Western New York Trauma Recovery Network

About Us

The Western New York EMDR Trauma Recovery Network (TRN) is a chapter of the  EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program (aka HAP). We are a volunteer network of skilled mental health clinicians who are EMDR trained,  received additional training in treating first responders, and are committed to serving those that are serving our community.   We will provide 3-10 sessions of pro-bono EMDR therapy for trauma related symptoms after a local disaster.  

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy approach for the treatment of trauma. EMDR was developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in 1989 .   Dr. Shapiro was a Senior Research Fellow Emeritus at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, Executive Director of the EMDR Institute in Watsonville, CA, and founder and President Emeritus of the Trauma Recovery/EMDR HAP, a non-profit organization that coordinates disaster response and low fee trainings worldwide in addition to local Trauma Recovery Networks (TRN). Research has shown that EMDR is an effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR is a short-term therapy where processing every detail of the incident is not necessary. 

What is a TRN?

A TRN is a Trauma Recovery Network organized with the help of HAP staff and local volunteer EMDR therapists. The TRN will enlist volunteer therapists in advance of a disaster and by this website and other resources, will help connect the community to the volunteer members for EMDR Therapy after a traumatic event. ​

Mission

We are committed to strengthen and support the Western New York community after a natural or human-made disaster by offering EMDR Therapy, an empirically supported treatment for post-traumatic stress. Our skilled team of volunteer EMDR therapists will provide 3-10 sessions  to first responders in the Western New York community.