As clinicians dedicated to helping clients heal from trauma and maladaptive patterns, we know how important it is to have a diverse toolkit. Among the protocols available to EMDR-trained therapists, the DeTUR™ protocol EMDR—Developed by Arnold Popky—offers a highly effective, future-focused method for addressing addiction, compulsions, and urges. It’s one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in the EMDR repertoire.
If you’re working toward EMDRIA Certification and want to expand your clinical applications with confidence, learning to implement DeTUR™ can deepen your effectiveness and clinical insight. As an EMDRIA-Certified Therapist and Consultant-in-Training, I have helped dozens of clinicians integrate the DeTUR™ protocol into their practice, even when they were initially hesitant or unfamiliar with its structure.
What Is the DeTUR™ Protocol?
DeTUR™—Desensitization of Triggers and Urge Reprocessing—is an EMDR-derived protocol designed to target the triggers underlying addictive or compulsive behaviors. Developed by Dr. Arnold Popky, DeTUR™ helps clients identify and reprocess the positive feeling-state associated with the urge to use or act out. Unlike traditional EMDR, which often focuses on past memories, DeTUR™ is solution-focused and forward-facing, helping clients gain a sense of mastery over urges while strengthening internal resources (Popky, 2005).
How Can DeTUR™ Be Used?
The DeTUR™ protocol has broad applications across clinical populations, including but not limited to:
- Substance Use Disorders: Alcohol, nicotine, and drug use triggers can be effectively desensitized, reducing cravings.
- Behavioral Addictions: Clients dealing with compulsive sexual behavior, gambling, or internet use can benefit from identifying the emotional states tied to urges.
- Anxiety and Performance Issues: The protocol is also useful for performance anxiety and phobic responses where a specific urge or behavior is driven by a dysregulated internal state.
- Eating Disorders: DeTUR™ can complement work on binge-eating or emotional eating behaviors.
In consultation, I help clinicians develop the clinical judgment to know when to apply DeTUR™, how to work with ego states that might resist letting go of the urge, and how to integrate the protocol with standard EMDR phases.
Building Comfort and Competence with DeTUR™
One of the most common things I hear from consultees is, “I don’t feel confident using DeTUR™ because it’s so different from the Standard Protocol.” That’s completely understandable. DeTUR™ requires a shift in focus—moving from past memories to present triggers and future desensitization targets. It also emphasizes positive state installation and future template development earlier in the process.
In my consultation groups and individual sessions, I support consultees by:
- Reviewing case examples and scripting sessions using the DeTUR™ steps
- Identifying when DeTUR™ is clinically indicated and how to blend it with standard protocols
- Addressing blocks like avoidance, dissociation, or resistance that show up during the craving or urge phase
- Clarifying how to document and present DeTUR™ work for EMDRIA Certification requirements
Several of my consultees have gone on to use DeTUR™ successfully with clients facing substance use and behavioral compulsions—and have even introduced it in agency settings where trauma-informed care is evolving. I have personally utilized this protocol for wide-ranging addiction-based EMDR and EMDR for smoking cessation.
Why Choose Me as Your EMDRIA Consultant?
As a seasoned clinician and EMDRIA Consultant, I bring a human-first approach to every consultation. I create a nonjudgmental and collaborative space for clinicians to explore their edges, ask questions, and deepen their confidence. My training is grounded in advanced trauma modalities, including Ego-State Therapy, EMDR, and clinical hypnosis—allowing me to help you integrate complex protocols like DeTUR™ with ease.
Whether you’re working toward EMDRIA Certification or simply want to grow your EMDR practice with a well-rounded protocol set, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. My consultees appreciate that I bring both clinical precision and real-world practicality to our work together.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re an EMDR-trained clinician looking to master the DeTUR™ protocol or seeking dynamic, grounded consultation on your path to EMDRIA Certification, I’d love to connect. Let’s build your confidence and clinical range—so you can help your clients break free from patterns that no longer serve them.
Contact me today for an individual consultation session or, if you have other clinicians seeking consultation, we can create a group.
Let’s take your EMDR practice to the next level—together.
References
Popky, A. J. (2005). DeTUR™, an Urge Reduction Protocol for Addictions and Dysfunctional Behaviors. In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Scripted Protocols: Basics and Special Situations (pp. 167–184). Springer Publishing Company.
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
