When PTSD is Only Part of the Story

PTSD may explain part of a client’s distress - but for adults and children who have experienced abuse or neglect, trauma is often intertwined with what was missing: safety, attunement, protection, guidance, and connection.

In this eBook, Debra Wesselmann explores how insufficient caregiving environments can leave developmental gaps that affect self-worth, emotional regulation, relationships, and coping. Discover how EMDR can help clinicians address not only what happened, but also build up the internal resources that were left underdeveloped.

Learn how to:

• Recognize when a client’s difficulties extend beyond unprocessed traumatic memories to attachment injuries and unmet developmental needs

• Understand what happened in the context of what didn’t happen - including missing experiences of safety, co-regulation, support, and healthy guidance

• Use EMDR preparation, resource development, attachment-focused interventions, and cognitive interweaves to support regulation, connection, confidence, and meaning-making

Continue your learning with our EMDR for Attachment Injuries course, where Debra Wesselmann demonstrates how to integrate attachment-informed strategies throughout EMDR treatment to support developmental repair and emotional healing.