EMDR and Dissociation: The Progressive Approach
INTRA-TP, A Coruña, Spain
"This book is both innovative and classic. The voices of both Jamie and Stephen alternate harmoniously along the chapters, refreshing traditional addiction treatment options through Buddhist and mindfulness principles integrated with classic EMDR. Jamie and Stephen`s duet inspires in us the creativity through precious tips from the field, while simultaneously offering solid, careful pacing in the treatment of this complex clientele. I especially relished the ideas of Phase 2.5, thematic floatback, and an imperfect Safe Place! Each phase of the standard protocol has been carefully expanded in empowering ways, bringing creative new perspectives to tough cases."
-André Maurício Monteiro
EMDR Therapy Trainer and Founder, Espaçao da MenteBrasilia, Brazil
"The conversation about how to address trauma as a root cause in addictions couldn’t be more timely as we face the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise of addictions as its own epidemic. Jamie Marich and Stephen Dansiger bring us a thorough and scholarly inquiry that is equally practical with “tips and tricks” from the field and relatable clinical vignettes. This book is an essential reference for trauma specialists, EMDR therapists, and all who aim to support individuals who struggle with addiction. This is a must-have resource!"
- Dr. Arielle Schwartz, author of The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology and The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook
“In a world with machine learning, where computers can read protocols and improve their performance, Jamie Marich and Steve Dansiger remind us of the most important qualities we need to have as EMDR therapists: being human, authentic, and compassionate. In their book Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide, Marich and Dansiger go deep into the eight phases of EMDR and beyond. They challenge the disease model—which still dominates our field and has shaped the way many of us view mental health treatment—and offer creative ways to heal trauma and addiction. The diversity of perspectives will give you new ways to conceptualize your EMDR work (my favorite: end an EMDR session with a yoga pose). With a perfect blend of knowledge, experience, and tips and tricks from the field, this book is a must-read for every EMDR therapist.”
- Rotem Brayer, M.Ed., LPC
Founder, The Art and Science of EMDR
“As an EMDR consultant, trainer and advanced credit provider, I am always looking for creative activities and interventions to share with my consultees and training participants. Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma-Focused Guide will have a prominent place on my list of recommendations. Jamie Marich and Steven Dansiger have done wonderful work weaving general trauma information, addictions protocols, and EMDR into a tapestry of healing and hope. This extraordinary volume is packed with easy to implement interventions, compelling case examples, and an impressive array of resources for further exploration. While the interventions are presented for those struggling with addictions, they can be of great value with any client. I stayed up late many nights reading this inspiring book because it’s a therapeutic “page turner.”
- Kriss Jarecki, LCSWR
Consultant and Trainer for EMDR Therapy and Progressive Counting
Member of the EMDRIA Board of Directors
“Every single one of us works with addictions and we all know that addiction is trauma-based, but this book will help us to think more clearly about that. It will help us to see addictions not as a comorbidity, but as a “dissociative response that can elicit its own continued trauma”. Marich and Dansiger bring home this knowledge into precise applicability. Offering a clear history of addictions models, they bring us to the crossroads of addictions treatment and make the case that “being trauma-focused, addiction informed and dissociation-informed is vital”. From Adler and the cognitive-based models, through the moral, medical & 12-step models they add this more current trauma-based, “body and limbic-based understanding”, in the spirit of ‘both/and’ and '‘bottom-up’, to complement the existing ‘top-down’ treatments. The book is wonderfully inclusive, describing many current adapted protocols to consider for each individual client. The stunning final chapter is a ‘call to arms’ for trauma-informed care in these pandemic times and a compelling case for therapist self-care founded in Buddhist principles. This important book is personal to Jamie and Steve, witnessed by their use of their first names and stories. The structure is splendid, making it accessible for the busy clinician, using conventions of “Tips & Tricks”, Conclusion, Discussion Questions, References, and detailed resources."
-Barbara Horne, MASc, RP, RMFT
EMDR Therapy Trainer, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
“Marich and Dansiger have accomplished something very significant with this book— they have developed a manual that will help EMDR therapists who do not have special training in substance abuse to stand by our clients and adjust Shapiro’s 8 phase EMDR protocol to offer them a path towards healing. These authors understand the pain from trauma that feeds addictive behavior at its root. Intertwining the AIP model with leading theories from neurobiology and addiction leads to a thoughtful and integrative approach versus a rigid protocol-driven approach to case conceptualization, preparation and processing. Marich and Dansiger support their thinking with carefully constructed and illustrative case examples and step by step approaches to using the material successfully. Of particular interest to my practice was the treatment of co-occurring addiction and dissociation. Congratulations on a significant contribution to the treatment literature, and a must read for addiction specialists and general practitioners.”
- Ann Beckley-Forest, LCSW-R, RPT-S, co-Author, EMDR with Children in the Play Therapy Room: An Integrated Approach
“Dr. Marich & Dr. Dansiger have created an extraordinarily useful book that will guide all clinicians in the complicated and layered treatment of trauma and addiction. This will become an off-the-shelf & on-the-desk resource to have at your fingertips with their worksheets, protocols and scripts. Based upon up to date and relevant research on Trauma, the authors clearly show how treatment can be flexible in its applications, while honoring the standard EMDR protocol. An excellent and comprehensive addition to the limited number of resources in Addiction treatment.”
-Sara Gilman, PsyD, LMFT, Past-President EMDR International Association
“Jamie Marich & Stephen Dansiger have accomplished what others have not; they have addressed EMDR as a holistic, complete therapy approach. As such, the reader is invited to see addiction treatment not as a one-size-fits-all but an elegant incorporation of addiction protocols into EMDR therapy. The authors not only underscore trauma as the “why” of addiction but introduce new understandings of addiction as a dissociative disorder. Also offered is the introduction of mindfulness practices and the use of them not only in the preparation phase of EMDR but wrapped into the ongoing treatment philosophy of recovery. It is also chock-full of excellent resources in an appendix that will please clinicians looking for references to the concepts introduced. The book is reader-friendly with entries such as “tips and tricks from the field” and questions at the end of each chapter to enhance understanding. Case examples throughout not only illustrate concepts but show sensitivity and knowledge of diversity. Last, it is a call to action in this age of the pandemic, to recognize the unresolved grief, trauma, and loss yet to be healed in its wake. As an EMDR Clinician and Consultant of many years I feel revitalized by this new contribution to our field.”
-April Wise, Psy.D., LMFT