Keynote: ISP® – The Immediate Stabilization Procedure for Manmade and Natural Disasters

Over the last year, in the wake of the war in Ukraine, ISP®-has been streamlined for easy application by both therapists and first responders.

ISP®-Immediate Stabilization Procedure is designed to treat victims of Acute Stress Reaction (ASR) brought about by natural and man-made disasters and is utilized within minutes to hours of trauma. Victims will often exhibit a high to extreme stress reaction with SUDS of 7-10 and may have a SUDS above 10 where they are non-responsive, exhibiting extreme agitation or “silent terror.” We have learned that treating ASR is possible and very helpful in these cases.

A video will demonstrate the application of ISP® with a victim in a high level of distress, using the Scripted Procedure.

During the Coronavirus Pandemic ISP® was modified and called the Self Care Procedure for Coronavirus or SCP-C. As a result of the pandemic, the SCP-C was taught on telehealth introducing a new way to deliver services to many more in need.

The next phase of the ISP® was when our Ukrainian colleagues starting using it during the Ukraine war. With the number of victims needing treatment growing, the Group Immediate Stabilization Procedure (G-ISP®) was developed.

The growing research for SCP and ISP® currently occurring in India and Ukraine will be discussed.

In addition, ISP® can be used at any time in the EMDR 8 phases to deal with strong emotional experience and dissociation.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Gary Quinn, Director of The EMDR Institute of Israel

Gary Quinn, MD, is a psychiatrist and Director of The EMDR Institute of Israel. He specializes in Crisis Intervention, the treatment of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders, and the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following military trauma, terrorist attacks and motor vehicle accidents. He has conducted numerous trainings in Israel and runs supervision groups. He is the Trainer of Trainers in Asia for the EMDR Institute Inc. and is a Senior Trainer in Asia and the United States. He participated as a trainer for Trauma Recovery/HAP in Turkey following the earthquake of 1999, in Thailand, after the tsunami in 2004, as well in Romania and Cambodia. He has volunteered in medical hospitals and bomb shelters after terrorist attacks. He developed the Emergency Response Protocol (ERP) for EMDR therapists to treat victims of trauma within hours of the incident. He has presented this work at conferences in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. He was invited to Singapore as a PTSD expert to address the Psychiatric, Psychological and Medical staff as well as policy makers from the Department of Mental Health and was the keynote speaker at the Singapore International Conference on treatment of Acute Stress Disorder.

Dr. Quinn developed Self-Care Procedure for Coronavirus (SCP-C) – a self-healing stabilization procedure for both individuals and groups suffering from anxiety, panic, or helplessness related to coronavirus. It has been published in the book EMDR Resources in the Era of COVID-19, edited by Marilyn Luber.

He developed ISP® – Immediate Stabilization Procedure- to replace ERP. It is now available for use by both by EMDR therapists, other clinicians and first responders. It has been used successfully to treat victims of war in the Ukraine.