EMDR & Clinical Consultation

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Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm an EMDR Certified Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training™ specializing in complex trauma, attachment, dissociation, and relational work.

Much of my clinical work has involved sitting with complicated histories and presentations—the cases that don't always fit neatly into a protocol. Consultation is a space to slow those cases down, understand what's happening underneath the surface, and help you make thoughtful clinical decisions about where to go next.

The protocol matters. So does knowing what to do when the protocol isn’t enough.

Consultation can support you in developing a deeper understanding of EMDR and strengthening your clinical judgment when working with complex presentations. Together, we can explore case conceptualization, treatment planning, readiness and stabilization, dissociation, target sequencing, stuck processing, interweaves, attachment dynamics, somatic responses, and the therapeutic relationship.

My goal isn’t to teach you to practice EMDR exactly as I do. It’s to help you become more confident in understanding why you’re making the clinical decisions you’re making—and to develop the flexibility to think critically when the work gets complicated.

Speciality Areas

  • Complex Trauma 

  • Dissociative states and systems

  • Protective and attachment strategies  

  • Substance Use & Addiction

  • Ritualistic abuse & cults

  • Somatic integration

  • Disability, Deaf Community

  • Institutional & Systemic Trauma 

  • Neurodivergence  (AuDHD)

What We Can Work On

    • Case conceptualizations and treatment planning

    • Applying the AIP model to real cases

    • Using the Eight Phases as a clinical roadmap

    • Building Three-Pronged treatment plans

    • Identifying targets and sequencing treatment

    • Knowing where to start when a case feels complex

    • Assessing readiness for EMDR processing

    • Using trauma screening and assessment tools

      • Learning the art and skill of titration, pendulation

      • Knowing when to utilize other supports such as, Flash, Four Blinks, etc.

      • Somatic integrated practice to assist with resourcing 

    • Recognizing dissociation and dysregulation

    • Identifying when more preparation is needed

    • Assessing risk, suicidality, self-harm, and safety concerns

    • Developing adequate resources before processing

    • Grounding, regulation, and containment

    • Working within the client’s window of tolerance

    • Preparing clients with complex trauma, dissociation/dissociative states

    • Knowing when to proceed, slow down, or stop

    • History taking and treatment planning

    • Preparation

    • Assessment

    • Desensitization

    • Installation

    • Body Scan

    • Closure

    • Reevaluation

    • Moving fluidly between phases rather than treating them as a rigid sequence, particularly when conceptualizing cases with complex trauma histories

    • Selecting and setting up targets

    • Choosing and using BLS

    • Recognizing effective processing

    • Knowing when to intervene versus stay out of the way

    • Working with blocking beliefs, looping, and stuck processing

    • Using cognitive interweaves

    • Navigating clinical choice points and impasses

    • Complex and developmental trauma

    • Dissociation states and systems

    • Dysregulation and risk

    • Attachment and relational trauma

    • Clients who struggle to access targets or emotions

    • Adapting EMDR while maintaining fidelity to the model

    • Maintaining attunement during EMDR

    • Collaboration and client choice

    • Balancing protocol with responsiveness

    • Exploring therapist and client self-states and nervous system interoception

    • Recognizing transference and countertransference

    • Maintaining safety during difficult processing

    • Bringing cases you’re unsure about

    • Troubleshooting sessions that didn’t go as expected

    • Reviewing what happened and deciding what to do next

    • Practicing EMDR language and interventions

    • Role-play and case discussion

    • Developing your own clinical judgment instead of relying on scripts

    • Identifying strengths and areas for development

    • Reviewing recordings, transcripts, documentation, or case summaries when helpful

    • Receiving specific, non-shaming feedback

    • Integrating EMDR with your existing clinical approach

    • Developing greater confidence when using EMDR

My Support & Approach 

When you come to consultation to boarded your skills and understanding of EMDR, I want you to leave feeling supported, gently challenged, and more confident in applying what you’ve learned to your clinical work.

I specialize in helping clinicians think through cases where EMDR stops being straightforward.

Listen, I totally get it. Consultation shouldn't feel like a performance and it can be super anxiety-provoking.

I know how vulnerable it can feel to bring a case to someone else—especially when you're still developing confidence with EMDR. You don't need to prove what you know in consultation.

We'll figure out what's happening clinically, what's working, what's getting stuck, and where you actually need support. My role is to challenge your thinking without shaming you for what you don't know.

The goal isn't for you to practice EMDR exactly like I do. It's for you to develop the clinical judgment to understand why you're making the choices you're making and to find your own clinical voice.


FAQS

  • Yes, I am an EMDR Certified Therapist & EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training™.

    Up to 15 of the 20 consultation hours required for EMDR Certification can be completed with me. The remaining 5 hours must be completed with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™. I am happy to connect you with an Approved Consultant (AC) as part of this process.

  • Individual consultation | 60 minutes | $150

  • No, this is not supervision. If you are looking for W-2 employment as part of hours towards clinical licensure and want to receive EMDR training, supervision, and guidance, please reach out to Brick City Therapy at info@brickcitytherapy.com. I am the founder and owner of Brick City Therapy, a private-pay group practice that specializes in relationships and trauma.

  • I require 48 hours’ notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 hour’s notice are subject to the full $150 consultation fee.

Bring me the case you’re stuck on.

Whether you're working toward EMDR Certification, navigating a complex case, or simply want another clinician thinking alongside you, consultation gives us space to slow things down and figure out what is happening clinically. I offer individual and EMDR consultation both in-person and online. Schedule a consultation below.