Third Trip to Ethiopia

I can hardly believe I am back in Addis for the third time!

While I was gone, the EMDR-trained psychologists and social workers practiced their skills and met frequently with a friend of mine who lives here, John Messer. John has taught at the School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University and decided last year to offer weekly study groups to any of the EMDR students who wanted to improve their skills. And it was easy to see what a profound effect his help made of those who attended.

Woiny met me at the airport and we immediately set off finalizing all of the details for the training... printing the manuals, selecting the training site, renting chairs... Consultations began two days later when Dr. Frances Klaff, originally from South Africa and now from the US, and I met with several groups of Ethiopians who had previously completed Part 1 or Part 2  and had questions about their cases.

It felt impossible that we would be ready on time, but Part 1 began four days after my arrival with everything in place. Reyhans Seedat, an EMDR-HAP trainer from South Africa and Dr. Gisela Roth, a psychiatrist and facilitator from Kenya, flew in the night before, completing our staff.

We began class each day at 8:30 and went until 5:00, with an hour break for lunch and two tea/coffee breaks. Hope for Children prepared lunches, serving Ethiopian meals that out-shone any food I have eaten here in Addis.

Three long days of lectures, videos, role-playing and practicum resulted in 21 new, Ethiopian EMDR-Part 1 therapists!

Dorothy