Who do we look up to? Mentorship and EMDR
Just like with any other career or any other area of expertise, how we learn and grow is rooted in who we choose to learn and grow from.
Mentorship and learning are lifelong experiences, and EMDR is no different. We focus on who we want to get our basic training from, and we weigh all of our options. There’s so many good trainers out there, and every day new programs are being rolled out to be able to learn through the lens in which you want to work. Training facilities are offering areas of specialization right off the bat, which is so exciting to see!
EMDR has a lot of levels, first you get trained and complete the requirements of basic training, then continue your education with consultation and working towards certification. Following post certification, you can work toward being an approved consultant and even eventually becoming an EMDR trainer yourself! One of the most pivotal roles throughout that entire process is figuring out who can be your mentor and why they may be a good fit. There are a lot of approved consultants out there that you can work with, and some may choose to work with multiple mentors.
Ultimately there is a lot of autonomy within the EMDR world and you get to carve out the path forward that is specific to you. Sit with yourself and figure out what populations bring you joy, if you like working with veterans look for people who specialize in military trauma or disassociation. Those of us that like working with kids look for mentors that have vast experience working with developing nervous systems. We look for institutes that are known for that type of care and start to network accordingly.
Finding a mentor who’s a good fit is a pivotal part of the process, someone that you can bounce your ideas off of, and not have any reservation when your own parts show up during consultation.
We look for people who know their limitations as a consultant, and can point us in the direction of someone who may know more or we can get additional information. We find experts in the area in which we want to grow because that is what challenges us, and pushes us to grow our skills and capacities as a clinician. We look for people who are willing to push us out of our comfort zones, and get us excited; passionate about this work, people who spark something in us and challenge us to grow beyond our wildest dreams.
Doing your research and finding the right mentor is crucial to growth.
My mentors: I have challenged myself to work with a lot of mentors throughout my career/ professional development, and all have touched my heart and challenged me to be the best version of myself that I can before my clients. There are two mentors that I have worked with along the way to becoming an approved consultant that have stuck with me. Ana Gomez has taught me so much about resiliency and adapting standard protocol to working with kids. There’s so many lessons that she has to offer every time she speaks but my biggest takeaway and why I continue to chose her to be my mentor is because of the way she talks about her clients/experiences. She has learned just as much from those children as she has taught them. It is her clear, profound respect for this work, and the people she’s worked with that is unparalleled and ultimately what challenged me to want to work with the youth population to meet that need in the community.
The other mentor, who shaped me into who I am, is the owner and founder of Whole Brain Solutions, Laurel Thornton. She leads every consultation training with integrity and enthusiasm. She’s an EMDR Consultant that embraces neurodivergent thinking and looks at everything she does through a neurological, brain based lens. When I first started working with Laurel, I knew immediately she was the person I wanted to look up to because I knew she could challenge me. She taught me about working with developing nervous systems and how brains respond to trauma and stress throughout development. Witnessing this individual present, I learned so much about the power of authenticity and what it feels like to work with someone who truly wants you to succeed.
We choose our mentors, because of not only what they teach us, but how they choose to teach us! When you start your search, look into who specializes in the populations that you work with, but also gauge how they show up for you during consultation and training opportunities. It's the people that go above, and beyond that make the most profound impact on this community and those of us working within it.
As you wrap up this year, I challenge you to think about who your mentors are and why you chose them. There is no limit in this field and community on who you want to be or how you want to show up. You just look for the path forward and add in people to support you along the way. As a takeaway, remember, mentorship does not ever end, growth is ongoing!
