In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, host Robyn Mourning welcomes Sarai Trujillo to explore the vital work of infant and early childhood mental health. Sarai shares her experiences as a therapist, mother of seven, and grandmother of ten, highlighting how relational support, attachment, and early interventions can empower parents to become healing agents for their children—even in the midst of life’s challenges.

Topics include:

• Supporting parents in high-stress or complex environments
  
  
  
• Integrating relational and therapeutic work with EMDR
  
  
  
• Building buffering relationships and community support
  
  
  
• Encouraging growth mindset and embracing “whoopsie moments” in parenting
  
  
  
• Practical strategies for fostering attachment and social-emotional development from birth through early childhood
  
  
  

Books & Resources Mentioned:

• Born for Love by Bruce Perry
  
  
  
• Hunt, Gather, Parent by Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff
  
  
  

Sarai also shares tools like the Working Model of the Child Interview and tips for empowering parents while supporting relational and emotional development.

If you’re a therapist, agency, or community professional interested in infant and early childhood mental health, Sarai offers training and consultation to help you integrate these strategies into your work. Connect with her here to schedule a consultation or bring a training to your team.

In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Robyn Mourning sits down with Sarai Trujillo, licensed professional counselor and perinatal mental health expert, to explore how therapists and birth workers can support families during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Sarai shares her journey from grassroots birth justice work to providing trauma-informed EMDR therapy for birthing people and their families. They discuss sensitive periods of development, the concept of “open windows,” and how the perinatal period offers a unique opportunity for healing, trauma reprocessing, and empowerment.

Listeners will learn about postpartum care plans, community-based support, and practical strategies for integrating EMDR and other interventions during this critical transition to parenthood. This episode is a must-listen for therapists, birth workers, and anyone interested in supporting families with mental health, autonomy, and well-being during the perinatal phase.

Resources & Links:

• EMDRIA: Go With It Magazine – Perinatal Mental Health Issue
• Open window research shared in the episode
• Connect with Sarai Trujillo for consultation or support: https://coalescencehealth.com/

In this inspiring episode of the Scaling Up Your Impact podcast, host Robyn sits down with Colorado therapist Jennifer Pollock to explore her recent humanitarian EMDR work in Costa Rica. Jennifer shares how she used EMDR GAP protocols—including ASSYST, IGTP, and PRECI—to support women experiencing trauma, and discusses the powerful transformations she witnessed.

The conversation highlights the importance of a stepped-care approach, cultural humility, and connecting with your “why” when doing trauma-informed care at home or abroad. Whether you’re an EMDR practitioner or simply passionate about mental health, this episode offers practical insights and moving stories from the front lines of trauma healing.

Visit our website to access the show notes: https://scalingupemdr.com/podcast/

Schools are one of the most important environments for reaching children and teens—but how can EMDR therapy fit into these settings? In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Kelly Smyth-Dent explores the opportunities and challenges of bringing EMDR into K–12 schools.

You’ll learn:

• Why schools are uniquely positioned to support trauma healing
  
  
  
• How EMDR can be adapted for children and adolescents
  
  
  
• The logistical realities of scheduling, space, and confidentiality in school systems
  
  
  
• Creative ways EMDR can support students after crises, bullying, or chronic stress
  
  
  
• How parents, teachers, and school staff can partner with therapists to reinforce healing
  
  
  

Whether you’re a school-based clinician, a community therapist partnering with schools, or simply curious about trauma care for kids, this episode offers practical tools and inspiring ideas for making EMDR accessible where it’s needed most.

👉 Learn more about EMDR trainings, including child and group protocols, at scalingupemdr.com.

EMDR isn’t just for private practice. In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Kelly Smyth-Dent explores how EMDR therapy can be integrated into eating disorder hospitals, addictions recovery centers, and inpatient/residential mental health facilities—and why these structured settings can create unique opportunities for healing.

You’ll learn:

• How EMDR addresses the root causes driving eating disorders, addictions, and acute mental health symptoms
  
  
• Key adaptations for high-acuity or medically fragile clients
  
  
• How to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for maximum impact
  
  
• Ways to use EMDR individually or in group formats within a treatment program
  
  

Whether you currently work in a treatment center or want to bring EMDR into one, this episode offers practical insights for making it safe, effective, and sustainable.

👉 Explore advanced EMDR trainings, including group protocols and intensives, at scalingupemdr.com

Curious about offering EMDR Intensives but not sure where to start? In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Kelly Smyth-Dent walks you through everything you need to know to structure your first intensive—covering clinical planning, logistical details, pricing strategies, and how to sell without feeling salesy.

You’ll also learn why getting trained in intensives matters—from identifying ideal candidates to managing extended processing safely and sustainably. Kelly shares tips for pacing, consent, follow-up, and setting policies that protect both you and your clients.

Whether you’re thinking about adding half-day, full-day, or multi-day formats to your practice, this episode will give you the confidence to create an intensive that works—for you and your clients.

👉 Learn more about EMDR Intensives Training at https://scalingupemdr.com/emdr-intensives-training/

Thinking about EMDR training but worried it might not be for you? In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Kelly Smyth-Dent tackles one of the most common fears therapists have: “What if I invest in EMDR Basic Training and end up not liking it?”

You’ll learn:

• Why this concern is completely normal
• What you actually gain from EMDR training—even if you never use EMDR as your main modality
• How to approach training with curiosity and get the most value from it
• Ways EMDR skills can enhance your other therapeutic approaches

Whether you’re skeptical, curious, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you decide if EMDR training is worth the leap.

👉 Explore upcoming EMDR Basic Trainings at scalingupemdr.com

In the wake of disaster or collective trauma, timing matters. In this episode of Scaling Up Your Impact, Kelly Smyth-Dent breaks down the key differences between Crisis Response and Early Intervention, and how two powerful AIP-based group protocols—ASSYST-G and EMDR-IGTP—fit into each phase.

You’ll learn:

• When to use each protocol for maximum impact
  
  
  
• How ASSYST-G helps stabilize acute stress symptoms and prevent PTSD
  
  
  
• How EMDR-IGTP supports deeper trauma processing three months after an event
  
  
  
• Why having both skills makes you an indispensable resource in humanitarian and community care settings
  
  
  

Whether you’re in private practice, agency or school based, or at a treatment center, this episode will help you understand how to bring the right intervention at the right time—so healing can begin sooner.

👉 Explore ASSYST and EMDR GAP Trainings at scalingupemdr.com