# Healing Early Childhood Trauma: How to Treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP)? - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/erken-cocukluk-donemi-travmalarinin-iyilestirilmesi-emdr-travma-yonetimi-protokolu-emdr-tmp-ile-cocuklarda-karmasik-travma-nasil-tedavi-edilir - Language: en - Last updated: 2026-09-15 - Page title: Healing Early Childhood Trauma: How to Treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP)? | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar > Healing Early Childhood Trauma: How to Treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP)? (Healing Early Childhood Traum This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/erken-cocukluk-donemi-travmalarinin-iyilestirilmesi-emdr-travma-yonetimi-protokolu-emdr-tmp-ile-cocuklarda-karmasik-travma-nasil-tedavi-edilir) [← Back to blog](https://alisanburak.com/en/blog) # Healing Early Childhood Trauma: How to Treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP)? July 30, 2024EMDR Europe Symposium 2024 Posters Healing Early Childhood Trauma How to Treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP)? (Healing Early Childhood Trauma - How to treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP) Melitta Schneider (EMDR Supervisor) & Dr. Alphonce Omolo (Child & Youth safeguarding, and educational research) Background An increasing number of children worldwide experience complex trauma. Most remain untreated. Trauma specialists are often inaccessible, and treatment is generally unaffordable for low-income families. EMDR group treatments produce satisfactory results, primarily for children who have experienced acute trauma. Our approach seeks to bridge this gap by applying a specialized EMDR protocol for complex trauma. Challenges of Complex Trauma - Repeated traumatic events, - Overwhelming emotions - Dissociation and blocks - Interconnections between different traumatic events What Is New? - Adult trauma processing for complex trauma in Germany has been adapted for children - EMDR processing is structured by the trainer using core elements - Children link the core elements to their own trauma through 10 drawings - Personalized group setting: children work on their own trauma - For use in individual and group settings - Same pace, same endpoint of processing, efficient use of time Method Core Elements - The new EMDR Trauma Management Protocol, developed from adult trauma processing in Germany, can be used for neglect, physical or sexual abuse, the death of a family member, and other experiences. Trauma processing is structured through core elements provided by the trainer in the form of 10 drawings that guide children through trauma healing. These 10 natural interweaves address the relevant emotions step by step. The core elements structure EMDR processing, prevent overwhelming reactions and dissociation, and help children cope with recurring events while remaining within their window of tolerance. Children link the 10 core elements to their personal trauma to relieve tension and resolve blocks. Treatment Evaluation Methodological Design of the First EMDR-TMP Treatment Evaluation in Kenya - 103 traumatized children aged 11–14 were screened. - Children diagnosed with PTSD participated in the program. - All children with PTSD were divided into two groups through free and blinded selection, matched for age, sex, and trauma burden - Randomized controlled trial (2x2 design): the treatment group (T) completed three trauma-processing sessions, while the waiting-list group (N) drew three neutral pictures over one week. - The conditions were switched the following week. - The waiting-list group also received treatment for ethical reasons, as the children were equally traumatized. Phases of the Research Program in Kisumu / Nehyd - 1980 Rehabilitation of Street Children in Kisumu - 2016 Development of EMDR-TMP - 2017 Training of Counselors - 2020-2022 Treatment Evaluation - 2024 Implementation in Kisumi & Nairobi Results Results of the Treatment Evaluation - EMDR-MP reduced SUD scores to nearly zero (significant at the 1% level), regardless of whether treatment was provided first (TN) or last (NT). - Death-related PTSD symptoms (CATS) decreased significantly in the treatment group. This effect increased in Run 2 (carry-over effect) - Behavioral scores (PSC) decreased significantly between the pretest and the follow-up assessment two months later. They reached a nonclinical level, and this improvement persisted over time. This was also demonstrated in the follow-up assessment by adults who rated the children's behavior. - Anxiety and depression scores after RUN (TN) showed no statistically significant change. All children benefited from the program and showed fewer symptoms, including those in the waiting-list group. (Hawthorne effect) Conclusion The New EMDR-TMP Protocol Effectively Treats Complex Trauma in Children - Individual treatment for complex trauma - Individual and group settings - The same pace from picture to picture and the same endpoint of processing for all children - Completed in a short time - Structures and shortens EMDR processing - It has recently been implemented in a home for street children in Kisumu and an orphanage in Nairobi. The treatment should be extended to more locations or used by other EMDR therapists. Healing Early Childhood Trauma How to treat Complex Trauma in Children with the EMDR Trauma Management Protocol (EMDR-TMP) Melitta Schneider (EMDR Supervisor) & Dr. Alphonce Omolo (Child & Youth safeguarding, and educational research) Background A growing number of children across the world experience complex trauma. Most of them remain untreated. Trauma professionals are often not accessible, and treatment is mostly not affordable for low-income families. EMDR Group Treatments achieve satisfying results mainly for acute traumatized children. Our approach tries to bridge this gap by applying a specialized EMDR Protocol for Complex Trauma. Challenges of Complex Trauma - Re-occurring traumatising events, - Overwnelming emotions - Dissociation and blockages - Networking of different trauma events What is new? - In Germany, adult trauma processing for complex trauma was adapted to children - EMDR processing is structured through core elements by the trainer - Children link the core elements with their own trauma 10 drawings - Personalised group setting: children work with their own trauma - To be used in single and group settings - same speed, same end of processing, time economic Method Core elements - The novel EMDR Trauma Management Protocol, developed from adult trauma processing in Germany, can be used for neglect, physical or sexual abuse and death of a family member, etc. Trauma processing is structured through core elements from the trainer in form of 10 drawings which guide the children through trauma healing. These 10 scenic interweaves address relevat emotions step by step. The core elements structure EMDR processing and prevent children from overwhelming reactions, from dissociation and cope with re-occurring events while staying in the window of tolerance. Children link the 10 core elements with their personal trauma to relieve tension and dissolve blockage. Treatment Evaluation Methodological Design of the first EMDR-TMP Treatment Evaluation in Kenya - 103 traumatized children, aged 11-14 years, were screened. - Children with a diagnosed PTSD took part in the program. - All PTSD-children were divided into two groups: free and blind selection: equal in age, sex and trauma load - RCT study (2x2 design): the treatment group (T) realized three trauma processes while the the waiting group (N) drew three neutral pictures within a week. - The following week the setting was changed. - The waiting group was also treated due to ethical reasons because the children were equally traumatized. Phases of the Research Program in Kisumu / Nehyd - 1980 rehabilitation of Street Children in Kisumu - 2016 Development of the EMDR-TMP - 2017 Training of councellors - 2020-2022 Treatment Evaluation - 2024 Implementation in Kisumi & Nairobi Results Results of the Treatment Evaluation - EMDR-MP reduced SUD scores to nearly zero (1% level significance) no matter whether the treatment was given first (TN) or last (NT). - Die PTSD symtoms (CATS) were reduced significantly in the Treatment Group. This effect increased in Run 2 (carry-over effect) - Behavioral scores (PSC) were reduced significantly, between pretest and catamnesis after two months. They reached a non-clinical leve and persisted over time. This was also shown in follow-up assessment of adults who scored the children's behaviour. - Anxiety and depression scores after RUN (TN) showed no significance. All children profited from program and had less symptoms - even those of the waiting group. (Hawthorne effect) Conclusion New EMDR-TMP Protocol treats complex trauma in children efficiently - Individual treatment for complex trauma - Single and group settings - Same speed picture by picture and equal end of processing with all children - Short in time - Structures and shortens EMDR processing - It has been implemented recently in a Street Childrer's Home in Kisumu and in an orphanage in Nairobi. The treatment should be spread to further locations or be used by other EMDR therapists. 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