5.5 continuing education hours

June 27, 2025 - Friday - 10:00am-4:45pm - $200

Santa Maria, CA - Presenter: Bruce Hersey

Santa Maria Public Library 8555 McClelland St., Santa Maria, CA 93454-5116

We are excited to offer a special discount for our inaugural Overture Trainings to support increased accessibility for members of the Global Majority (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+ individuals, and professionals working in community mental health or nonprofit organizations serving marginalized communities. This discount is limited to 5 seats per workshop. This initiative is part of our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in mental health care.

To learn more and receive your 50% off discount code, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/iDByZqP61MjP8tLJ6

This is an INTERMEDIATE level course for Psychologists, Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists trained in EMDR who are interested in integrating IFS into their EMDR practice.

Registration must be done online and can be submitted up to the day of the workshop, unless all available seats have been filled in which case registration will be closed.

This course is an introduction and overview of the Syzygy Model of IFS-Informed EMDR developed by Bruce Hersey over the past 20 years. The Syzygy Model endeavors to interlace IFS with EMDR constantly and consistently all the way through the course of therapy with complex clients from beginning to end. It additionally maintains consistency with applications of memory reconsolidation research as viewed by Bruce Ecker's Coherence Therapy.* The alignment of the three perspectives provides improved accuracy and efficiency of processing as all three interlock at the nexus of an underlying natural healing process recognized by each.

It is designed to review some basic IFS tenets, concepts & skills (best to have some initial understanding of IFS through reading* or prior coursework) and discuss how these overlap with the EMDR process. New practical tools and concepts are introduced, including a Presence of Self (PoS) scale, a Level of Urge to Protect (LUP) scale, the Protector Positive Intention (PPI) and a procedure for working with blended protectors called Discovery. An interesting video clip of Bruce Hersey is shown where a therapist, in the context of a consultation group, struggles with her own part which has become activated by a client case. Bruce utilizes much of what is taught in the course and helps her resolve the issue. Some fun experiential exercises are added to facilitate participant learning, support group cohesion and foster new connections.

For practitioners who have taken our Step Two or Step Three courses, this workshop can serve as a review and an opportunity for additional practice using the LUP and PPI with colleagues.

For practitioners who have taken our Step One course, this workshop can serve as a preview of our Step Two or Step Three courses, and an opportunity for advance practice using the LUP and PPI with colleagues.

* See bibliography.

10:00-10:45 intro & Networks Come to Life Exercise

10:45-11:30 Parts, Self, Burdens, Blending, Functional Dual Attention, Presence of Self Scale (POS),

Phases One & Two, Setting the GPS, Finding the Biggest Part

11:30-11:45 break

11:45-1:15 Protector Positive Intention (PPI), Level of Urge to Protect (LUP)

IIE Assessment Phase, the Discovery adaptation, demo video

1:15-1:45 lunch (on your own- food court very near)

1:45-3:00 Burden Energy Exercise

3:00-3:15 break

3:15-4:45 Protector Positive Intention Exercise and/or live demo

4:45-5:00 wrap-up, Q&A

Registration will be open until 24 hours before the date of the course or until available seats are filled. Participants must attend the course in its entirety to earn CE credit. Certificates of completion will be made available by email upon attendance verification, following the ending of the course.

• APA: Syzygy Institute, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Syzygy Institute, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  
• NBCC ACEP: Syzygy Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7401. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Syzygy Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

• ASWB ACE: Syzygy Institute, LLC, provider #299, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Syzygy Institute, LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 08/12/2024- 08/12/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 5.5 clinical continuing education credits.
  

• ASWB ACE (individual course approval - NJ Social Workers)

  The Syzygy Model of IFS-Informed EMDR: An Overture, #6021, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by SYZYGY Institute, LLC. as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 10/16/2024 - 10/16/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 5.5 Clinical continuing education credits.

• NY Social Worker, Psychologist, MHC, & MFT approved.
  
• EMDRIA approved.

Additional Continuing Education Info Here

1. Identify the most important inner entity as the Self.

2. Recognize that an EMDR target ultimately is always a part.

3. Describe the definition of Functional Dual Attention.

4. Explain and apply the POS (Presence of Self) scale.

5. Explain and apply the LUP (Level of Urge to Protect) scale.

6. Describe the two components of a Protector Positive Intention (PPI).

7. Explain how the traditional EMDR Assessment Phase is modified when targeting a protector part.

Anderson, F. G (2021) Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Informed Therapy. Eau Claire, WI: PESI Publishing.

Anderson, F.G., Sweezy, M., & Schwartz, R.C. (2017). Internal family systems skills training manual: Trauma-informed treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD & substance abuse. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: PESI Publishing.

Comeau, A., Smith, L. J., Smith, L., Soumerai Rea, H., Ward, M. C., Creedon, T. B., Sweezy, M., Rosenberg,L. G., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2024). Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance onlinepublication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0001688

Ecker, B., Ticic, R., & Hulley, L. (2012). Unlocking the Emotional Brain: Eliminating symptoms at their roots using memory reconsolidation. New York: Routledge.

Ecker, B., Bridges, S.K. (2020) How the Science of Memory Reconsolidation Advances the Effectiveness and Unification of Psychotherapy. Clin Soc Work J 48, 287–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00754-z

Hodgdon, H. B.; Anderson, F. G.; Southwell, E.; Hrubec, W.; Schwartz, R. C. (2022) Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma. Jan2022, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p22-43. 22p. 1 Diagram, 1 Chart, 1 Graph. DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375.

Gomez, A. M. & Krause, P. K. (2013). EMDR Therapy and the Use of Internal Family Systems Strategies with Children, In A. M. Gomez, (Ed.), EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches with Children (pp. 299–345). New York, NY: Springer publishing.

Knipe, J (2019) EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment Methods for Complex PTSD and Dissociation. (Second Edition). Springer, New York.

Kolodny,P. & Mazero, S. (2023). The interweave of Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and art therapy. In Davis, Elizabeth (Ed); Fitzgerald, Jocelyn (Ed); Jacobs, Sherri (Ed) & Marchand, Jennifer (Ed). (2023). EMDR and creative arts therapies. (pp. 208-240). New York, NY, US: Routledge

Lawrence, M. (1998) EMDR as an Ego State Therapy Model: Part One. EMDRIA Newsletter December 1998.

Lawrence, M. (1999) EMDR as an Ego State Therapy Model: Part Two. EMDRIA Newsletter March 1999.

O’Shea Brown, G. (2020) Internal Family Systems Informed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: An Integrative Technique for Treatment of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 19 (2).

Popky, A.J. (2005) The De-tur Method. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR Solutions, New York: Norton.

Schwartz, R.C. & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed.). New York NY: Guilford Press.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Basic principles, protocols and procedures (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Twombly, J. H., & Schwartz, R. C. (2008). The integration of internal family systems model and EMDR. In C. Forgash & M. Copeley (Eds.), Healing the heart of trauma and dissociation with EMDR and ego state therapy (pp. 295–311). New York, NY: Springer publishing.

Completing these steps gets you on our referral database and must be completed as part of our IFS-Informed EMDR Certification:

• Intro to IFS for EMDR Therapists: 2-day Experiential- 13 CE
  
• IFS-Informed EMDR 2-Day - 13 CE
  
• Discovery & Beyond: Advanced IFS-Informed EMDR 2-Day Experiential- 13 CE
  

Check them out here.

Syzygy now offers three prerecorded workshops:

• The Organic Interweave: IFS-Informed EMDR - 2 CE
  
• Using IFS to Find & Develop an EMDR Target - 2 CE
  
• How to Compose an IFS-Informed EMDR Assessment Phase - 2 CE

Check them out here.

Accommodations for the Differently Abled

This workshop is held in a facility and/or delivered in a manner that is in compliance with the Americans Disabilities Act. Please contact hello@syzygyinstitute.com if special accommodation is required.

Cancelation and Refund Policy

Refunds and transfers are permitted up until 30 days prior to the start date of the event. An administrative fee of $50 will be applied. Transfers can only be made if there is an alternative workshop with an open registration at the time of the transfer. No refunds or transfers will be issued within 30 days of the event date.

Grievance Policy

All grievances must be in writing to hello@syzygyinstitute.com, and will be replied to within 10 business days.

Questions or Concerns

Please contact hello@syzygyinstitute.com, or call (856) 617-4544 ext. 7 with any questions or concerns regarding the workshop.

Syzygy Institute - 207 White Horse Pike - Haddon Heights, NJ 08035

Syzygy Institute, a partnership between Bruce Hersey and Michelle Richardson, is the culmination of Bruce's nearly 20 years developing and teaching a systematic integration of the models: IFS-Informed EMDR. It is the mission of Syzygy to provide high quality advanced integrative training in these converging healing models within a connected community atmosphere, and establish a certification program based upon recognized training in both models & progression through advanced integration courses.

EMDR therapists have become familiar with the indispensable notion of ego states, which frequently inhabit our workspace as we attempt to process the traumas of our (quite commonly) complex clients. Many have identified Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a user-friendly comprehensive ego state model, and are eager to learn an integration of EMDR and IFS.

At Syzygy Institute, we require that anyone being trained to integrate the two models are first fully trained in EMDR, and secondly have a fundamental experiential understanding of IFS. Nothing is better for that purpose than Level One Training by the IFS-Institute. We do recognize that IFS Level One training is costly, time-consuming, and there are substantial waiting lists and lottery systems that delay registration.

Those EMDR therapists who have started or completed an IFS Level One do not need to take Intro to IFS for EMDR Therapists to qualify for our main course; the IFS-Informed EMDR 2-day workshop.

Advancing through these workshops, along with IFS-Informed EMDR Approved Consultation, and specified requirements in the separate models, is the path to IFS-Informed EMDR Certification.

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