Have you been mulling over the idea that identity may not be peripheral to AIP, but structurally embedded within the memory networks we work with every day? Because I have, and after much collaborative reflection and clinical dialogue, I’m ready to share what has emerged!
We know that EMDR is grounded in the AIP model, and we understand that maladaptively stored memories shape distress whilst access to adaptive memory networks support adaptive resolution. So how does that impact a person’s relationship with their identity?
We also know that identity is formed through lived relational, cultural and intergenerational experiences, and that those experiences are encoded. Therefore, if identity is understood as part of memory networks, affirming identity is then naturally woven through all eight phases of EMDR.
Over the past few years I have had the privilege of presenting this evolving body of work at the EMDRAA, EMDR Asia and EMDR Canada conferences and the clinical dialogue from these have been energising; confirming that many of us are asking similar questions in our therapeutic spaces. What has emerged is an exciting two day experiential training integrating identity affirming practices within the AIP model
I am now formally launching the Identity Affirming EMDR training! Across two days we will explore how identity shapes encoding and meaning making, how minority stress and intergenerational narratives influence case conceptualisation, and how identity affirmation may expand access to adaptive information during processing. We will engage in experiential components and practitioner reflection, including navigating the clinical tensions that can arise when identity is not explicitly integrated into our work.
Rather than packing this into two consecutive days, we’ll gather on the 8th of September and then again on the 15th of September as I’m very aware of how full our brains and nervous systems already are currently, and I want this learning to have room to settle rather than rush to be integrated.
Who this is for
EMDR practitioners who have completed Levels 1 and 2 and are interested in deepening AIP informed practice across diverse client identities.
Training Details
Dates: 8th and 15th September 2026
Time: 10am to 4:30pm each day
Location: The Gleeson Centre, Darebin Parklands, Alphington VIC
Cohort size: 20 practitioners
Cost
Early bird: $550 including GST
Standard fee: $660 including GST
Payment plan option: $150 deposit with remaining balance due two weeks prior to training
All proceeds from this training will contribute to the establishment of a free EMDR clinic for queer forcibly displaced people, including refugees and asylum seekers. We are wanting to provide no cost EMDR support to people who would otherwise be unable to access specialist trauma therapy, as part of our commitment to community care and collective healing.
Scholarships
Two scholarships available for EMDR practitioners experiencing financial barriers to accessing the training:
One 50 percent scholarship
One 100 percent scholarship (catering costs payable separately)
Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided, with dietary needs accommodated where possible. The venue is wheelchair accessible, surrounded by Darebin Parklands, accessible via public transport and car.
If this question about how identity can be brought into the EMDR practice has been sitting with you too, I would love to have you join us!