An Introduction to the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy

Presented by Shirley Jean Schmidt, MA, LPC on 05-15-2009 at 9 a.m. Pacific to 10:30 a.m. Pacific (1:30 p.m. Eastern)

The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS) is an ego-state therapy designed to treat a wide range of people, symptoms, and issues. This includes adults with complex trauma wounds, such as those inflicted by physical and sexual abuse, and with attachment wounds, such as those inflicted by parental rejection, neglect, and enmeshment. The DNMS is based on the assumption that the degree to which developmental needs were not adequately met is the degree to which a client is stuck in childhood. It starts by guiding clients to establish three internal resources: a Nurturing Adult Self, a Protective Adult Self, and a Spiritual Core Self. Together these resources gently help wounded child ego states get unstuck from the past by meeting their unmet developmental needs, helping them process through painful emotions, and by establishing an emotional bond.

The DNMS focuses special attention on healing maladaptive introjects (ego states that mimic abusive, neglectful, or dysfunctional caregivers). Since these wounded ego states cause the most trouble for clients, their healing results in a significant benefit. As introjects heal, clients report unwanted behaviors, beliefs, and emotions diminish. Alternating bilateral stimulation (made popular by EMDR therapy) is applied at key points in a number of DNMS protocols. This teleconference will provide a discussion of the relevant background material, a description of each DNMS protocol, and a question/answer period.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

1.5 CE credits will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety.

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Meet the Presenter

Shirley Jean Schmidt, MA, LPC

Shirley Jean Schmidt, MA, LPC

Shirley is a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in San Antonio, Texas specializing in the treatment of adults with trauma and attachment wounds. She is the developer of the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS), the founder of the DNMS Institute, and the author of The Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy: An Ego State Therapy for Healing Adults With Childhood Trauma and Attachment Wounds. She has trained hundreds of clinicians in the DNMS model at regional, national, and international workshops and conferences since 2002. She moderates a 600-member DNMS professional listserv. She is a past president of the San Antonio Trauma & Dissociation Professional Study Group. For six years she was an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Consultant. She has published many articles about EMDR, ego state therapy, pain management, and the DNMS. This includes case-study publications in The Journal of Trauma and Dissociation and Traumatology. She holds the patent on the TheraTapper, a bilateral tactile stimulation device that has been sold world-wide to DNMS and EMDR therapists.

Continuing Education Provider Approvals

  • Logo GoodTherapy.org has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6380. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GoodTherapy.org is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • Logo This course has been approved by GoodTherapy.org, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #135463. GoodTherapy.org is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

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