Conference on PTSD and Trauma

2026 Conference on PTSD and Trauma

March 2, 2026 • 9:00 am–4:00 pm • Iversen Center for Faith • University of St. Thomas

Please join the University of St. Thomas community as we come together to improve the understanding and treatment of trauma in individuals, systems, and communities. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of current research and evidence-based treatments related to PTSD.

Workshop Title: Four Blinks Version of FLASH

Speaker: Thomas Zimmerman, Ms.Ed., LPCC

Workshop Description

This workshop teaches the Four Blinks Version of Flash. Flash was developed to help clients with extreme trauma gain additional stability needed to engage in deeper forms of trauma work, including in EMDR or similar therapies. Flash allows many clients to start direct trauma resolution work sooner and safer than in other more intensive approaches.

Participants will learn how to apply the Four Blinks version of FLASH—a brief, streamlined protocol using bilateral stimulation—in individual sessions, group therapy, crisis interventions, and as a self-administered practice. The training also includes an overview of the research supporting FLASH as an effective trauma-resolution approach.

Objectives

• Explain Flash approaches to clients to begin direct trauma work.
• Describe the purpose of the six core steps in the Four Blinks version of Flash.
• Articulate the proposed mechanism of Flash from a memory reconsolidation perspective.
• Identify three ways Flash can improve treatment outcomes for clients with severe trauma.
• Identify core safety concerns in Flash and how to address them.
• Demonstrate ability to conduct the Four Blinks version of Flash in individual counseling sessions.

Training Agenda

Intended Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Case Managers
• School Counselors
• Graduate trainees in counseling, clinical psychology, social work, and related fields (techniques are only usable by a licensed provider or graduate student under supervision).

Registration Fee

• $75 General Public (includes lunch, parking, and CE credits)
• Free for St. Thomas students, faculty, and staff

Continuing Education

CEU approval in process — final CEU number will be provided upon confirmation.

Anticipated Credits: Participants may receive up to 6.0 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for full-day attendance, pending board approval.

About Thomas Zimmerman

Thomas Zimmerman, M.S.Ed., LPCC (Ohio), is an EMDRIA-approved consultant who provides EMDR therapy training in the Cleveland area and online. He offers trauma therapy consultation to therapists worldwide through https://emdrtom.com/and founded and manages the EMDR Therapist Resources Facebook group, a global professional network of nearly 34,000 EMDR therapists.

Thomas also maintains the popular EMDR blog, https://gowiththat.wordpress.com/, and hosts the EMDR Therapist Podcast (https://emdrpodcast.com/), which explores the intersection of EMDR therapy and complex trauma. He additionally manages https://EMDRThirdWeekend.com, a resource hub for EMDR therapists working with complex trauma.

The PTSD and Trauma Conference is presented as a collaboration between the Center for Well-Being and the Paul and Sarah Karon Veterans Resource Center at the University of St. Thomas.