Addressing Social Identity, Cultural Trauma, and Current Societal Adversity within EMDR Therapy: Experiential Learning
June 23, 2026 and June 30, 2026 with Mark Nickerson, LICSW
Course Description
There is growing recognition of both the challenges and the profound discoveries that arise as individuals engage the realities of a multicultural world—exploring societally contextualized identities alongside experiences of social and cultural trauma and adversity. As trauma-informed clinicians, we are uniquely positioned to support this exploration within EMDR therapy. At the same time, cultural effectiveness rests on cultural humility because meaningful work with others begins with self-examination.
This two-part workshop is designed to provide both privacy and group support through EMDR-informed methods. Participants will engage in a shared yet personally contained exploration that enhances the depth and meaning of the work. Successive sessions address: (1) social and cultural identity, (2) reprocessing societally-related trauma and current adversity, (3) dismantling prejudice, and (4) cultivating culturally aware and responsive clinical practice. The workshop aligns with and contributes to clinical practices grounded in social justice, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Didactic presentations and handouts provide conceptual grounding.
Practicum sessions offer structured opportunities to use EMDR methods for personal exploration. The EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP) serves as a primary tool. During reprocessing, participants maintain privacy regarding specific content while sharing broader insights gained through the procedures. Participant feedback will also contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of these EMDR approaches.
Participants can expect to deepen their understanding of social and cultural identity, strengthen positive resources, experience EMDR as a method for reprocessing social adversity and dismantling prejudice, and cultivate authentic social responsiveness. They will develop skills to assist others in this work and gain experiential familiarity with G-TEP and other group EMDR interventions. EMDR-trained clinicians are welcome; enrollment is limited. Multiple clinical handouts developed by Mark Nickerson will be included to expand treatment strategies to address culturally based trauma and adversity within EMDR therapy.
Registration Deadline: June 22, 2026
This course takes place live on Zoom. Check out this link for Zoom requirements.
For more information on our work at The Touchstone Institute, visit our website.
The Prerequisite:
Get EMDR Trained
Join Dr. Mara Tesler Stein and other perinatal mental health practitioners for Foundational EMDR Therapy Training utilizing The Touchstone Institute's EMDRIA-Approved curriculum.
Note on Accessibility:
We include captions in all of our live and self-paced trainings. If there is anything else you need to make our trainings accessible to you, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We recognize that every person has access needs and we are happy to do everything we can to meet yours.
Instructor
Mark Nickerson, LICSW
[email protected]
Mark Nickerson, LICSW, is an EMDR consultant and senior trainer for the EMDR Institute, selected and trained by Dr. Francine Shapiro. He is a past Board President of the EMDR International Association. He is editor of Cultural Competence and Healing Culturally Based Trauma with EMDR Therapy: Insights, Strategies and Protocols (Springer, 2nd ed., 2023) and author of The Wounds Within (Skyhorse, 2015). Since 2010, he has offered educational trainings and experiential workshops that explore social identity, address the effects of socially based trauma and adversity, dismantle prejudice, and inspire social action. He has developed two national award-winning innovative programs designed to reduce and resolve interpersonal conflict. Additionally, he has delivered plenaries, workshops, and advanced trainings on a wide range of EMDR topics throughout the U.S. and in over twenty countries.
He is the director of EMDRAdvancedTrainings.com, which offers advanced EMDR trainings via livestream and on-demand formats presented by topic experts from around the world.
Course Curriculum
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Get to know Mark Nickerson!
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Course Description
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Course Date(s) & Time
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Course Agenda
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Zoom Information
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Learning Objectives
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Values Statement from The Touchstone Institute
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About Course Recordings
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Receiving your CE Certificate
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About this course:
- $350 - $450
- June 23, 2026 and June 30, 2026, 12:00pm - 4:30pm EST
- 8 CEs (see below for specific approvals)
More about our pricing:
We offer tiered pricing for all of our trainings in order to make our courses accessible to as many practitioners as possible. If you are unsure which tier of payment is right for your financial situation, please read through our FAQ section below or visit our website.
Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you are interested in a multi-month payment plan. We are always happy to create a custom payment plan to make it more feasible for everyone to participate in our courses.
Timed Course Agenda
All times are listed in Eastern Time:
June 23, 2026 (Session 1)
12:00pm - 2:00pm (Part 1)-Understanding and Addressing Social Identity:
- Review of overall workshop content and goals
- Social identity- overview of SI meaning and relevance
- Review of G-TEP and other group practicum methods
- Identify and explore the meaning of social/cultural identities
- Identify positive and negative memories and associations
- Identify internalized NCs, alternative PCs, and positive qualities
- Enhance positive resources
- Discuss insights and experiences
2:00pm - 2:30pm: Break
2:30pm – 4:30pm (Part 2)-Reprocessing cultural identity-based adversity and trauma:
- Discuss examples and dynamics of cultural identity related experiences of societal adversity and trauma
- Discuss internalized oppression and societally imposed beliefs
- Reprocess target memory of culturally based trauma and/or adversity
- Discuss insights and experiences
June 30, 2026 (Session 2)
12:00pm – 2:00pm (Part 3)–Dismantling Social Bias and Prejudice:
- Discuss social information processing as it informs the AIP model
- Discuss in group/out group tendencies, the impact of stigma and oppression
- Discuss the internal/external dynamics, prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination
- Discuss EMDR strategies to address aversive (unwanted) prejudice and bias
- Identify and reprocess a personal prejudice/bias using EMDR GTEP protocol
- Enhance and clarify personal goals in group practicum
- Discuss insights and experiences
2:00pm - 2:30pm: Break
2:30pm – 4:30pm (Part 4)–Addressing Current Societal Adversity and Clarifying Clinical Strategies:
- Review considerations and strategies to respond to the client’s current experiences of societal adversity
- Learn ways to strengthen adaptive responses to current societal adversity
- Explore the importance of clinical social responsiveness as an anti-racist and multiculturally aware approach to life and clinical practice
- Illuminate pathways and barriers to meaningful and authentic social responsiveness
- Illuminating personal history related to social responsiveness Didactic Content
- Review, reflect upon, and discuss practicum experiences from Sessions 1-4
- Clarify intervention strategies used
- Discuss translating group procedures to one-to-one interventions
- Practice clinical approach to address “here and now” acute stress related to societal adversity
- Identify and strengthen adaptive capacity in the face of social adversity
- Establish and strengthen a commitment to a socially responsive clinical practice that is integrated within the EMDR approach
- Discuss insights and experiences
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Identify 3 examples of positive and negative memories related to social/cultural identity
- Describe positive social/cultural identity memory associations
- Describe examples of internalized oppression
- Identify experiences of social stigma/discrimination/oppression for EMDR reprocessing
- Explain maladaptive social information processing related to ingroup/outgroup perceptions and discrimination
- Describe how social prejudice is learned and EMDR methods to dismantle it
- Describe EMDR methods to process “here and now” responses to societal adversity
- Describe methods to enhance adaptive capacity amidst societal adversity
- Identify goals and challenges as a socially responsive clinician
- Discuss with specific examples upon personal experience as clients during workshop Parts 1-4
Continuing Education Credits
Participation in all training sessions and submission of a course evaluation is required to receive a CE certificate for this course. Course evaluations are made available within the course portal after all live sessions have been completed. After completing the evaluation, participants will be able to submit a request for their CE certificate. This training offers 8 CE credits.
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It is your responsibility to verify CE coverage in your State or Province.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7346. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
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The Touchstone Institute for Perinatal Training, [provider number:1876], is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: [1/19/2025-1/19/2028]. Social workers completing this course receive 8 continuing education credits.
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This course is approved by Postpartum Support International (PSI) for continuing education towards obtaining and maintaining the PMH-C.
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This course is approved by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). The Touchstone Institute is an approved training provider with EMDRIA: approval #22021.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is the Generative Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Own the home you live in (even with a mortgage); live in a two-income household; have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money; travel recreationally; have access to family money and resources in times of need; work part-time by choice, etc.
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Is the Sustaining Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Have income available for recreational activities (going out to dinner, movies, concerts etc.); have consistent work compensated at a median income rate based on your region; pay rent that is not more than 25% of your monthly household income; do not own your own home, etc.
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Is the Supported Access tier right for me?
Select this tier if you: Are a graduate student paying tuition; have major medical expenses not covered by insurance; have been denied work, or experience discrimination related to ableism, racism, sexism, gender discrimination or other forms of oppression; are eligible for public assistance; have immigration-related expenses; have ever been denied work due to incarceration history; are supporting adult children, extended family members in need or have other adult dependents; are an elder with limited financial support; are primarily working in a setting with under-resourced populations and your income reflects this work, etc.
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Are there payment plan options available?
Yes! We are happy to work with you to create a payment plan that fits your needs. Please reach out to us over email with a brief description of the length of the plan that you are interested in using to pay for this course: [email protected].
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How can I learn more about your pricing?
Please visit our website for more information on our approach to pricing our trainings: www.touchstoneinstitute.org/pricing.
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What is your refund policy?
More than 14 days notice is required for a full refund minus 7% administrative fee. Cancellations made within 14 days of training are eligible for a 50% refund or full transfer to another training within The Touchstone Institute. Only 1 transfer to another training is allowed. If you can not attend the transferred training your fee will be forfeited. No-shows are not eligible for a refund or transfer. Exceptions to this policy are limited to medically documented circumstances or family bereavements. Failure to attend without prior notification (no-shows) will not qualify for a refund.
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