Connection and Belonging: A Core Human Need and Distinct Category of NC/PCs

The core human need for interpersonal connection and belonging is cited by Maslow, social psychologists, and many other respected theorists and researchers. Trauma and adversity, in this realm, includes interpersonal rejection, attachment failures, social exclusion, and discrimination which can result in isolation, loneliness, disempowerment, alienation and compromised physical health. Extensive cross-cultural research documents the debilitating effect of isolation and social exclusion from children to the elderly and across many other social identities. EMDR training has tended to identify core negative and positive cognitions as typically falling into three categories: responsibility/self-worth; safety; and power/control. This presentation describes and advocates for the recognition of a fourth primary category of beliefs, which are consistent with Dr. Francine Shapiro’s conceptualization of core beliefs and yet distinct from the currently emphasized three categories. Awareness of the resonance of these core beliefs related to connection and belonging affirms the lived experience of many EMDR therapy clients.