EMDR Therapy for Autism: Adapted Strategies to Help Autistic Clients Regain Stability and Decrease Negative Cognitions
- Speaker:
- Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW
- Duration:
- 1 Hour 03 Minutes
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Mar 06, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150748
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
It’s no secret that individuals with autism experience the world and process trauma differently. But how do you take a seemingly rigid, step-by-step protocol, and use it to help vulnerable communities who may not respond well to typical interventions? That’s where trauma expert Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW, can help! Using her unique perspective as an autistic person herself, Jennifer will show you how trauma processing in autistic individuals looks different and give you strategies and techniques for adapting tools from EMDR therapy to better meet their needs.
You’ll come away with:
- Interventions for specific negative cognitions (i.e. “I’m worth less than others.”)
- Strategies for adapting resourcing to better prepare clients for EMDR
- Techniques to help clients regain stability post-session
- Ways to better tailor treatment plans based on common traumatic experiences
This course is not affiliated with EMDRIA and does not qualify toward EMDRIA credits or training.
Credit
Handouts/Brochure
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual - EMDR Therapy for Autism (2.3 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Transcript - EMDR Therapy for Autism (136.1 KB) | 27 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Speaker
Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW Related seminars and products
Jennifer Gerlach, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in southern Illinois specializing in the crossroads of mental health, trauma and neurodiversity utilizing interventions informed by compassion-focused therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, EMDR and other traditions. Jennifer is the author of The Psychosis and Mental Health Recovery Workbook: Tools for Young Adults from ACT, DBT and Recovery-Oriented CBT and writes a blog for Psychology Today entitled ‘Beyond Mental Health: Defying Stereotypes and False Limitations.’
Jennifer has provided training to hundreds of clinicians nationwide on topics related to neurodiversity, mental health and healing trauma. She offers a unique perspective infused with her lived experience as an individual who has walked her own journey toward mental health and self-acceptance as an autistic person herself.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Jennifer Gerlach maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Jennifer Gerlach has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepepesi.com
Questions?
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Objectives
- Practitioners will be able to identify three adverse experiences that autistic individuals are more vulnerable to than neurotypical people
- Practitioners will be able to identify two ways to adapt resourcing strategies for autistic clients
- Practitioners will be able to utilize one strategy to assist autistic clients in reflecting on and sharing trauma-related emotions
Outline
- Traumatic experiences that are more commonly encountered by autistic individuals (Example; intimate partner violence, bullying in school)
- Exploration of how these traumatic experiences can lead to specific negative cognitions (Example; “Only an abusive person would love me,” or “I am worth less than other people”)
- What is known about how autistic people process trauma
- Strategies for adapting resourcing to prepare autistic clients for EMDR
- After-session stability: Strategies for assisting autistic clients in regaining stability after sessions
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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