Thrive Learning

My name is Chris Floro, and I am the founder and principal owner of Thrive Training & Publications, headquartered in Fayetteville, NC. I am passionate about EMDR training because it had a profound impact on my life. As a retired military officer with 29 years of service and a dozen combat deployments, I initially had little insight into how these experiences were affecting me and, more importantly, my family and those around me.

Through EMDR treatment, I came to realize that many of my deeply ingrained beliefs surrounding death, destruction, loss, moral injury, and poor ethical decisions were shaped by my family of origin experiences. This resulted in a perfect storm of irrational, maladaptive, negative, unproductive, and unhealthy thinking that translated into negative and unhealthy behaviors. I was essentially having normal responses but with detrimental consequences. 

This is precisely what makes EMDR so valuable and powerful. As an 8-phase, 50-hour training, it can uncover and transform irrational beliefs and conclusions about self that many people draw from negative and maladaptive life events. It doesn't matter if those events happened last week, as a child, or sadly over an entire life. While every person's story is unique and different, some are much more complex. What's remarkably similar between complex and simple are the core beliefs that often are woven together over time into maladaptive coping behaviors. 

Since 2015, the Thrive team and I have worked tirelessly to train over 2500 individuals in EMDR. From these foundational training programs, nearly 75 participants have gone on to become Certified EMDR Therapists, and approximately 25 have become EMDR Approved Consultants. We continue to expand our training opportunities, including EMDR somatic-based training called Riding the Wave, a Paraprofessional Intervention Protocol for those dealing with recent traumatic events, an EMDR refresher course, a case conceptualization and processing course, and an EMDR Advanced Training designed for clinicians working with Christian clients.

Our training programs come in various formats, from virtual to in-person, ranging from intensive 5-day sessions to more relaxed 2-part events. We also offer training in both English and our newly introduced Spanish curriculum. All our training programs are EMDRIA Approved and taught by our EMDRIA-recognized trainers and EMDR Approved Consultants. To make the most of our intensive material, participants are encouraged to do some preparation reading before attending.

I and our administrative and training staff are committed to excellent, relevant, and accessible training. We offer EMDR and other trainings at the guaranteed lowest price for the purpose of multiplying and equipping clinicians to be able to effectively treat clients with trauma, depression, and anxiety.