The history of EMDR therapy will be discussed, as well as the MET(T)A Protocol – Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Agencies – which can be utilized to create a trauma-focused environment to heal those within private practice and outpatient settings as well as residential treatment centers. Participants will be guided to understanding the importance of developing their own mindfulness practices within a MET(T)A Protocol trauma-focused paradigm, and the development and practice of personal mindfulness exercises will be encouraged.
Stephen Dansiger, PsyD, MFT
Dr. Steve played CBGB and Max’s Kansas City in the late 70s; drank, played drums in a toy rock band and then got sober in the late 80s; became an international social justice/diversity educator and rocker again in the 90s; and is now a sought after consultant, trainer, clinician, writer and meditation teacher. Dr. Steve has attempted to cure Marc Maron on his world renowned WTF Podcast, become a master EMDR therapist and provider of EMDR Training and Advanced Topics Courses with the Institute for Creative Mindfulness, and is a pioneer in the Buddhist recovery field. He is the creator and founder of the MET(T)A Protocol (Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Agencies) which utilizes both Buddhist psychology and EMDR therapy to create an agency's primary clinical practice system. He is the author of Clinical Dharma: A Path for Healers and Helpers, EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma-Focused Care (coauthored with Jamie Marich), Mindfulness for Anger Management and also coauthored Trauma and the 12 Steps: A Trauma Responsive Workbook and Trauma and the 12 Steps: Daily Meditations & Reflections - both companion pieces to the updated Trauma and the 12 Steps by Dr. Jamie Marich, for which he wrote the foreword. His most recent book (with Dr. Marich) is Healing Addiction with EMDR Therapy: A Trauma Focused Guide. He blogs and podcasts on topics related to mental health, recovery, and mindfulness. Besides maintaining a private practice in Los Angeles, he travels internationally speaking and teaching on Buddhist mindfulness, EMDR therapy, the MET(T)A Protocol, trauma, Buddhist approaches to treating mental health issues, and clinician self-care. He has been practicing Buddhist mindfulness for over 30 years (including a one year residency at a Zen monastery), and teaches dharma classes regularly in Los Angeles and other centers internationally. Steve is Co-Founder of HapTech Holdings, the creators of full immersion sound technology delivered through bluetooth connecting vibrational footwear to your headphones, designed for entertainment use and for health care. StartAgain Technologies, develops, collaborates on and acquires applications to deliver through HapTech hardware, to enhance the MET(T)A Protocol and add new dimensions to many other health and wellness platforms. StartAgain has partnered with the NTL Group on cognitive repair solutions. StartAgain also partners with other technology companies in health care through their membership in the Connected HealthCare and Wellbeing Cluster and Incubator in Dundalk, Ireland. Steve also graduated in 2022 from the Master of Health Care Innovation (MHCI) program at the University of Pennsylvania where he studied and collaborated with fellow students and faculty including doctors, nurses, academics, researchers and administrators to continue his quest of finding innovative solutions to broaden access to mental health care and wellness.
