Specialized EMDR Protocols

Why use a specialized protocol?

For there to be a successful therapy outcome, there needs to be an optimal match between client, therapist and orientation. It takes readiness on the part of the client to risk change, skill on the part of the therapist to have a robust framework, and research to inform the necessary alterations in any approach.

My training has allowed me to value the input of many incredible clinicians and researchers and to adopt the method which I believe is the most adaptable to a variety of client personality constellations, therapeutic issues and environmental constraints. My specialization is in the area of “recent” trauma, defined not by the calendar but by the brain of the client. Because some of our clients bring to the present, the trauma from the past, in fragmented, intense sensory awareness and emotional reactions. As a classically trained EMDR therapist I know this requires a specialized approach.

Elan Shapiro from Israel developed the protocols that I use most often and that I now teach. RTEP/GTEP. Read below for the types of specialized protocols I offer in my practice.

Recent Traumatic Events Protocol (R-TEP)

The Protocol for working 1:1 on Recent and On-going Traumatic Episodes

The Recent Traumatic Episode Protocol (R-TEP) is a specialized form of EMDR designed to support people in the immediate aftermath of trauma, helping the brain process the experience before it becomes more deeply “stuck.”

Unlike traditional EMDR, which often focuses on experiences in the more distant past, this approach targets more recent experiences, —including the event itself and its ongoing impact—while emphasizing safety, pacing, and stabilization.

In sessions, we gently work through the most distressing moments of what happened, using a structured approach and bilateral stimulation to help your mind and body integrate the experience in a more adaptive way. This can reduce emotional intensity, intrusive memories, and a sense of overwhelm, while strengthening resilience and a feeling of steadiness moving forward.

R-TEP is particularly helpful as an early intervention tool that can decrease the likelihood of longer-term trauma symptoms and support a more natural recovery process—without requiring you to relive the experience in a destabilizing way.

In essence: this work helps your system digest what happened—so it doesn’t continue to feel like it’s happening now.

What types of issues does RTEP help with?

R-TEP is designed for experiences that feel recent, overwhelming, and not yet fully processed. Examples include:

Perinatal and reproductive trauma
- Difficult or frightening birth experiences, emergency interventions (e.g., unplanned C-section), pregnancy complications, NICU stays, or pregnancy/infant loss. R-TEP can help reduce the intensity of what feels “frozen in time” and support a greater sense of safety in your body during the postpartum period or in future pregnancies.
Medical events or procedures
- Unexpected diagnoses, distressing medical experiences, or invasive procedures. This may include moments where you felt out of control, unheard, or afraid for your life or someone else’s.
Accidents and sudden incidents
- Car accidents, falls, injuries, or other sudden events that continue to replay, feel vivid, or leave you on edge.
Traumatic loss and acute grief
- The sudden, traumatic death of a loved one or other significant loss. R-TEP can help process the most distressing aspects of the experience while making space for natural grieving.
Witnessing distressing events
- Seeing or being closely impacted by a traumatic event affecting someone else—whether in your personal life or professional role.
Ongoing or cumulative recent stressors
- A series of distressing events over a short period of time that together feel overwhelming (e.g., medical complications combined with loss, multiple acute stressors during pregnancy/postpartum, ongoing exposure to trauma as a first responder or due to your job).

In general: If something happened recently and your system still feels activated—intrusive thoughts, heightened anxiety, disrupted sleep, or a sense that it’s “not over”—R-TEP may help your brain and body process the experience more fully and restore a sense of steadiness.

Other Things To Know About RTEP

RTEP usually offered in intensive format. Please view FAQ for more details and rates.

Group Traumatic Events Protocol (G-TEP)

When a traumatic experience affects more than one person—such as a medical team, a family, a workplace, or a community—healing in a group setting can be especially powerful. The Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP) is a specialized EMDR approach designed to help people process recent trauma together, while still honoring each individual’s unique experience.

G-TEP adapts the principles of EMDR for use in a structured, supportive group format. Rather than requiring participants to share their stories out loud, each person works privately using guided exercises, drawing, and bilateral stimulation to process what they went through. This allows for meaningful trauma processing without exposure or pressure to disclose, creating a sense of emotional safety for everyone involved.

In a G-TEP group, participants are guided to:

Ground in present-day safety and stability
Identify and process the most distressing aspects of a recent experience
Reduce the intensity of intrusive memories, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm
Strengthen internal resources such as resilience, calm, and a sense of control

Because the protocol is highly structured and “contained,” it helps prevent overwhelm while still allowing the brain to begin integrating the experience in a more adaptive way.

G-TEP can be especially helpful after shared or parallel stressors—such as difficult medical or birth experiences, loss, workplace trauma, or other high-impact events—when many people are affected at once or when individual therapy is not immediately accessible. It enables people to process trauma simultaneously, in their own way, while benefiting from the quiet support of others going through something similar.

In essence: G-TEP offers a way to process overwhelming experiences together—with privacy, structure, and a strong emphasis on safety—so that what happened feels less intense, less isolating, and more integrated over time.

Who are G-TEP groups for?

G-TEP groups are designed for people who have experienced a shared or similar recent stressor and would benefit from a structured, supportive way to process it—without needing to talk through the details in a traditional group format. Examples include:

Perinatal groups
Parents who have experienced difficult or traumatic births, emergency interventions, NICU stays, or pregnancy/infant loss. These groups can be especially supportive in reducing isolation while gently processing what still feels raw or unresolved.
Medical and healthcare settings
Patients who have gone through similar medical events, or healthcare professionals (e.g., OB/GYN teams, nurses, doulas) exposed to high-stress or traumatic clinical situations.
Workplace or organizational groups
Teams impacted by a distressing incident, sudden loss, or ongoing high-stress conditions. G-TEP can offer a contained way to support employee wellbeing and recovery.
Communities affected by a shared event
Groups impacted by accidents, natural disasters, or other collective crises, where many individuals are processing similar experiences at the same time.
Caregivers and support persons
Partners, family members, or others closely involved in a traumatic experience (e.g., a difficult birth or medical crisis) who may also be carrying distress.

A different kind of group experience

G-TEP is not a traditional process group. There is no expectation to share your story aloud. Instead, participants move through a guided protocol individually, within the quiet presence of others. This often creates a sense of connection and “not being alone,” while maintaining privacy and emotional safety.

Perinatal-Focused G-TEP Groups

For those in the perinatal period, G-TEP groups can offer a particularly gentle and effective form of early support. These groups are well-suited for:

Birth trauma (e.g., emergency delivery, feeling out of control or unheard)
NICU experiences and ongoing medical stress
Pregnancy after loss or complicated pregnancies
Miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss

The group format helps normalize reactions, reduce shame or self-blame, and support the nervous system in settling—so that the experience feels less immediate and overwhelming.

In essence: G-TEP groups provide a structured, private way to process difficult experiences alongside others who get it—helping you feel more grounded, less alone, and better able to move forward.

Other Things To Know About GTEP

G-TEP can be administered in under two hours. Please review information on rates here.

Find Out How EMDR Therapy Can Help You

If you would like to learn more about EMDR therapy and how a specialized protocol for recent events or groups can help you, please visit my contact page.