Hope for Children (The Carol York Memorial Fund)

Hope for Children Fund | EMDR Research FoundationThe EMDR Research Foundation is honored to announce a new funding opportunity, “Hope for Children (The Carol York Memorial Fund)” All monies raised will be exclusively earmarked for EMDR therapy research with children. Last October, the EMDR therapy community suffered a tremendous loss when Carol York died in a tragic auto accident. Carol was a pioneer in working with children and made EMDR therapy a significant part of her life’s work. Carol touched many people’s lives in numerous ways. She was EMDRIA’s first Executive Director and served in this capacity for 7 years. She was committed to enhancing the professionalism of EMDR therapy and remained dedicated to EMDR therapy as a trainer, specialty instructor, consultant and exemplary clinician. The EMDR Research Foundation is grateful to have had Carol as a donor and to all who have and will contribute in her memory. By donating to this fund, you will support EMDR therapy research and provide “Hope for Children” as well as honor our esteemed colleague.

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Testimonials from the EMDR Community

“This fund represents the legacy of our dear friend and colleague Carol York. Without whom, EMDR therapy would not be where it is today. Her heart’s desire was to treat traumatized children and adolescents. This fund furthers that goal and memorializes her in our hearts.” 

– Jennifer Lendl, Ph.D. & Curt Rouanzoin, Ph.D.

“The designation of EMDR as an evidenced-based treatment for children and adolescents will open doors for many more children to gain access to a trauma treatment that truly heals. Comprehensive research on utilizing EMDR with this population will facilitate our path to this evidence-based designation.”

– EMDRIA Child & Adolescent Special Interest Group

“Carol’s lifelong love and dedication to helping some of the most vulnerable and the ones without a voice, children and animals, will be forever an inspiration and a driving force to our community. Supporting research in EMDR with children is the key to opening doors that can bring healing into the lives of so many children that suffer around the world. It is our job now to continue to carry on Carol’s life work and be the voice of the ones’ without.”

– Ana M. Gomez, MC, LPC

“The power of EMDR therapy is bringing hope and healing to many traumatized children every day. Unfortunately, though, most of the research on the effects of EMDR therapy has focused on adults. This has put limits on the acceptance of EMDR therapy for children within many mental health organizations, agencies, and universities, and with third-party payers in this country and overseas. This fund is both a wonderful tribute to Carol York and a huge opportunity for all of us to help advance research with children and extend the reach of this important therapy to more children all around the world who should not have to continue suffering from the devastating effects of trauma.”

– Debra Wesselmann, MS, LIMHP – The Attachment and Trauma Center of Nebraska

“Carol York was a pioneer in providing EMDR therapy for children and in teaching EMDR to child therapists internationally. Her creativity, intellect and sense of humor reflected in all of her work. Carol was dedicated to the fidelity of EMDR therapy for children and in developing research to show that EMDR is evidenced based practice for children. It is therefore fitting that the EMDR Research Foundation is setting up a fund for child research in her name.”

– Carolyn Settle, MSW, LCSW – Co-author- “EMDR and the Art of Psychotherapy with Children: Infants through Adolescent, Second Edition”

“Therapists who treat children and adolescents with child abuse and neglect histories benefit from the trauma reprocessing through the 8 phases of EMDR Therapy. This trauma reprocessing ignites the healing of abuse histories that drive the origins of trauma. The ACES research has documented that child abuse histories fuel medical issues in adulthood; therefore, identifying and treating child abuse with EMDR therapy can return children to a health trajectory for their futures and prevent long term suffering. Comprehensive research needs to be conduted to document the efficacy of EMDR therapy with children as best practice.”

– Robbie Adler-Tapia, Ph.D., Psychologist, National Registered Health Psychologist

“In the US (in contrast to many European countries) children are woefully underserved in terms of their mental health needs. Sandra and I have seen the benefit of early intervention, first hand, in Europe and around the world. EMDR therapy with children has great potential in helping to meet those needs, as it can be used with children as young as one year of age, often helping a child resume a normal developmental curve. Your contribution to the Carol York Memorial : Hope for Children fund can help more traumatized children to be helped sooner, and more quickly and efficiently through EMDR therapy based on solid research. Nobody understood this better than Carol, who was a great leader in the field. Please contribute in Carol’s name to this very worthy research fund.”

– Bob Tinker and (the late) Sandra Wilson