DENVER, CO – The Trauma Therapist Institute© (TTI) invites EMDR-trained clinicians, counselors, and mental health professionals to attend a free virtual training designed to expand how trauma therapy addresses the body’s role in healing. Introduction to Somatic EMDR: From Survival to Flourishing, led by trauma-informed clinician and trainer Alison Leslie, will take place April 8 at 1:00 PM Central, with an on-demand replay available one week after the live event.

For many therapists, EMDR sessions appear to follow protocol correctly, yet clients may still freeze, flood, or remain stuck in the same place session after session. According to Leslie, these responses are not failures of technique but signals that the nervous system requires deeper engagement than standard protocol alone can provide.

This free one-hour course introduces Somatic EMDR, an integrative approach that combines the evidence-based EMDR protocol with somatic awareness to better address how trauma is stored and processed in the body. Participants will gain foundational insight into how body-based therapeutic principles can support more effective and sustainable trauma resolution.

In this training, participants will explore:

• How EMDR and somatic therapy work together to support both bottom-up and top-down healing

• The Nest Metaphor, a compassionate framework for understanding how early environments shape the nervous system and trauma responses

• The difference between escapable and inescapable threat, and how incomplete threat cycles can disrupt EMDR processing

• Practical Phase 2 preparation strategies that allow the body to guide the pace of therapy

• “Finding the Whispers”: helping clients notice safe or comfortable sensations alongside distress to build interoceptive capacity

• “Finding the Edge”: working at the boundary of activation to support processing without overwhelming the nervous system

• Somatic self-of-the-therapist awareness, helping clinicians track their own nervous system responses during sessions

• Why the goal of somatic EMDR is flourishing, not just symptom reduction

The course also serves as the introductory step for the Somatic EMDR Practitioner Program, an EMDRIA-approved advanced training designed for EMDR therapists who want to fully integrate somatic principles into trauma treatment.

Who Should Attend

This course is designed for EMDR-trained therapists who want to deepen their clinical practice, particularly those working with developmental trauma, attachment wounds, or clients whose nervous systems respond with numbness, flooding, or freeze during EMDR sessions. It is ideal for clinicians curious about somatic approaches but seeking a structured understanding of how they integrate with EMDR.

About the Trainer

Alison Leslie is a trauma-informed clinician, trainer, and consultant based in Bloomington, Indiana. She is the owner of Empower Healing Counseling and Consultation and specializes in the integration of EMDR therapy, somatic approaches, and the healing potential of the human-animal bond. Leslie is known for her warm, curiosity-driven teaching style and for helping therapists rebuild confidence when working with complex trauma cases.

Registration & Access

The training is free to attend and open to clinicians worldwide. Participants can attend the live session or watch the recording on-demand after the event.

For more information or to register, visit: https://www.traumatherapistinstitute.com/Introduction-to-Somatic-EMDR-From-Survival-to-Flourishing

About the Trauma Therapist Institute

The Trauma Therapist Institute is a global hub for training, education, and support for therapists working with trauma. Founded by EMDR Consultant Rebecca Kase, TTI empowers clinicians with the tools, guidance, and community needed to advance trauma-informed, ethical, and effective care.

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