CompassionWorks

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Plano, TX
CompassionWorks

CompassionWorks was founded in 1998 by Jordan Shafer, MS, LPC. Through EMDR we can let your brain change the way emotional information is linked.

CompassionWorks offers EMDR & Mindfulness Distance Counseling to individuals, EMDR training & Continuing Education courses to mental health professionals. EMDR is a type of therapy that helps people move past difficulties, so they can be more present and enjoy their daily lives. Similar to other psychotherapies, we talk about what is happening in your life and explore practical solutions. However, we take it another step further by leveraging EMDR processing to work directly with your ‘limbic’ brain. This process allows neural networks, old and new, to link-up allowing the mind to become more open in its ability to find creative solutions. As a result, anxiety will lessen and life can begin to ‘feel’ more manageable; even better. We offer EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) approved EMDR Basic Training to Mental Health Professionals such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, professional counselors and graduate students in the field of mental health (completing their internships). Partnering with the Advanced Education Institute, we teach the EMDR training program developed by DaLene Forester, PhD, LMFT. For EMDR trained therapists and mental health professionals, we also offer an EMDR Boot Camp. This is for professionals who have completed the basic training (previously EMDR L1 & L2) from an EMDRIA approved training or the EMDR Institute. This two day EMDR skills refresher course is specifically designed for professionals that have not had the opportunity to practice EMDR. This is the perfect course for professionals that would like hands on practice to their build technical competence. Continuing Education credits for EMDR trained professionals are also available. For more information, visit us at www.CompassionWorks.com or call (972) 342 - 2448.

11/12/2025

Stress doesn’t only live in your thoughts—it lives in your breath, your pulse, your pace.

It shows up when you can’t slow down even though the day is over.
When rest feels like work.
When the body stays ready even when nothing’s wrong.

⚡ The nervous system was built to protect us, not to perform.
But in a world that keeps us in constant motion, that protection can get stuck in overdrive.

There’s a space between doing and being—the place where the body remembers balance 🌿.
That’s where regulation begins: not in control, but in awareness.

EMDR helps the nervous system find that space again 🌀.
Not by pushing for calm, but by making room for it to return naturally.

✨ Curious to explore this connection more deeply?

Read the full post: “Stress, the Nervous System, and the Space Between Doing and Being” — now on our blog: www.compassionworks.com/stress-nervous-system/

11/10/2025

We all know the feeling: that rush to act, to fix, to make something happen.

The nervous system tightens, the mind starts strategizing—and in an instant, Presence is replaced by pressure.

In the last blog post from Founder’s Corner, Jordan Shafer explores a quieter way of moving through the world: action that arises naturally, not from force, but from clarity.

At CompassionWorks, we call that acting from Presence, not pressure.

🌿 Here are three ways to begin:

1️⃣ Feel before you fix. Pause long enough to notice what’s driving the urgency.
2️⃣ Ask what’s required, not what’s right. The body often knows before the mind does.
3️⃣ Act, then let go. Awareness itself can guide the next step.

When we act from awareness, even small actions carry integrity—and a kind of ease that control can’t create.

✨ How do you recognize when you’re acting from Presence rather than pressure?

What helps you pause before reacting?

11/06/2025

🪞 As It Is: Taking Action Without the “I”

Sometimes acceptance gets mistaken for passivity. But what if real acceptance isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about seeing clearly, and letting the next step reveal itself?

In this month’s Founder’s Corner, Jordan Shafer explores what happens when action arises without the push of the “I.”

When we stop trying to force life into shape—and simply meet it as it is—something shifts. The doing gets lighter. The struggle eases. What’s required becomes clear.

💭 Read the full reflection: As It Is: Taking Action Without the “I”
👉 www.compassionworks.com/as-it-is-nondual-wisdom/

11/01/2025

✨ A little peek behind the scenes in Pearland!

Every EMDR training has its own heartbeat. Between sessions, you’ll find laughter echoing down the hallway, quiet moments of reflection, and those little “aha” sparks when something just clicks.

What we love most? Watching strangers walk in on Friday morning—and leave Sunday as colleagues, cheerleaders, and friends.

Because at CompassionWorks, it’s never just about teaching EMDR. It’s about creating a space where learning feels human, supportive, and real.

And here’s the best part: the connection doesn’t stop when the training ends. We stay in touch—through consultation calls, new workshops, and those late-night emails that start with “Hey, I just had my first EMDR session with a client…”

💛 To everyone who joined us in Pearland—thank you for bringing your heart to the room.

👥 Know someone who should be in the next one? Tag them below.

10/29/2025

Honoring a Voice of Healing in EMDR 🏆

Some recognitions go beyond an award—they speak to a lifetime of showing up for others.

Congratulations to Dr. Jose Carbajal, EMDRIA-approved trainer, consultant, and a steady force in the EMDR community, for receiving the 2025 EMDR International Association Ambassador Award.

Through his research, teaching, and mentorship, Dr. Carbajal has helped shape how clinicians approach trauma. His work doesn’t just expand EMDR’s reach—it deepens its heart. From university classrooms to international conferences, he keeps one question alive: How can we meet pain with presence?

✨ “We need healers who can walk alongside others in their pain and bear witness to the transformation that EMDR therapy can bring.” — Dr. Jose Carbajal

A reminder that healing isn’t a theory—it’s something we practice, together.

Read the full story via Stephen F. Austin State University → sfasu.edu/about-sfa/newsroom

10/25/2025

🚪 Safety isn’t something we give—it’s something we uncover, together.

In trauma-informed care, safety isn’t a checklist or protocol. It’s a felt experience that emerges through trust, presence, and attunement.

Rather than deciding what safety “should” look like, our role as therapists is to open the door—and let the client show us what safety feels like to them.

✨ Invitation, not direction.
✨ Collaboration, not prescription.
✨ Discovery, not demand.

10/22/2025

🌀 What if the hardest moments in life weren’t personal—but cosmic?

When things fall apart, the mind scrambles for meaning. It wants to fix, explain, assign blame. But sometimes, life doesn’t obey the mind—and what unfolds instead is an invitation into something larger.

👉 In this latest Founder’s Corner, Jordan Shafer explores what happens when we stop clinging to control and begin witnessing life from the lens of awareness. Not to bypass pain—but to meet it without identifying as the one who suffers.

✨ Let go of the “why me,” and make space for:
“What’s unfolding through consciousness?”

🔗 Read the full reflection on the blog:
www.compassionworks.com/nondual-awareness-cosmic-view/

10/17/2025

🌀 Emergencies don’t just destroy infrastructure—they disrupt lives, families, and mental health.

From armed conflict and natural disasters to forced displacement, these events often leave lasting psychological impacts. In fact, nearly everyone affected by a humanitarian emergency experiences some level of distress—yet access to care remains scarce, especially in low-resource settings.

⚠️ Mental health must be a priority in every emergency response. Trauma can’t wait. And healing shouldn’t be a luxury.

At CompassionWorks, we believe in expanding access to trauma-informed care—because mental health support is not a privilege. It’s a human right.

💬 How do you center mental health in moments of crisis—big or small?
Let’s keep this conversation going.

10/15/2025

🧠✨ Honoring Heritage, Healing Legacies

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we honor more than tradition—we honor the ongoing work of healing. 🌿

For many Hispanic and Latinx individuals, trauma and resilience travel together across generations. Through EMDR, practiced with cultural humility, we can help clients:

🔹 Reprocess legacy burdens
🔹 Reclaim cultural strengths (faith, language, family)
🔹 Reconnect to identity with compassion and care

🌎 EMDR becomes a bridge—not just between memory and relief, but between cultures, generations, and nervous systems.

Let’s keep expanding access, deepening connection, and honoring every story that walks through the therapy room door. 💬🫶

🔗 Read the full blog: https://compassionworks.com/emdr-hispanic-latinx-community/

10/10/2025

🌍 World Mental Health Day 2025

Mental health is not a luxury—it’s a human right.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1 in 5 people exposed to conflict experience long-lasting mental health conditions.

📊 Behind every statistic is a story of survival, resilience, and the urgent need for trauma-informed care.

At CompassionWorks, we’re committed to training therapists who can hold space for that complexity—who meet pain with presence, and systems with skill.

🧠 Let’s keep building a world where mental health support is accessible, equitable, and rooted in compassion.

🗨️ Your voice matters: What change do you want to see in mental health care?

10/08/2025

Real impact is felt in the moments that stay with you.

This Dallas-based participant left their EMDR training not only with new tools—but with lasting inspiration, thanks to the guidance of Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech.

💬 When trainers lead with both expertise and presence, the learning deepens. The work transforms.

🗓️ Explore upcoming trainings and join us in creating meaningful change:
www.compassionworks.com

10/03/2025

📅 New season. New skills.

Our next round of EMDR trainings and workshops is here—designed for clinicians at every stage of the journey.

Whether you're looking for online, hybrid, or specialty options, there's a format (and pace) that fits your life.

✨ What’s coming up:
💻 Online EMDR Therapist Trainings – Fall through Spring cohorts
🔁 Hybrid Training – Coming to Durham, NC in 2026, in collaboration with Jewish For Good
🐴 Live Workshop – EMDR + Equine-Assisted Therapy with Dr. Amanda Martin (Oct 4)
⏯️ On-Demand Options – Learn anytime, anywhere

🧠 EMDRIA-approved
🧑‍🏫 Led by experienced, compassionate trainers
📍 Accessible across locations and schedules

🔗 Explore all trainings: www.compassionworks.com

Address

1709 Savage Drive
Plano, TX
75023

Telephone

(972) 342-2448

Website

https://compassionworks.com/

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