Healing Early Bonds: A protocol for Early Attachment Trauma
Madeleine Jablonski
Abstract
The Healing Early Bonds (HEB) Protocol integrates EMDR therapy with Resource Therapy interweaves to address preverbal and attachment-related wounds by engaging both neurobiological and relational pathways to healing.
It draws inspiration from EMDR innovators Mark Brayne (2022) and Sandra Poulson (2017) and was created spontaneously in therapy to elicit deeper processing from a participant.
HEB invites clients to visualise themselves as infants in relation to their primary caregivers, activating implicit memory networks. Therapists are encouraged to attune somatically and intuitively, offering the empathic resonance the infant once needed. Using bilateral stimulation alongside imagery rescripting, clients can voice unmet needs, reframe early experiences, and establish secure internal attachments with resource figures.
HEB extends EMDR practice beyond single-event trauma, offering a structured yet adaptable approach to complex developmental wounds. By returning to early development, this protocol bypasses protective parts that often block processing of later events and weakens their impact for both participant and therapist.
This presentation describes the clinical framework, therapeutic process, and benefits of the HEB Protocol. Case examples illustrate how integrating EMDR with Resource Therapy promotes resolution of preverbal trauma, enhances attachment security, fosters self-compassion, and can be adapted across diverse populations, addressing unique needs and cultural considerations, enhancing inclusivity and effectiveness in therapy.
By uniting the structured precision of EMDR with the relational depth of Resource Therapy, the HEB Protocol exemplifies EMDR’s evolution, from trauma reprocessing to relational repair, and offers clinicians a creative, neuro-affective approach to transforming the earliest bonds that shape human resilience.
Biography
Madeleine is a registered Psychologist, Accredited EMDR Consultant and Resource Therapy Trainer. She runs her own Training and Consultancy business and is a Clinical Lead at Mindful Living. She has experience in working with complex childhood trauma, family violence, sexual assault and neurodivergence. She has a special interest in dissociative disorders like DID, grief and loss and spiritual aspects of psychology.As the Group Coordinator at Mindful Living, Madeleine developed the Online Group EMDR program for therapists and co-facilitates regular groups for both therapists and clients.
Madeleine is passionate about advancing EMDR Therapy through innovative applications across diverse client presentations. Her work reflects a commitment to creative and effective adaptation of EMDR in varied therapeutic settings. She also loves supporting newly trained EMDR therapists, fostering their confidence, and expanding their understanding of EMDR's transformative potential.