About this course

Learning Objectives

• Learn the history and importance of Trauma-informed Care (TIC).
• Understand the guiding principles of TIC
• The history and evolution of EMDR.
• Overview of each of the eight phases of EMDR
• Apply TIC best practices to EMDR to improve client care and outcomes.

Learning Levels

• This course is designed for intermediate knowledge level. Clinicians who have taken basic EMDR training, or higher would be appropriate for this course.

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Carolyn Lenz, LMHC, EMDRC

  Licensed Mental Health Counselor

  My path to becoming an EMDR therapist began in social work. In my early twenties, I worked in the Child Welfare System helping children and families navigate complex challenges. The experience was both rewarding and harrowing, but it provided motivation to address my own mental wellness. I sought counseling and was fortunate to find a wonderful therapist. She helped me make sense of my life experiences, learn strategies that worked, and most importantly experience the healing power of EMDR.

  I’ve been a licensed counselor for over 15 years, and I find my work deeply meaningful. I’ve worked with children, families, and adults in a range of settings, including in-home services, community mental health, substance use treatment facilities, and Hospice. I currently have a private practice in Tampa Bay, FL, where I specialize in EMDR treatment for adults, with a focus on anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, and transformational healing. I also offer EMDR consultation to fellow therapists. Using EMDR’s healing power to help clients and therapists unlock their authentic self and deepest potential is truly a dream come true for me.

References

• Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). (2014). Chapter 1, Trauma-Informed Care: A Sociocultural Perspective. Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207195/
• Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma. (n.d.). Principle 3: Empowerment, Voice and Choice. https://childwellbeingandtrauma.org/becoming-trauma-informed-and-responsive/guiding-principles/principle-3-empowerment-voice-and-choice
• Crisis Prevention Institute. (2023, May). Trauma-Informed Care Resource Guide. Crisis Prevention Institute. CPI-NCI-EBK-0072-GEN-0423-US https://discovermscharters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Crisis-Prevention-Institute-Trauma-Informed-Care-Resources-Guide.pdf
• Edx Online MSW Programs. (2025). Supporting Survivors of Trauma: How to Avoid Re-traumatization. https://www.onlinemswprograms.com/resources/how-to-be-mindful-re-traumatization/
• EMDR Institute, Inc. (n.d.). The History of EMDR Therapy. https://www.emdr.com/history-of-emdr/#timeline
• Everytown for Gun Safey and Support Fund. (2024, November 08). 58 Percent of American Adults, or Someone They Care For, Have Experienced Gun Violence in their Lifetime. https://everytownresearch.org/graph/58-percent-of-american-adults-or-someone-they-care-for-have-experienced-gun-violence-in-their-lifetime
• Everytown Research analysis of CDC, WONDER, Provisional Mortality Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death, 2019–2023; Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project nonfatal firearm injury data, 2020; and SurveyUSA, Market Research Study #26602, 2022.
• Fallot, R., Harris, M. (2008, Winter). Trauma-Informed Approaches to Systems of Care. The Trauma Psychology Newsletter. https://www.ozaukeecounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8168/Trauma-Informed-Approaches-to-Systems-of-Carepdf?bidId=
• Fallot, Roger & Harris, Maxine. (2015). Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care: A Self-Assessment and Planning Protocol. 10.13140/2.1.4843.6002.
• Grossman, S., Cooper, Z., Buxton, H., Hendrickson, S., Lewis-O'Connor, A., Stevens, J., Wong, L. Y., & Bonne, S. (2021). Trauma-informed care: recognizing and resisting re-traumatization in health care. Trauma surgery & acute care open, 6(1), e000815. https://doi.org/10.1136/tsaco-2021-000815
• Harris, M., & Fallot, R. (Eds). (2001). Using Trauma Theory to Design Service Systems: New Directions for Mental Health Services
• Hase, M., (2021, May 25). The Structure of EMDR Therapy: A Guide for the Therapist. Frontiers of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.660753
• Hopper, Bassuk, & Olivet (2010). What is Trauma Informed Care? Trauma Informed Oregon. https://traumainformedoregon.org/resources/new-to-trauma-informed-care/what-is-trauma-informed-care
• Jennings, A., (n.d.). Community Retraumatization. https://www.theannainstitute.org/CR.html
• Jones, R., (2023, August 22). Ethics of care: 6 principles of trauma-informed pedagogy for your classroom. https://educationexpress.uts.edu.au/blog/2023/08/22/6-principles-of-trauma-informed-pedagogy/
• Kaiser Permanente. (2024, April 08). By the Numbers: The impact of child abuse and neglect. https://www.instagram.com/kplacounty/p/C56YTNCrbEM/?img_index=1
• Lathan, E. C., Selwyn, C. N., & Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J. (2021). The "3 Es" of trauma-informed care in a federally qualified health center: Traumatic Event- and Experience-related predictors of physical and mental health Effects among female patients. Journal of community psychology, 49(2), 703–724. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22488
• Lebow, H. (2022, May 27). How Does the DSM-5 define Trauma? PTSD and more. PsychCentral. https://psychcentral.com/ptsd/dsm-5-trauma-ptsd-stress-related-disorders
• Levenson, J. (2017). Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice. Social Work, 62 (2), 105-113. https://academic.oup.com/sw/articleabstract/62/2/105/2937786?redirectedFrom=fulltext
• McNamara, Mackenzie & Ellis, Michael & Kimber, Justin. (2023). Predictors of vicarious traumatization and quality of life among supervisees: Testing moderation and mediation. The Clinical Supervisor. 42. 1-22. 10.1080/07325223.2023.2259374.
• Menschner, C., Maul, A., Center for Health Care Strategies. (2016, April). Key Ingredients for Successful Trauma-Informed Care Implementation. Advancing Trauma-Informed Care. https://www.chcs.org/resource/key-ingredients-for-successful-trauma-informed-care-implementation/
• National Center for PTSD. (n.d.) How Common is PTSD in Adults? https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.asp
• National Council for Behavioral Health (2022, August). How to Manage Trauma. https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Trauma-infographic.pdf
• Pickens (2021). Deploying a Trauma-Informed Approach: Use the 4 R’s. Presence. https://presence.com/insights/deploying-a-trauma-informed-approach-use-the-4-rs
• Rabbitt, M.P., Hales, L.J., Reed-Jones, M., (2025, January 08). Food Security in the U.S.- Key Statistics & Graphics. USDA Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us
• Shapiro, F. & Forrest, M. (1997). EMDR The Breakthrough Therapy for Overcoming Anxiety, Stress and Trauma. New York: Basic Books
• Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2, 199-223.
• Storrs, C., (2009, October 07). Is Life Expectancy Reduced by a Traumatic Childhood? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/childhood-adverse-event-life-expectancy-abuse-mortality/
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2024, November 08). Trauma and Violence. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence
• Swedo EA, Aslam MV, Dahlberg LL, et al. Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among U.S. Adults — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011–2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:707–715. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7226a2.
• Sweeney, A., et al. (2018). A Paradigm shift: relationships in trauma-informed mental health services. BJPsych Advances, Vol 24, 319-333. doi: 10.1192/bja.2018.29
• Thompson, P., Marsh, H. (2022). Centering Equity: Trauma-Informed Principles and Feminist Practice. In: Thompson, P., Carello, J. (eds) Trauma-Informed Pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92705-9_2
• Trauma Informed Practice. (2023). Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership. https://www.merseysidevrp.com/resources/trauma-informed-practice
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 8). About Adverse Childhood Experiences. https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025, March 26). Common Reactions After Trauma. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/isitptsd/common_reactions.asp
• University of Portland, Clark Library. (2025). Trauma Informed Educational Practice, The Four Rs of Trauma-Informed Care. https://libguides.up.edu/tiep/four-rs
• Yadav, G., McNamara, S., Gunturu, S. (2025). Trauma-informed Therapy. StatPearls Publishing LLC. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK604200/