Adjunctive Services

Adjunctive services in therapy refer to supplementary treatments or interventions that are used in conjunction with primary therapeutic approaches to enhance the overall effectiveness of mental health care. These services can be diverse and are typically integrated into a treatment plan to address specific aspects of a client’s needs that might not be fully met by the primary therapy alone.

Adjunctive services enrich the therapeutic process, offering versatile and comprehensive care. They reflect the ongoing evolution and integration of various therapeutic disciplines, emphasizing personalized and holistic mental health care.

Benefits for the Referring Therapist

When a therapist refers clients to a practitioner who offers adjunctive services like EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting or other somatic modalities, there are several benefits for the referring therapist as well:

  1. Comprehensive Client Care: By referring to specialists in EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting, therapists ensure that their clients receive comprehensive care that addresses specific needs which may be outside their own scope of practice.
  2. Enhanced Professional Network: Building relationships with therapists who specialize in different modalities can strengthen your professional network. This reciprocal referral system can be mutually beneficial for cross-referring clients.
  3. Client Progress and Satisfaction: Seeing clients make progress through these specialized treatments can be rewarding. Client satisfaction with the therapy process is likely to increase when they receive care that is tailored to their specific issues, especially for complex cases like trauma.
  4. Professional Reputation: Referring clients to competent specialists reflects well on the referring therapist’s professionalism and commitment to the client’s best interest. It demonstrates an understanding of one’s scope of practice and a dedication to holistic client care.
  5. Learning Opportunities: Collaborating with therapists who practice different modalities can be a learning experience. It provides insights into how these therapies work and how they might complement your own therapeutic approach.
  6. Client Retention: Clients are more likely to stay engaged with therapists who actively support their journey by recommending appropriate adjunctive therapies. This approach shows that the therapist is focused on the client’s overall wellbeing and not just limited to their own therapeutic offerings.
  7. Reduced Therapist Burnout: Knowing that there are effective referral options for complex cases can alleviate some of the pressures and challenges that come with trying to address all aspects of a client’s needs, potentially reducing therapist burnout.
  8. Enhanced Treatment Outcomes: When a client receives comprehensive care, including adjunctive therapies, the overall treatment outcome is likely to be more effective, leading to better long-term results.

Referring to therapists who provide EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting can be an integral part of a holistic approach to mental health care, benefiting both the client and the referring therapist in terms of treatment efficacy, professional growth, and client satisfaction.

Benefits for Clients:

  1. Tailored Therapy Options: Clients have access to a variety of therapeutic approaches, allowing for a more personalized treatment plan that caters to their unique needs and conditions.
  2. Effective Trauma Treatment: EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting are particularly effective for trauma-related issues, offering clients innovative ways to process and heal from traumatic experiences.
  3. Faster Symptom Relief: These therapies often provide quicker relief from symptoms compared to traditional talk therapy, especially for those dealing with PTSD, anxiety, and deep-seated emotional issues.
  4. Holistic Healing: These modalities not only address the psychological aspects of a person’s issues but also consider the physiological and somatic components, leading to more holistic healing.
  5. Empowerment and Self-Discovery: Techniques like IFS encourage clients to explore and understand different parts of themselves, fostering self-awareness and empowerment in the therapeutic process.
  6. Safe and Non-Invasive: These therapies are non-invasive and are generally considered safe, with minimal side effects, making them suitable for a wide of clients.

 

Adjunctive therapy does not replace the therapy with the primary therapist but instead clients see both therapists. The clients’, primary therapist and EMDR therapist discuss a schedule that best meets the clients needs. A schedule can include the client seeing both therapists in a week or alternating therapy each week with both therapists or seeing the EMDR therapist weekly and the primary therapist every other week.

HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ADJUNCTIVE EMDR THERAPY

In order to get started clients are generally referred for adjunctive EMDR therapy by their primary therapist. With a release of information the primary therapist reaches out to the EMDR therapist to discuss the referral, to determine if the client is a “good fit” for EMDR and to discuss the roles of the therapists.

Good candidates for brief adjunctive EMDR are generally well-functioning individuals who have a good working relationship with their therapist, and this therapist and client have indicated interest and willingness to actively collaborate with the EMDR therapist.  Besides being open to EMDR therapy an appropriate referral would be a client or the clients therapist who can identify a clear target or stuck point they wish to have addressed with EMDR.

In addition, a good candidate for adjunctive EMDR therapy would have no active substance abuse, self injury, or safety risks, including unstable living situations.

Besides determining if the client is a good fit for EMDR it is also important for the therapists to understand their roles. The primary therapists remain the therapist on record and maintain their treatment plan. The primary therapist manages  crisis calls or client emergencies. The EMDR therapists maintains responsibility the impact and effectiveness of the EMDR work both in and out of session.  In addition, active collaboration is a key component of success for the client in this partnership. Feedback about EMDR sessions is regularly provided to the primary therapist by the adjunctive EMDR therapist.

I maintain professional ethics and will only continue to work with the client if they are engaged in therapy with the primary therapist.

ADJUNCTIVE EMDR PROCESS

The process of adjunctive EMDR therapy is as follows:

  • Primary therapist obtains a Release of Information from client and contacts EMDR specialist to discuss referral.
  • Primary therapist and EMDR therapist discuss issues related to referral and develop potential targets for EMDR processing.
  • Client makes appointment with EMDR therapist,
  • Client and EMDR therapist discusses issues for treatment, develop clear targets for treatment, thorough explanation of EMDR treatment and process, client signs open release of information between therapists and discuss EMDR therapist role in the treatment, importance of the primary therapy relationship.
  • The primary therapist and EMDR therapist agree upon a method for active and reciprocal communication to coordinate the therapy.

Referring therapists or clients interested in adjunctive EMDR therapy please call to discuss your needs.