Thomas Zimmerman
So welcome everyone. I’m here with Jenna Burton and we’re going to talk about adaptive information and ways to help clients support the development of it. So welcome Jenna. Do you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?
Jenna Burton
My name is Jenna Burton. I am a EMDRIA Approved Consultant and facilitator in Orlando, Florida. I work primarily with psychosis, schizophrenia, autoimmune disorders and religious trauma from an attachment perspective. So one of the things that people come to me is they’ve got a lot of complex trauma, and I’ve been doing this virtually for about 10 years now, and I find that EMDR online is really, really, really effective for these populations. So I’m hoping that more people also will consider doing it virtually.
Thomas Zimmerman
So, you were doing EMDR online before all of us were forced to
Jenna Burton
Yes, because of the client population. If somebody’s in a flare, if somebody is having paranoid thoughts, they’re not driving to the office. So I had to pivot early on to meet them where they are.
Thomas Zimmerman
Okay, good. So related to adaptive information and helping clients build it, because it sounds like you work with people that have pretty significant issues going on, some of which may be not having a ton of adaptive information or not having a ton that’s accessible. So how do you either, how do you think about that, or how do you do that?
Jenna Burton
Well, the first thing I do is educate people on adaptive information. For clients, I basically just say it’s the good stuff we know, or sometimes it’s the good stuff that we may not know, that other people know, and feel a little frustrated that well, but why don’t I know that just didn’t maybe get that education when you were growing up. So in basic training, I was initially taught we talk about train tracks like we’re laying the train tracks. I live in Florida. We don’t really have trains or public transportation. So one of the metaphors that I really like using that most clients really kind of pick up on and connect with, is talking about, we’ve got these two neural networks. We’ve got the negative neural network, the positive neural network, most of the negative neural networks are really, really well built up. And I talked to them that this is kind of like a bullet train. You go from A to B, it’s real quick. There’s no stops, it’s super fast. And then we’ve got that positive neural network. And usually I’ll ask them, oh, so what’s, what’s the busiest highway in your area? So for me, it’s, it’s I-4. So it’s like, okay, so imagine you’re on I-4 at five o’clock and there’s construction. Nobody’s moving, nobody’s getting on, nobody’s getting off. It’s stuck. So as we begin to pull on that adaptive information, a car goes a little bit forward, a little bit forward, and another car, which is something that you may already know that’s been stuck is able to go on as some of that trauma and the negative stuff starts to starts to leave. So then you begin to get that little bit of movement, and the highway begins to clear up.
Thomas Zimmerman
Excellent. Good, good. What else? What else kind of related that? How does that look in sessions? So that’s a super helpful, you know, super helpful metaphor for what we’re doing and what healing looks like from, you know, top level metaphorical view, what’s that look like practically in sessions?
Jenna Burton
What that looks like practically is quick resourcing when the client comes in. Generally, my phrase is, what do I need to know? Kind of containing them, you know, I say bullet points. What are the things that really stuck out to you? And then asking them what went well? Very often, this is a question that they have to stop and think, Oh, okay. And may give them a couple clues. Well, was there? Was there something that you did at work that you felt good about? Was there an interaction with your partner, with your child, that you felt good about? And then we’ll do some very quick resourcing. So my thought is, if you want to help me kind of demonstrate that, what that?
Thomas Zimmerman
Sure, no, let’s do it. So
Jenna Burton
Thomas, thinking about this past week, is there something that went well for you, something that you are proud of, something that like, oh, maybe I normally kind of have a big reaction and I didn’t, or something you’re just like, this. Just felt good.
Thomas Zimmerman
I think probably with my nephew, I could have… I think I handled some things better than I might have otherwise, or that I have even last week or the week before. There were some things that I was able to be present for him with that he needed. Yeah,
Jenna Burton
So, I am virtual. I’ve been virtual, and I find that most of my clients doing tapping like this, no works best. So you see that works for you. Back, slow. Okay, so I’m gonna pause, and so now I want you to just take a moment and think about that interaction with your nephew as you think about it like emotion comes up.
Thomas Zimmerman
Um, I think I’m mostly noticing what’s not there. So I’m first, I’m noticing that I’m not angry, I’m not upset, I’m not overwhelmed, I’m not those things.
Jenna Burton
So is there? Is there more of a connective emotion that you feel,
Thomas Zimmerman
Yeah, feels quiet. Feels quiet. Yeah.
Jenna Burton
So whenever you are comfortable, just kind of take a moment and just notice, is there a body sensation? Where are you feeling that in your body? Okay, all right. So if you’re comfortable again, keep your eyes open or closed, choice. It’s kind of think about that interaction, that positive, quiet, kind of that sensation, and you’re just going to just slow, tap, back and forth. Pause, and just what’s coming up?
Thomas Zimmerman
Oh, no, it feels good.
Jenna Burton
That’s what we like. Yeah. So this is helping you connect. This is an emotion. This is the body sensation, and we’re helping to move one of those cars just a little forward.
Thomas Zimmerman
Good. No, I love it. It just, it seems like it’s a way to highlight good stuff, positive stuff, because the client may be connected pretty soon to some stuff that may not feel very pleasant for a while, so they may be stuck in traffic again for a little while again. So just, you know, starting with a little bit of movement and and, yeah, I like it. I like it, bringing stuff into the room, bringing energy into the room,
Jenna Burton
Those, and I will say this is especially my team clients. Um, what? Well, this week, nothing, everything was terrible. Oh, okay. Well, you know what, I’m super proud of you for showing up this week. You had a choice. You could come not home. So can you just take a moment and just notice that you had the choice, and you made the choice to come and they’ll have them tap that in.
Thomas Zimmerman
Yeah? Awesome. Yeah, good.
Jenna Burton
So that’s just the way that to just introduce a very quick resourcing. And this, I find, is a very gentle way to introduce EMDR to a client, if they’re worried about reprocessing, or if they have like, you know, you hear like, Oh, I did EMDR, and it was a terrible, horrible experience. Okay, well, we’re just gonna, we’re gonna do a little bit to help you kind of calm down and and just feel good while we build up those positive,
Thomas Zimmerman
No, excellent. And I love the idea that part of what we’re doing is we’re kind of growing what’s already there, which, when you’re working with people with complex trauma, it’s we gotta, we have to hunt sometimes to find stuff that’s there. But yeah, asking them to sit with it at the beginning of sessions. Sessions, lovely, good. Yeah, go ahead.
Jenna Burton
I’m doing this at the end of it as well. Calm, place, the container, okay? And we just kind of asked, was there anything you know, that that stood out for you, that was, you know, good, okay, just that little quick resource at the end can be helpful.
Thomas Zimmerman
Yeah, I wonder if you might do that even in a difficult session.
Jenna Burton
I especially do that in a difficult
Thomas Zimmerman
Yes, because a client might say, well, it didn’t kill me. I kind of got through it or whatever.
Jenna Burton
Another easy pivot is, after you’ve closed it down, to be like, Oh, I’m worried about opening up anything again, then I may ask them all right, so as you kind of think about this upcoming week, is there anything that you’re going to do for yourself? Is there anything that’s going to be fun and that I may resource to keep it separate, since the memory is already contained?
Thomas Zimmerman
Yeah, good, excellent. Good. Is there anything else you’d like people to know about this, about what we’ve been talking about,
Jenna Burton
I think just go ahead and use it build on your client’s strengths. It’s a real easy way. You know, a lot of people kind of talk about, oh, we’ve got these internal and external resources, and this is just a way to kind of pull it together in a very easy, calm manner for clients to get ready to do the work.
Thomas Zimmerman
Excellent. Well, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having and is there a way that people can if you do do consultation groups? Are there way for people to reach out to you if they would like to Absolutely.
Jenna Burton
My website is https://mindfulheartsinstitute.com/, or if you would like to email me. It’s jburtonlmhc@gmail.com, as in, licensed mental health counselor. jburtonlmhc@gmail.com and happy to chat with anyone.
Thomas Zimmerman
Excellent. Well, thank you for joining. Thank you for having me. All right. Thanks a lot.
365 Questions About EMDR With Complex Trauma 