The EMDR Coach

The EMDR Coach Dana Carretta-Stein, Certified EMDR Therapist & EMDRIA Approved Consultant

I can teach someone the 8 phases of EMDR in a basic training.Teaching someone how to think clinically is a completely di...
07/12/2026

I can teach someone the 8 phases of EMDR in a basic training.

Teaching someone how to think clinically is a completely different skill.

After 13+ years as an EMDR therapist, consultant, and trainer, I’ve learned that most therapists don’t struggle because they forgot the protocol.

They struggle because they’re trying to answer questions that basic training can’t fully answer.

Questions like…
• Which target should I start with?
• What if the client keeps bringing up new memories?
• How do I know when to stay the course versus pivot?
• Am I treating the symptom or the memory network underneath it?
• How do I know when my client is actually ready to graduate?

Those are treatment planning questions.

And they’re the difference between simply following a protocol and confidently applying the AIP model.

That’s exactly why I created my Live EMDR Treatment Planning Training with the Trauma Therapist Institute.

📅 Live on July 24

We’ll cover:
✔️ Case conceptualization through the AIP model
✔️ Target sequencing that actually makes clinical sense
✔️ Clinical decision-making when sessions don’t go as planned
✔️ How to know when treatment is complete, not just when a target is complete

If you’ve ever left a session wondering, “Did I choose the right target?” or “Where do I go from here?” this training was built for you.

Register here: https://www.traumatherapistinstitute.com/emdr-treatment-planning-training

07/12/2026

Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that being productive mattered more than being present.

I've caught myself thinking, "I can't right now... I have work to do."

But I never want my son to grow up believing that my work is more important than making memories with him.

Life isn't meant to feel like one endless checklist.

Healing isn't just about processing trauma or reducing anxiety. It's also about making room for joy, laughter, curiosity, and play again.

Because play isn't something we outgrow.

It's something many of us lose when our nervous system has been stuck in survival mode for too long.

Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do isn't work harder.

It's to slow down enough to enjoy your life.

Read the full podcast insights plus the links to watch or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
https://www.danacarretta.com/post/episode-7-the-truth-about-burnout-play-why-adults-forgot-how-to-have-fun

You don’t have an “overreactive personality.”You have a nervous system that’s been collecting evidence for years.That’s ...
07/11/2026

You don’t have an “overreactive personality.”

You have a nervous system that’s been collecting evidence for years.

That’s an important difference.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Polyvagal Theory is that people think it’s about learning to stay calm all the time.

It’s not.

Your nervous system was designed to protect you, not make you comfortable.
If it learned that criticism meant rejection…

If conflict meant abandonment…
If unpredictability meant danger…
It will keep sounding the alarm until it learns something different.

That’s why you can logically know you’re safe while your body still feels like it’s preparing for impact.

No amount of positive thinking is going to argue your nervous system out of a survival response.

Understanding what’s happening isn’t an excuse to stay stuck.

It’s a roadmap.

Once you understand what state your nervous system is in, you can stop making your reactions mean something is wrong with you and start doing something about them.

That’s where healing actually begins.

If this shifted the way you think about your nervous system, you’re going to love my free 7 Truths About Healing guide.

It’s a no-BS look at what healing actually looks like.

https://www.danacarretta.com/7truthsabouthealing

07/10/2026

For a long time, I thought I was just "busy."

I told myself I'd slow down after the next project, the next deadline, or the next obligation.
But eventually I realized something much deeper was happening.

When your nervous system is constantly stuck in survival mode, you don't just lose your energy.
You lose your spontaneity.
Your playfulness.
Your connection.
Even the moments that make life feel meaningful can start feeling like another item on the to-do list.

That was my wake-up call.

Healing isn't only about reducing anxiety or managing stress. It's about creating enough safety in your body to be fully present with the people and experiences that matter most.

If you've ever felt like you're constantly "doing" but rarely just living, this conversation is for you.

Read the full podcast insights plus the links to watch or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
https://www.danacarretta.com/post/episode-7-the-truth-about-burnout-play-why-adults-forgot-how-to-have-fun

07/10/2026

I hear this phrase all the time:

"Your trauma made you stronger."

This scene stopped me because it challenges a belief many people carry.

Here's my perspective:

Trauma itself isn't a gift.

Trauma can leave you anxious, disconnected, hypervigilant, or constantly feeling like you're in survival mode. Those consequences are real, and they were never your fault.

What can come after trauma is resilience.

Healing.
Self-compassion.
A deeper understanding of yourself.

Not because trauma was good...

But because people are incredibly capable of healing.

We don't have to romanticize suffering to honor the strength it takes to recover from it.

💙 Do you agree with this perspective? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

🎥 Shared for discussion. Video credit: @‌hbomax (Industry) featuring Harper Stern.

07/09/2026

Everyone wants someone to blame.

And yes, your childhood shaped you.

But here's where people get stuck...

Your parents couldn't teach emotional regulation if no one ever taught them.

They couldn't model healthy conflict if all they ever experienced was survival.

That's an explanation.

It is not an excuse.

At some point, every one of us reaches the same crossroads.

We either keep repeating what we inherited, or we become the person willing to learn what nobody taught us.

That usually doesn't happen because we magically wake up one day with perfect insight.

It happens because we finally have enough support, enough safety, and enough willingness to do something different.

Generational trauma doesn't end because someone finally understands why they struggle.
It ends when someone chooses to stop passing those patterns on.

Video Credit to @‌revivetherapyservices

If this conversation hit home, read the blog with the biggest insights from this podcast and get the link to listen to the full episode.
www.danacarretta.com/post/emdr-therapy-explained-dana-carretta-stein-on-trauma-tea-and-tangents-podcast

One of the biggest myths about EMDR is that it makes you forget what happened.It doesn't.If that were the goal, we'd all...
07/08/2026

One of the biggest myths about EMDR is that it makes you forget what happened.

It doesn't.

If that were the goal, we'd all have amnesia, not healing.

Trauma isn't the memory itself.

It's that the memory got stuck in your brain and nervous system in "survival mode."

So every time something reminds you of it, your body reacts like the danger is happening right now.

That's why you can logically know you're safe while your heart is racing, your stomach drops, or you suddenly want to run, shut down, or people please.

Your thinking brain got the memo.

Your nervous system didn't.

EMDR helps your brain finish processing what got interrupted.

As the memory gets integrated:
Your alarm system stops acting like every reminder is an emergency.
Your emotional intensity comes down.
Your thinking brain comes back online.
The memory becomes part of your story instead of hijacking your present.

You still remember what happened.

It just stops running your life.

That's the difference.

Healing isn't forgetting.

Healing is remembering without your nervous system acting like it's happening all over again.

Curious about how EMDR therapy actually works at our practice?
Get More Info Here: https://www.peacefullivingmentalhealthcounseling.com/emdrtherapy

07/08/2026

One of the hardest jobs as a parent is watching your child struggle... and not rescuing them.

Every instinct in your body wants to step in.

To fix it.
To soften the blow.
To make sure they never feel disappointed.

But that's not how resilience is built.
Nobody figured out how to live life by acting perfectly.

We learn by trying.
We learn by making mistakes.
We learn by realizing, "Well... I probably won't do that again."

The goal isn't to raise kids who never fail.
The goal is to raise kids who trust themselves enough to recover when they do.
Because one day, you won't be there to solve every problem.

And if they've never had the chance to struggle, how will they know they're capable of getting through it?
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is step back just enough to let the lesson do its job.

Read the full podcast blog and grab the links to listen to the complete episode here:
www.danacarretta.com/post/episode-7-the-truth-about-burnout-play-why-adults-forgot-how-to-have-fun

Most EMDR therapists don’t struggle because they don’t know the protocol.They struggle because nobody taught them how to...
07/07/2026

Most EMDR therapists don’t struggle because they don’t know the protocol.

They struggle because nobody taught them how to think through a case.

Basic training teaches how to reprocess.

It doesn’t always teach you how to answer questions like:

• Which target should I start with?
• Is this client actually ready?
• Do I use EMD, EMDr, or full EMDR?
• What do I do when the history is all over the place?
• How do I know when treatment is actually complete?

So what happens?

You start making decisions one session at a time, hoping you’re choosing the “right” next step.

That’s exhausting.

Treatment planning shouldn’t feel like throwing darts in the dark.

It should give you a roadmap from intake to graduation, so every decision has a clinical reason behind it.

That’s exactly what we’ll be doing in this live training with .

In just over two hours, I’ll teach you the framework I use for:
✔ Case conceptualization
✔ Writing treatment plans that actually guide treatment
✔ Target sequencing
✔ Choosing between EMD, EMDr, and full EMDR
✔ Identifying targets when memories are difficult to access
✔ Reviewing progress so you know exactly where your client is in treatment

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your treatment plan wondering, “Now what?”, this training was built for you.

📅 July 24, 2026
🎥 Live + Replay
🎓 2 CEs
💰 $70

Comment “TTI” and I’ll send you the registration link.

Address

188 Summerfield Street, First Floor
Scarsdale, NY
10583

Telephone

+19142223983

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