OVERVIEW
Shifting from a Eurocentric to an Eco-centric Perspective in Trauma Therapy
In this episode, Jennifer Marchand shares how her work with Indigenous populations in Canada and conflict survivors in Vietnam shaped her approach to Embedding EMDR in a Nature-Based Framework. Marchand challenges the reductionist Eurocentric view of psychology, advocating instead for an eco-centric model that restores connection with the natural world.
She introduces powerful metaphors, such as viewing the AIP model as an “internal river” where trauma blocks the flow, and the reprocessing phases as “journeying through mountains” alongside a therapist acting as a “pathfinder”. Watch now and learn practical tools, including the “Five S’s” of memory reconsolidation and how to use natural materials like stones for stabilization in both virtual and office settings.
Topics Covered:
- Jennifer Marchand’s Background and Indigenous Work
- Shifting from Eurocentric to Eco-centric Models
- Integrating Creative Arts into Trauma Treatment
- Ecotherapy-Informed EMDR Therapy
- The AIP Model as an Internal River
- Memory Reconsolidation and the Five S's Model
- The Mountain Metaphor for EMDR Processing
SPEAKER
Jennifer Marchand is a Canadian Certified Counselor and EMDRIA-approved consultant with over 10 years of clinical experience in a diverse range of cultural contexts, including with Indigenous populations in Northwest British Columbia, in Vietnam, Ghana, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Southeast Europe. Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia since 2021, she is dedicated to the field of global mental health and working in underserved settings. In addition to her private practice, she supports projects working with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including in Ethiopia, and provides trauma sensitivity training to health professionals in conflict-affected settings with a human rights organization called Medica Mondiale.
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