EMDR with Kids: Integrating Play Throughout the 8 Phases with Fidelity

Date: July 09 - 11, 2026

You are EMDR trained. You work with kids.

And yet, when you step into your play therapy space, you still wonder… How do I actually make this work?

You learned the 8 phases of EMDR.

You were taught the AIP model.

You practiced the basic protocol with a peer, maybe even experienced it yourself, and it was powerful.

But now? Unless you’re reading from a script, you’re not quite sure how it all fits together. And deep down, you know kids deserve more than a scripted version of EMDR.

They’re not miniature adults.

Their brains are still developing.

Their needs are different.

Your confidence wavers. Your energy for EMDR with child and teen clients is fading...not because you don’t care, but because no one showed you how it works in the play therapy space.

You were trained to do this work with adults. When it came to children, they were barely mentioned.

So here you are, surrounded by puppets, sand, miniatures, and movement, trying to piece it all together. Not because you have to, but because you care that much about getting it right.

This training was created for exactly that reason.

To bridge the gap between what you were taught to do with adults and what kids actually need.

To bring EMDR to life in a way that makes sense in the world of play, regulation, and relationship. To remind you...you are not alone in this.

You believe in the power of play.

You value movement, metaphor, and trusting the process.

You know trauma doesn’t always show up in words.

Children live it in their bodies, their behaviors, and their relationships. Play is how they communicate, process, and begin to heal.

And you want to help them. Truly help them.

I created this course for you.

Welcome to EMDR with Kids: Integrating Play Throughout the 8 Phases with Fidelity

All required training information including learning objectives, session descriptions, continuing education details, and instructor credentials can be found in the Agenda and CE Information tabs on the main training page.

This Advanced EMDR Training Is For You If:

✔️You’ve completed an EMDRIA-Approved Basic Training (or are in the process)

✔️You work with children, adolescents, or families

✔️You feel unsure how to apply EMDR with younger clients

✔️You’re grounded in play therapy, expressive therapy, or movement-based work

✔️You want to support deep trauma healing without abandoning what you know works in the playroom

✔️You want a training that honors fidelity to the EMDR model while adapting to the developmental and nervous system needs of children and teens

What You’ll Learn

✔️How to integrate play therapy techniques across all 8 phases of EMDR

✔️Ways to prepare children and adolescents for trauma work through sensory, relational, and expressive methods

✔️How to gather history and identify targets through nonverbal, play-based expression

✔️How to implement bilateral stimulation in ways that are developmentally safe and meaningful

✔️Use of the AIP model to guide reprocessing in a way that honors a child’s internal rhythm and capacity

✔️ Integration of Sandtray and other creative modalities within a structured EMDR framework

✔️How to engage caregivers as supportive resources without compromising the child’s sense of safety or autonomy

✔️Application of these approaches in both in-person and virtual settings

An EMDR with Kids Clinician Kit, Sent to You

If you’re in the U.S., you’ll receive a clinician kit mailed to you before the training.

It’s designed to support you through all 8 phases of EMDR, and we’ll be using it together throughout the training as you learn how to integrate EMDR with play, regulation, and relationship.

Instructor

Jackie Flynn, EdS, LMHC-S, RPT-S™

EMDRIA-Approved Trainer and Consultant

Author of The EMDR with Kids Flip Chart: A Play-Based Tool for Trauma Processing, Nervous System Regulation, and the Transformation of Adaptive Behaviors

You don’t have to choose between PLAY and FIDELITY.

You don’t have to push children into something that doesn’t fit just to stay within a model.

And you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

This training will give you a clear, supportive, developmentally grounded approach to using EMDR with kids and teens in the way you’ve always hoped it could be done.

With structure. With integrity. And with deep respect for the wisdom of play.

Space is limited to ensure a high-quality, supportive experience.