EMDR Phase 2: Preparation, Stabilization & Readiness for Trauma Processing
4 Continuing Education Credits
Intermediate Level
Target Audience: Psychologists & Licensed Clinicians
$79 for Course
Overview of EMDR Phase 2: Preparation, Stabilization, and Readiness for Trauma Processing
EMDR Phase 2 Preparation is often where clinicians begin to slow down and ask more careful questions. After history taking and treatment planning in Phase 1, Phase 2 shifts the focus to readiness, stabilization, and safety. The task is to determine whether a client has sufficient regulation capacity, dual attention, and stability to begin trauma processing. If those capacities are inconsistent, preparation continues.
This intermediate-level continuing education course takes a closer look at EMDR Phase 2 Preparation. We review how to assess dissociation, evaluate regulation capacity in real time, and determine whether dual attention remains intact under mild activation. We also discuss how to modify stabilization and resourcing when clients cannot generate visual imagery, including cases of aphantasia, and how preparation may need to be structured differently for neurodevelopmental differences. The goal is careful clinical decision-making about when to begin reprocessing and when to extend preparation.
If you would like broader context for how Phase 2 fits into master treatment planning, you can explore the EMDR Training and Treatment Hub.
About the Course
This pre-recorded webinar is available on demand and is designed for licensed mental health clinicians who have completed formal EMDR training and want to deepen their understanding of preparation and stabilization.
Inadequate readiness assessment can delay symptom reduction and increase instability between sessions, particularly in clients with dissociation, complex trauma histories, or neurodevelopmental differences.
Through didactic instruction and applied clinical examples, participants review current research related to EMDR mechanisms, dissociation, intolerance of calm, and adaptations for autistic and ADHD presentations. We examine specific clinical scenarios, such as:
• Loss of dual attention during processing
• Elevated DES-II scores requiring further evaluation
• Recurrent SUD rebound between sessions
• Difficulty generalizing gains between sessions
Participants learn how to assess readiness, extend resourcing when indicated, and select preparation strategies based on observable clinical presentation rather than protocol habit.
What This Course Covers
This course examines preparation from both research and clinical perspectives. We review:
• Current empirical evidence supporting EMDR for PTSD
• How the Adaptive Information Processing model informs readiness
• Screening for dissociation using structured tools
• Assessing dual attention in session
• Stabilization strategies including container, safe place, and Resource Development and Installation
• Adapting Phase 2 preparation for clients with aphantasia or neurodevelopmental differences
• Cultural considerations in Phase 2 language and metaphors
• Early signs of processing difficulty and how to respond
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, Participants will be able to:
Analyze the current empirical evidence supporting EMDR therapy for PTSD, including comparative effectiveness findings and reported adverse event data, to inform clinical decision-making and informed consent discussions.
Differentiate and apply psychological, psychophysiological, and neurobiological models of EMDR therapy—including the Adaptive Information Processing model and the Network Balance Model—to conceptualize trauma processing.
Evaluate client readiness for EMDR therapy by assessing safety, stability, dissociative symptoms, emotional regulation capacity, and dual attention using structured screening tools and clinical decision-making frameworks.
Apply culturally responsive adaptations of the standard EMDR protocol, including modifications to language, metaphors, bilateral stimulation, and resourcing strategies.
Demonstrate appropriate selection and implementation of Phase 2 preparation and resourcing interventions—including container, peaceful/safe place, Resource Development and Installation (RDI), and related stabilization strategies—with clinical adaptations for dissociation, neurodivergence, and aphantasia to support dual attention and processing readiness.
Identify processing difficulties using the Processing Difficulties Scale and formulate targeted clinical interventions.
About the Instructor
Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D. is the owner and operator of Cannon Psychology since 2018. She primarily treats adult survivors of abuse and addiction. She is certified by EMDRIA as a practitioner and an approved consultant. She has worked in a variety of levels of care, including inpatient, residential and outpatient. She has been licensed to practice psychology by the State of California since 2011.
Prior to receiving credit for this course, you must:
Review the material in full.
Pass post test with minimum 75% grade with three attempts allowed.
Partial credit not awarded.
Accuracy, Utility & Limitations of Materials Presented:
This course provides research-informed and clinically grounded education focused on EMDR Phase 2: preparation, stabilization, and readiness for trauma processing. The material integrates current literature on EMDR mechanisms, dissociation, neurodevelopmental adaptations, intolerance of calm, and processing difficulties, and translates those findings into practical clinical decision-making.
Participants review specific assessment considerations—such as evaluating dual attention capacity, screening for dissociation, recognizing recurrent SUD rebound between sessions, and adapting preparation for autistic or ADHD presentations—and learn how to extend stabilization when indicated.
At the same time, this course has limitations. It does not replace foundational EMDR training, formal consultation hours, or individualized supervision. It cannot account for every clinical variable, comorbid condition, or jurisdictional regulation that may influence treatment decisions.
Research on certain topics discussed—such as EMDR adaptations for neurodevelopmental disorders—remains emerging and in some cases inconclusive, and clinical judgment is required when applying these concepts. Complex dissociative disorders, significant safety concerns, or presentations outside a clinician’s scope of competence may require additional assessment, referral, or specialty consultation.
As with any continuing education program, there is also the possibility of misunderstanding or overgeneralizing material if it is applied without careful case formulation. Participants are responsible for integrating the content within their professional scope and seeking additional support when appropriate.
Refunds, Exchanges & Cancellations
Due to the digital and pre-recorded nature of this course, all sales are final. Once access is granted, there are no refunds, exchanges, or cancellations. This policy is in place to protect the integrity of the course content and prevent unauthorized use or distribution. By purchasing, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.
The instructor, Cassandra Cannon, Ph.D., is the founder of Cannon Psychology. While this conflict of interest exists, all efforts have been made to ensure unbiased, evidence-based information.
Improve your competence in EMDR Preparation by clicking here to enroll in this continuing education course.
Cannon Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cannon Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.Cannon Psychology is an EC provider (#25034) and this program(#25034-DL03) is approved for 4 EMDRIA credits. Eligibility for EMDRIA credits is restricted to those who have completed an EMDRIA-Approved Basic EMDR Training. 