ABOUT IRIS
We’re not just trainers. We are three practicing clinicians who balance therapy, teaching, continued learning, and the complexities of our own lives— just like you. IRIS is where real-world therapy meets compassionate teaching.
Jessica Downs
CO-FOUNDER
Jessica is a psychotherapist specializing in complex trauma and dissociation, known for her warm and grounded presence. A certified EMDR clinician and trainer, she has taught hundreds of therapists while co-leading a counseling center in Colorado. As co-founder of IRIS Training Collective, Jessica blends clinical expertise with a touch of playfulness, helping clinicians deepen their skills. Outside of work, she finds inspiration and balance on her mountain bike.
Cassie Krajewski
CO-FOUNDER
Cassie is a therapist, educator, and speaker specializing in trauma, eating disorders, body image, and relationships. Founder of Inner Atlas Therapy and co-founder of IRIS Training Collective, she integrates EMDR, IFS, and body-liberation frameworks into her work. Cassie is a passionate educator who trains and consults EMDR clinicians and hosts the Taking Up Space podcast, amplifying conversations on embodiment, healing, and reclaiming one’s body, voice, and values.
Laurel Thornton
CO-FOUNDER
Laurel is a licensed counselor, clinical supervisor, and EMDRIA-approved consultant known for making complex ideas clear and actionable. Founder of Whole Brain Solutions and co-founder of IRIS Training Collective, she specializes in brain-based healing for trauma, neurodivergence, and stress disorders. As an educator, Laurel blends clarity, humor, and compassion to empower clinicians with confidence, nuance, and purpose, creating training spaces that are both rigorous and deeply human.
WHY TRAIN
WITH IRIS
We’re not here to sell you a product but to invite you into a process. We’re building something different: a space where you don’t have to shrink to fit in. Where your intuition, intellect, and embodiment matter just as much as your clinical skills. And where training isn’t just about CE credits, it’s about becoming the therapist you actually want to be.
At IRIS, we’ve built the kind of training we wish we had. Grounded in real clinical work, rich with wrap-around support, and rooted in the belief that growth does not come from perfection but from practice. We are three practicing clinicians who balance therapy, teaching, continued learning, and the complexities of our own lives, just like you. We know the nuances of EMDR because we live them every day. We have spent years deepening our technical skills, navigating complex trauma, and learning how to stretch and adapt the model while honoring its core foundations.
Our teaching is not about telling you what to do. It is about helping you trust your own clinical judgment and intuition, while holding empathy, courage, and precision. If you are called to this work, we would be honored to support your growth and your journey.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
We don’t reserve our most experienced trainers for advanced learners. We bring them into the room with beginners because teaching the foundations is where the deepest skill, nuance, and clarity are needed. We believe mastery doesn’t come from memorizing protocols; it starts with thoughtfully nurturing the basics, with care and depth.
Our trainings are technically rigorous, but they’re also spacious, supportive, and deeply human. We make room for uncertainty, for questions, and for not knowing yet. Here, curiosity is welcomed. Mistakes aren’t failures; they are part of how learning takes root. We believe clinical intuition is something you grow into, and we’re here to hold the kind of space where that growth feels possible, supported, and truly yours.
We teach with both empathy and clinical sharpness because we remember exactly what it feels like to be at the beginning—hopeful, overwhelmed, and eager to get it right. For years, we’ve trained clinicians across diverse settings and specialties, but our deepest commitment is to those working with complex trauma. If you’re someone who wants to take EMDR deeper, to flex with it, stretch within it, and bring it alive in your practice, this is the space for you.
We do this work because we love it. Because it’s changed how we practice, how we connect, and how we help people heal. And we want to share that, not from a stage, but alongside you, in real time, as fellow clinicians, collaborators, and co-learners.
Join us. We’ll meet you where you are and grow from there, together.
THE STORY OF IRIS
The iris holds deep significance for us at Iris Training Collective. The Greek goddess Iris holds a unique place in mythology as a messenger who bridges the gap between the gods and humanity. Iris, which means "rainbow" in Greek, was said to travel between the heavens and earth on the arc of a rainbow, a companion to souls, reflecting her role as a symbol of connection, transition, and transformation.
In her essence, Iris embodies an ethereal phenomenon that appears after storms, offering hope and a reminder of the light that follows darkness. The rainbow, in all its colors, represents the spectrum of human experience, from joy to sorrow, light to shadow. Iris, as a messenger, carries the energy of transformation, guiding souls through times of change and showing us that even in the most challenging of moments, there is beauty and connection to be found.
Iris also represents divine feminine energy, often associated with creativity, intuition, and emotional depth. Iris represents the power of communication, not just through words, but through the language of the heart—encouraging openness, clarity, and understanding. As a guide between worlds, Iris reminds us of our ability to bridge the sacred and the everyday, the seen and the unseen, creating spaces for healing and connection.
In EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), the eye plays a central role because the treatment relies on bilateral stimulation (BLS)—often through guided eye movements—to help process and integrate traumatic memories. The iris, as part of the eye, plays a role in perception, insight, and transformation—which mirrors the work of EMDR.
THE IRIS PHILOSOPHY
At IRIS, we believe this work is best done together—in true collaboration, without hierarchy or one-size-fits-all answers. Wisdom is nurtured through trial and error, supported by the safety of collective conversation. Throughout human history, the deepest impact has come from the strength of the collective—and that’s the spirit we bring to every training.
Our programs are authored by multiple voices and perspectives, reflecting the complexity and richness of the work. When you train with us, you’re invited into this collective—you, as the expert on yourself and your community, alongside other clinicians who bring diverse experiences and backgrounds. We honor neurodiversity, collective and historical trauma, and the evolving landscape of neuroscience, diving into and embracing complexity rather than simplifying it for a quick fix.
In a culture that often chases fast answers, we’re here to go deep. Too many trainings focus on procedural steps without developing the deeper clinical understanding and integration that trauma work demands. We saw this gap—and we’re committed to filling it. Our trainings go beyond checking boxes. They expand your clinical confidence, deepen your intuition, and spark lasting learning that stays with you well beyond the classroom.
Deep Clinical Understanding
We focus on why interventions work, not just how to do them. Our approach is rooted in curiosity about complexity, the messy, nonlinear, intersectional human layers of healing. We hold space for contradictions, ambivalence, and nuance without rushing to simplify or bypass. Our teaching intentionally honors lived experience, embodied process, and the emotional realities of both clients and clinicians.
Relational and Collaborative
We understand that relational safety is foundational to transformative learning. Our learning spaces are built on connection, mutual respect, and shared participation (not hierarchy, perfectionism, or rigid expertise). We honor that everyone in the room, facilitator and participant alike, brings wisdom, experience, and insight. Learning is a co-created process where curiosity, reflection, and conversation shape the experience.
Expanding Impact
Our work doesn’t stop at individual healing — it extends into collective liberation. Our trainings center frameworks that reject pathologizing people and instead address how systems of oppression shape trauma, suffering, and mental health. We empower participants to become agents of change, dismantling harm within their practices, communities, and the broader mental health field. Healing is personal and political — and the impact ripples outward.
Integrity First
We practice what we teach. Integrity means living in alignment with our values, even when it’s hard, even when no one’s watching. We own our mistakes, prioritize repair, and reject performative professionalism. Our commitment is to show up with honesty, accountability, and congruence in every space we hold.
Creativity-Driven
Innovation fuels everything we do, from dynamic, engaging teaching methods to practical, real-world application. We believe creativity thrives when there’s permission to experiment, pivot, mess up, repair, and discover. Learning comes alive when it’s flexible, emergent, and infused with curiosity and play.
