29: Cartoons, EMDR Therapy, and Virtual Reality | Sandra Paulsen of Paulsen Integrative Psychology

The Mental Health Entrepreneur

**Please note that this episode contains a brief discussion of child abuse that some people may find disturbing.

Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D., shares insights into her journey in the mental health field, discussing the integration of writing, cartooning, and therapy to help clients understand emotional concepts. She discusses the importance of addressing early trauma, the potential of virtual reality in trauma therapy, and the effectiveness of EMDR. Dr. Paulson also touches on the future of mental health treatment accessibility, the challenges faced by therapists in the field, the benefits of intensive therapy formats, and the potential application of EMDR in prison settings. Join Dr. Paulson in envisioning a trauma-focused mental health landscape where healing is impactful and accessible to all.

About Sandra Paulsen:

Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D., is an international instructor, author and illustrator of principles and procedures for using EMDR with complex trauma including structural and somatic dissociation and trauma held in implicit memory. Her books include coediting The Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation: Toward an Embodied Self. She wrote and illustrated Looking Through the Eyes of Trauma: An Illustrated Guide for EMDR Therapists and Clients; and When There Are No Words: EMDR for Very Early Trauma in Implicit Memory, and co-authored We’re Listening Body: Integrating EMDR, Somatic and Ego State Therapies. 2024 publications will include: The Beauty and Burden of Autism: An Illustrated Guide and Workbook, and Indigenous Trauma and Dissociation: Healers, Psychotherapies and the Drum, with Shelley Spear Chief. She also co-authored and illustrated a childrens book that is also useful for dissociative adults called All the Colors of Me: My First Book on Dissociation. Sandra is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

paulsenpsychology.com

Episode Timestamps:

• (01:45) Sandra's journey into the mental health field
• (04:30) Integrating art and psychology for effective communication
• (08:30) Hardwired emotional circuits and the impact of EMDR therapy
• (12:00) Virtual reality’s potential in early trauma therapy
• (17:20) Innovative approaches to treating PTSD and trauma
• (23:05) Understanding dissociation and its impact
• (27:15) Sandra’s dreams for the future of mental health care

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