EMDRIA Conference 2026

I (Abi Weissman) am due to write a blog post and let me tell you, I was not planning on doing it now, but I’m on my way home from the EMDRIA conference and we are stuck in the train so I thought that now was a great time to write. 

I had all sorts of ideas to write about and then, my wife had the suggestion of resilience strategies when the unexpected derails (so to speak) your plan so I’m going to go with that, as us EMDR therapists say. 

Here are my strategies I utilized in case you don’t want to read further or you like knowing what you are going to read about.

1. Listen to your body. Even if you don’t want to. It often works out better, if you can attend to your physical and emotional needs.

2. Arrive early.

3. Make a list of what you are grateful for and focus on that for a bit.

4. Laugh if at all possible.

5. Treat yourself. 

6. Listen to good music.

7. Write, if you enjoy it. 

I took the train because I expected that it would be a nice way to enjoy some beautiful scenery while not having to become a grumpy Abi stuck in traffic. It was a lovely trip up to Anaheim from San Diego. I met some new-to-me clinicians who were also attending this conference and we uber-pooled to the hotel from the train station on the way to the conference.

I didn’t expect the temperature to be so warm, nor did I expect my body to decide that sleep was more important than all the cool presentations I wanted to see and people with whom I wanted to connect.

That first day, I was so jazzed! I made it to the train, to the hotel, and then to the check in at the conference. I got breakfast, and I got myself oriented. Just as it was time to attend the first presentation, my body said, “nope,” we need to sleep. I listened and I headed off to my hotel room and went to sleep. I slept for so many hours. I missed meetups. I missed lectures I wanted to attend. I was super sad because I wanted to go to the conference to learn new things but instead, that was not what I was doing.

Day 2, I slept some more and had a virtual doctor’s appointment. The doctor said that it was a-okay for me to stay at the conference as long as I was mindful of my energy level and the like. They weren’t entirely positive about what was going on but it seemed like they thought that I was at the end of my feeling icky and that I could stay and enjoy what I could of the conference.

I wasn’t sure it was a great idea that I was away from home while not feeling 100% but thought well, hopefully, I’ll feel better and then, I’ll be glad to already be at the conference. I started feeling better and was excited to attend a real conference presentation. I tried to get into the grief training but it was so full that they didn’t even let folks sit on the floor. So, off I went to learn about Seven Clinical Targets in EMDR with Mark Brayne. I learned there that I had a lot more to learn about EMDR. I learned that it is possible and helpful to integrate different theories and modalities into EMDR, as long as one adheres to the appropriate EMDR protocols. I signed up for his mailing list immediately as it felt like he had a lot more to share with those of us who are not yet certified (but on our way.)

The next day, Saturday, I made it to Creative EMDR with Teens with Jackie Flynn which was fabulous! I can’t wait to try out all the techniques. I must get all of the supplies she spoke about, right now. She made me wish I lived in Florida so that I could connect with her in person. That’s quite odd as Florida is not a safe place for my LGBTQI+ Jewish self right now. Jackie really was incredible. I loved how she openly discussed ways to work with neurospicy people and how she honored the different ways that teens experience emotional pain and life in general. 

During the break, I explored the exhibition hall and learned all that I could about the different options available.  I’ve been investigating different sorts of EMDR tools for in person sessions so I had fun trying all of them out. I met a biller who I also met at APA in Washington. He remembered me from sitting next to him in the lobby a couple of months ago. At APA, I met his wife and his teen son too and they were so kind. We chatted and I took his picture. While I don’t need his billing services, maybe someone else does so I thought I’d send over his information. I  love supporting kind people. (I am still in search of his picture.)

I also loved learning about video games as an application of EMDR for kids or people like myself who might need something different. I adored the people who were at the booth and just can’t wait to connect with them further. I especially appreciated their neurodiversity and LGBTQI+ flair. Please see the picture for more information. 

Then, I was off to the 4:30pm session. I was super torn here too. I wanted to learn about everything, but I picked a focus on Embodied EMDR with LGBTQIA+ Clients with psychologist, Dr. Adam Johnson. I appreciated learning the ways that his version of embodied care was similar to mine as a Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist who also integrates EMDR in my work. I appreciated his focus on embodied interweaves. I really see this as enhancing my work. It was his willingness to be with the complicated realities of LGBTQI+ mental that was really meaningful in the presentation. I also learned maps of other areas in the world that don’t have LGBTQI+ friendliness. Here are the ones I found that are similar to his presentation. I don’t want to copy his because that wouldn’t be okay. 

Here’s the 2025 version of the most risky places to be if you are LGBTQI+. 

From https://www.global-monitoring.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Riskmap2025-LGBTQGraphik.pdf

It is disheartening to see all the other places which are so much better than the USA. And yes, here’s a closeup on Israel too. 

Then, I met up with the perinatal EMDR peeps and re-connected. Perinatal EMDR therapists are usually like the kindest people ever. It’s lovely. 

Here we are at Puesto Anaheim. Yum!

I’ll try to post it on insta and tag folks once I get the photo in the correct format.

Then, I met two lovely folks who I haven’t seen in a long while or ever met in person at all, Cathy Hanville and Christine M. Christine MacInnis Both are superstars in the EMDR and neurodiversity and LGBTQI+ worlds. Together they are writing a book which I cannot wait to read. Cathy and I met up some years ago at a WPATH training and Waves provides APA credits for some of Christine’s classes. They are marvelous people and made me laugh so hard. 

Afterwards, I ran into another wonderful therapist and chatted with her for a while. I couldn’t see everyone sadly. 

Sunday, I slept in, missing another bunch of classes I had wanted to go to but decided since I had had such a full day yesterday, and that my body was calling for rest, I would heed it. I packed up and met two lovely peeps for lunch and enjoyed the time before the train.

I got to the train early! I was determined to give myself lots of time to get myself and my body there. It was so warm out. I was sweating profusely and so over feeling so warm. There was another heat advisory and it was supposed to get up to 95 degrees. 

When I got there early, I went up to the desk, and learned that there had been a fatality on the commuter rail and that the tracks were closed in both ways. No one knew when they would open again, not the person at the information desk for Amtrak, not the conductors he had contacted, no one. And it had been this way for more than 2 hours. 

I was at a loss. I think the words that left my mouth were an unfeeling combination of swears. I wanted to see my kid and wife already and get home to my bed where I could finish up healing and be ready for work the next day. 

I asked him what he thought the time line should be and he shared when I should check in with him - in more than an hour. I thanked him and sat down at the station. I gathered myself a bit, said a silent prayer for the loss of the person who had died by train, and tried to think how I could cull my ever increasing anxiety. It was a Sunday. Everyone else had left the conference except us train-takers. My family was about 3 hours away doing their end of the weekend things, and I didn’t want to interrupt their plans. 

So I sat and thought about it all, and got interrupted by a text from a friend, Beth, who said, “Treat yo self,” and sent me that famous meme. I got a pinkberry (yum!) and sat down to enjoy it.

Next thing I knew, Beth had sat down nearby and had her own pinkberry in hand. The trip went on what felt like forever, but there were glimpses of joy that made it all worthwhile.

We had air conditioning. 

We had WiFi.

We had snacks. M&Ms and cheese with fancy pretzels. 

We had friendship and laughter across the aisles.

We had music.

We were alive.

Once all these things settled in, I knew that things would be okay. And they were.

In short, here are my resilience strategies:

1. Listen to your body. Even if you don’t want to. It works out better, if you can attend to your physical and emotional needs.

2. Arrive early.

3. Make a list of what you are grateful for and focus on that for a bit.

4. Laugh if at all possible.

5. Treat yourself. 

6. Listen to good music.

7. Write if you enjoy it.
   
   Feel free to comment here on the blog post and share answers to this question: what you would add to my list?

Abi

Start EMDR Therapy in San Diego, CA With Someone Who Gets It

I look forward to supporting my queer and trans clients through this work and I genuinely can't wait to see what's possible for you on the other side of it.

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