Healing Attachment Wounds in Children: Integrating EMDR and Play Therapy
Date:
May 09, 2026
Attachment wounds show up in the story the child cannot yet tell.
It comes out through play, images, behaviors, and the push pull of connection.
When you try to bring EMDR in with children or teens who carry attachment wounds, the challenge is rarely the protocol itself. It is readiness. It is capacity. It is what the nervous system can tolerate in relationship, not just what the memory holds.
This 6 hour training stays grounded in EMDR fidelity and gets clear about what changes across the phases when attachment trauma is part of the picture. The structure of EMDR remains intact. What shifts is how you build safety, how you access targets, and how you support dual attention in ways that fit the child or teen in front of you.
Across the 8 phases of EMDR, you learn how to...
✔️ recognize attachment themed targets through patterns, play, and relational themes
✔️ build preparation that increases capacity through co-regulation, rhythm, and developmentally fitting supports
✔️ access targets without forcing narrative or overwhelming the nervous system
✔️ pace reprocessing so dual attention stays online and the relationship stays safe
✔️ close and reevaluate in ways that support regulation and integration over time, not just symptom relief
This training holds the reality that attachment repair happens through repeated experiences of safety and co regulation. EMDR supports that process by reducing the charge in memory networks that pull young clients into fight, flight, freeze, or collapse in relationship. The goal is not to push processing. The goal is precision, pacing, and protection.
You will leave with a clearer way to make decisions in the room, track integration across sessions, and use EMDR in a way that truly fits children and teens with attachment wounds.
This Training Is for You If…
✔️ You work with children whose attachment wounds show up as aggression, avoidance, or disconnection
✔️ You want EMDR adaptations that honor child development, play, and relational safety
✔️ You need reliable ways to assess readiness and pacing without relying on verbal processing
✔️ You use play and symbolism and want clearer guidance for EMDR target selection
✔️ You believe co-regulation and therapist presence are central to trauma healing
✔️ You want to recognize integration and attachment repair through shifts in play and relationship
What You’ll Learn
✔️ How attachment trauma presents symbolically in children’s play and playroom interactions
✔️ How to recognize patterns of dysregulation, protection, and unmet attachment needs through play
✔️ How to apply EMDR interventions in developmentally appropriate, regulation-centered ways
✔️ How to strengthen co-regulation and relational safety across each phase of EMDR
✔️ How to recognize and respond to subtle signs of readiness, rupture, and repair
✔️ How to use play intentionally to support adaptive shifts in children’s beliefs and meaning-making
✔️ How children’s relational capacity expands as safety and repair are established
✔️ How to identify signs of integration and attachment repair as they emerge in children’s play
Meet Your Trainer
Jackie Flynn, EdS, LMHC-S, RPT-S™
An EMDRIA Approved EMDR Trainer and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Jackie is known for her, experiential teaching style and her ability to translate complex concepts into practical, playful interventions. Her approach centers safety, attunement, and connection.
Full details, including the agenda, training format, access information, and pricing can be found in the tabs at the top of this page.
What’s Included
✔️ 6 hours of EMDR + play therapy training focused on attachment
✔️ Developmentally adapted, attachment informed EMDR strategies
✔️ Case examples and symbolic play demonstrations
✔️ Downloadable slide deck with integration guides
✔️ Practical tools you can use immediately
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be EMDR trained?
This training is designed for EMDR-trained clinicians and assumes a foundational understanding of the 8 phases of EMDR therapy. Play therapists, child therapists, and clinicians who are beginning to explore EMDR integration are also welcome, though some concepts may feel more advanced without prior EMDR training.
Will I receive continuing education credits?
Yes. Participants who attend the training in full will receive a certificate of completion.
This program offers:
• 6 NBCC Clock Hours
• 6 EMDRIA Credits
• 6 non-contact CE hours for Association for Play Therapy (APT)
What time does the training run?
The training will be held from 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM Eastern Time.
What materials are included?
Participants will receive a downloadable copy of the full slide presentation, including instructional content, case material, phase-by-phase integration examples, and clinical references.
Is this training only for therapists who specialize in attachment work?
Not at all. This training is relevant for any clinician working with children. Attachment wounds often show up through play, behavior, regulation struggles, sensory responses, relational patterns, and difficulties with safety and connection. The concepts in this training apply broadly across child and family work.
Will this training be practical or mostly theory-based?
This training is highly practical and clinically focused. Participants will leave with concrete interventions, play-based strategies, case examples, and integration ideas that can be applied immediately in clinical work with children.
Ready to Join Us?
Seats are limited, and this training will not be repeated in the same way.
If this approach speaks to your heart and your clinical instincts, now is the time to register.
You’re not just learning new techniques, you’re transforming the way you hold space for children healing from relational wounds.
Your future clients will feel the difference.