EMDR EMDR with Children & Adolescents 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which developmental consideration is most important when selecting bilateral stimulation for young children in EMDR?
- Using only auditory tones to avoid distraction
- Choosing modalities that match the child's sensory preferences and developmental stage (Correct answer)
- Always defaulting to eye movements as the gold standard
- Avoiding tactile stimulation in all pediatric cases
Correct answer: Choosing modalities that match the child's sensory preferences and developmental stage
Young children may respond better to tactile (tapping) or auditory stimulation rather than eye movements, so the clinician should match the modality to the child's preferences and developmental level.
Question 2: When using EMDR with a 6-year-old, which modification to the standard protocol is typically recommended?
- Skipping the history-taking phase to reduce session length
- Using shorter sets of bilateral stimulation with more frequent check-ins (Correct answer)
- Eliminating the resourcing phase to save time
- Focusing exclusively on cognitive interweaves
Correct answer: Using shorter sets of bilateral stimulation with more frequent check-ins
Children have shorter attention spans and limited window of tolerance, so briefer BLS sets with frequent check-ins are recommended over longer adult-style processing rounds.
Question 3: In the EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol Adapted for Ongoing Traumatic Stress (EMDR-IGTP), what is the primary medium used with children?
- Verbal narrative exposure
- Drawing and art activities (Correct answer)
- Sand tray figures
- Role-playing scripts
Correct answer: Drawing and art activities
The EMDR-IGTP uses drawing as the primary medium, allowing children to externalize trauma imagery without requiring verbal articulation.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key indicator that an adolescent client is NOT yet ready to begin trauma processing phases in EMDR?
- The adolescent can name at least one safe person in their life
- The adolescent lacks consistent affect regulation skills (Correct answer)
- The adolescent has disclosed the traumatic event to a caregiver
- The adolescent expresses ambivalence about therapy
Correct answer: The adolescent lacks consistent affect regulation skills
Insufficient affect regulation skills indicate the client's window of tolerance is too narrow for trauma processing; stabilization must be strengthened first.
Question 5: When working with a child who dissociates during EMDR processing, the most appropriate immediate response is to:
- Continue BLS to push through the dissociation
- Increase the speed of bilateral stimulation
- Stop BLS, orient the child to the present, and use grounding techniques (Correct answer)
- Immediately terminate the session and refer to psychiatry
Correct answer: Stop BLS, orient the child to the present, and use grounding techniques
Dissociation signals that the child has exceeded their window of tolerance; the therapist should stop BLS, ground the child in the present, and stabilize before continuing.
Question 6: The 'Float Back' technique in EMDR with adolescents is used primarily to:
- Identify the earliest memory linked to a current negative belief (Correct answer)
- Help the adolescent relax before starting eye movements
- Install positive cognitions at the end of session
- Measure SUDS levels more accurately
Correct answer: Identify the earliest memory linked to a current negative belief
The Float Back (or affect bridge) technique guides the client from a current disturbance back to the earliest memory that shares the same emotional or somatic quality.
Question 7: Which statement best describes the role of the caregiver during EMDR sessions with young children (ages 4–7)?
- Caregivers should always be excluded to prevent contamination of the child's narrative
- Caregivers may be included to provide co-regulation and a sense of safety (Correct answer)
- Caregivers should only be present during the assessment phase
- Caregivers must lead all bilateral stimulation activities
Correct answer: Caregivers may be included to provide co-regulation and a sense of safety
For young children, caregiver presence can serve as a co-regulation resource and safety anchor, supporting the child's window of tolerance during processing.
EMDR EMDR with Children & Adolescents 2
Which developmental consideration is most important when selecting bilateral stimulation for young children in EMDR?