Working on the Hidden Wounds: EMDR Interventions for Medically Unexplained Symptoms with a Trauma-Focused Approach
Zeynep Zat Ciftci, PhD
EMDR Europe Accredited EMDR Trainer and Consultant
The Cost is £135 (£120 early bird to 15 th March 2026)
Headache is a clinical problem that affects most of the population. Migraine and tension-headache are the most prevalent headache types. Headaches cause problems in individual functioning on various areas of life such as family, school, business, social life and quality of life. People who have headaches often have other psychological problems including depression and anxiety.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disease that seriously affects the quality of life of many people. Fibromyalgia is mostly seen with chronic fatigue, pain in muscles, difficulties in falling asleep etc. According to the American College of Rheumatology, people who have Fibromyalgia Syndrome experience pain in axial skeleton; in right and left sides, waist and at least 11 or 18 sensitive parts of the body. In addition, symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome, heartburn, pain in jaw, irritability etc. could be seen in Fibromyalgia patients. Because of the ongoing pain, patients’ lives are interrupted and their relationships are negatively affected by this chronic pain and so depression and anxiety become comorbid with chronic pain.
This workshop will introduce participants to a trauma-informed approach for understanding and treating medically unexplained symptoms, focusing on chronic migraine and fibromyalgia. It will explore how unprocessed traumas and these persistent symptoms are linked, offering an alternative pathway to recovery with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Strategies.
Participants will engage with real case formulations and learn to use the treatment protocols. They will be able to access the scales used in EMDR Therapy of chronic migraine and fibromyalgia and follow the video demonstrations of the sessions.
*A Workshop recording will be available for 3 months after the event
Clinician forms and scales will be provided.
Certificates will be awarded. Attendance is required.
CPD Points by the EMDR UK Association Pending.
Learning objectives
● Case formulation and treatment planning with medically unexplained symptoms
● EMDR Treatment strategies with chronic headache and fibromyalgia
● Managing relationship problems related to chronic pain
Dr. Zeynep Zat is an EMDR Trainer and Consultant approved by EMDR Europe and the UK. Internationally recognized for her expertise, she has worked extensively across the UK and Türkiye. She serves as a board member for the EMDR Türkiye Association and is a member of the Accreditation Committee of the EMDR UK Association. In 2025, she was invited as a
Keynote Speaker at the British Psychological Society Counselling Division Annual Conference to present her work on EMDR and body-based approaches. In recognition of her groundbreaking research on EMDR treatment for fibromyalgia, she was awarded a grant award from the EMDR Research Foundation. She has contributed chapters to key trauma publications, including works by Springer, focusing on EMDR applications for fibromyalgia, migraine, and the G-TEP protocol.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1286118/full