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.

03/09/2026

If 'Monday after Daylight Saving Time' was a recognized clinical diagnosis, we'd all meet the criteria today. 📉💤

Tag a fellow therapist who is surviving purely on vibes and espresso today. We see you! 👇

03/08/2026

Feeling a little "prickly" lately? Take a deep breath. It's just your nervous system thawing out.

If March were an animal, it would undoubtedly be a bear. 🐻

After months of wintering, we are collectively experiencing the shift from deep Dorsal Vagal rest 💤 to Sympathetic action energy ⚡.

This transition isn't always smooth. It can feel jarring or restless. But remember: awakening is a process, not an event.

This month is all about:
🔹Pacing the return of your energy
🔹Managing the physical sensations of activation
🔹Giving yourself (and your clients) the grace to wake up slowly.

👉 Swipe through for a gentle reminder on how to navigate the "March thaw".

📌 Save this post to share with a client or a friend who might need this exact validation today.

What does your nervous system feel like this week? Let us know in the comments. 👇💬

03/04/2026

Ready to expand your clinical toolkit this year, but need a format that actually fits your schedule? ⏱️

We know your time is valuable. That’s why we designed our 2026 EMDR Trainings with multiple formats and multiple dates—all leading to one path forward.

Swipe through to explore the option that works best for you:

💻 Live Online: Comprehensive training from the comfort of your office with Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall cohorts.
📍 In-Person: Deep-dive weekends in Houston and Ft. Worth.
🤝 Hybrid: The best of both worlds with locations across Texas and North Carolina.
🧠 Workshops: Live and On-Demand deep dives into Neurodivergence, Grief, Equine-Assisted Therapy, and more.

Your EMDR journey starts here. 🌱

📌 Save this post to reference later, share it with a colleague, and click the link in our bio/below to secure your spot today!

https://compassionworks.com/courses/

02/27/2026

Have you ever asked a client what they are noticing, and their answer is simply... "nothing"?

It’s one of the most intimidating moments in the therapy room. The void. The silence. No image, no words, no negative cognition.

Recently, CompassionWorks lead trainer Amber experienced this exact phenomenon—but from the client chair. What she realized in that moment completely shifted how she understands non-verbal trauma and EMDR feeling nothing.

"Nothing" isn’t always a blocked memory. Sometimes, it’s just a profound lack of words.

📖 If you’ve ever felt stuck when your client hits the void, you need to read Amber’s deeply vulnerable reflection.

👉 Hit the link below to read the full post: Feeling "Nothing" in EMDR: Reflections from My Practice.
https://compassionworks.com/emdr-feeling-nothing-practice-reflections/

02/26/2026

Can an algorithm co-regulate a nervous system? 🛑🧠

Let’s address the elephant in the therapy room: the persistent myth that AI is eventually going to replace human clinicians.

Yes, artificial intelligence is a highly efficient tool. It can write your progress notes, synthesize intake data, and streamline your private practice. But here is the hard line we must draw when working with trauma:
Algorithms calculate. Only humans attune.

In EMDR therapy, safety isn't digital—it is profoundly biological. Your intuition, your empathy, and your physical presence are the core mechanisms of healing.

Tech is simply the scaffold. YOU are the architect.

Let's have a real conversation about the future of our field.
👇 Where do you see possibility—and where do you feel caution? Tell us in the comments.

02/19/2026

Why does your brain keep taking the same destructive path? 🌪️

In this clip, Amber explains the science behind our mental habits using a simple analogy: rain and dirt pathways.

⛈️ When life’s "rainstorms" hit, our neural pathways tend to follow the old, maladaptive ruts we've used for years.

In EMDR therapy, we don't just look at the past. We use the "Future Template" to literally "build up the land"—creating new, adaptive pathways so you can handle future challenges with confidence and authenticity.

👇 What is one "mental path" you’re working on redirecting lately? Let’s discuss in the comments.

02/12/2026

🔴 Your neurons don’t know your trauma.
They don’t know your name.
They don’t know the story.

👉 They fire. They link. They hold charge.
That’s it.

So when something feels overwhelming, reactive, or intense…
what if it’s not “you” — but circuitry doing what circuitry does?

In this Founder’s Corner reflection, we explore:
🔹why EMDR can feel intense
🔹what “target nodes” really are
🔹and how neuroscience meets nondual wisdom

If neurons aren’t broken, maybe you aren’t either.

Read the full piece at: https://compassionworks.com/do-neurons-know-your-story/ (or link in bio)

💬 Does it feel different to think of trauma as neural patterning rather than identity?

02/07/2026

If February were an animal, it wouldn’t be a productivity machine.

It would be a tortoise 🐢

Not lazy.
Not behind.
Just moving at the speed integration actually requires.

From a nervous-system perspective, this part of the year is often about:
🔹️ conserving energy
🔹️ digesting change
🔹️ moving without pressure

Slow doesn’t mean stalled.
It means sustainable.

Swipe through if your system has been asking for a gentler pace lately 💙

💬 What does “moving without pressure” look like for you right now?

01/31/2026

Some of the most meaningful moments in training are quiet ones.
No big reveal. No performance. Just watching something click.

💫 A skeptic leans in.
💫 A question turns into curiosity.
💫 Confidence grows—not from being told, but from being witnessed.

This is what teaching EMDR often looks like from the inside.

Not convincing. Not pushing.
Just staying present long enough to see transformation unfold—step by step.

💬 What’s a moment in your work that reminded you why you do this?

01/23/2026

Not every training leaves a mark.

✔️ Some just check a box.
💫 Others change how you show up in the room.

This is why we share Real Voices. Real Impact.

Reflections from clinicians who found not just information—but a learning environment where curiosity was welcomed, questions were met with care, and clinical depth was paired with genuine presence.

Because the way we learn matters.
And so does how safe we feel while learning.

💬 What makes a training truly impactful for you?

01/21/2026

Most conversations about Dry January miss the point.

For many people, it’s not about quitting, discipline, or “doing better.”
It’s about what becomes noticeable when alcohol isn’t numbing stress anymore.

🔸Sleep shifts.
🔸Emotions surface.
🔸The nervous system responds.

This reflection looks at alcohol, stress, and trauma through a gentle, non-judgmental lens—without labels, timelines, or pressure to change anything permanently.

🔹Not a challenge.
🔹Not a test.
🔹Just information.

Head to our blog to read the full article: Substances, Stress, and the Nervous System
https://compassionworks.com/substances-stress-and-the-nervous-system/

💬 If you’ve ever paused or reduced—even briefly—what did you notice first?

01/19/2026

💙 Blue Monday isn’t real—but the way January can feel often is.

The idea of a “most depressing day of the year” comes from marketing, not psychology.

Still, this time of year can bring real strain:
🔁 post-holiday transitions
💸 financial pressure
🕰️ disrupted routines
📈 the quiet push to “get it together” fast

There’s no emotional standard you’re meant to meet right now.
No timeline. No comparison.
Just space to notice what’s actually happening—and respond with a little care. 🤍

💬 What’s been most supportive for you lately, even in a small way?

Address

1709 Savage Drive
Plano, TX
75023

Telephone

(972) 342-2448

Website

https://compassionworks.com/

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