EMDR therapy for trauma-related disorders

This chapter by Deany Laliotis, LCSW-C, LICSW and Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. discusses research on how adverse life experiences contribute to a range trauma0related disorders, including psychological and somatic symptomatology.

About the Chapter

“Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a comprehensive and integrative approach to psychotherapy that works with the neurophysiology of memory to reprocess disturbing life experiences that continue to have a negative impact on self and psyche. Using standardized procedures, memories can be reprocessed, allowing clients to relate to what actually happened in the past with a present-day perspective and without distress.

This approach is guided by the Adaptive Information Processing Model that posits that current life difficulties are informed by past experiences that are inadequately processed and maladaptively encoded, generating symptoms in the client’s life. This associative process, i.e., all memories are connected by one or more similar components such as images, thoughts, emotions, and sensations, informs our perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.

The three-pronged approach of considering the past, present, and future systematically addresses the client’s present-day life difficulties by targeting similar experiences in the past, addressing present triggers that may remain, and generate alternative, adaptive responses to similar situations in the future. Research confirms the primacy of adverse life experiences that contribute to a range of presenting problems to include psychological and somatic symptomatology.”

—Description from publisher

Chapter Access

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Laliotis, D., & Shapiro, F. (2022). EMDR therapy for trauma-related disorders. In U. Schnyder & M. Cloitre (Eds.), Evidence based treatments for trauma-related psychological disorders: A practical guide for clinicians, second edition. Cham, Switzerland, Springer Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97802-0_11

About the Book

“The second, completely updated edition of this book offers an evidence based guide for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other clinicians working with trauma survivors in various settings. It provides easily digestible, up-to-date information on the basic principles of traumatic stress research and practice, including psychological and sociological theories as well as epidemiological, psychopathological, and neurobiological findings.

However, as therapists are primarily interested in how to best treat their traumatized patients, the core focus of the book is on evidence based psychological treatments for trauma-related mental disorders. The full range of trauma and stress related disorders is covered, including Acute Stress Reaction, Complex PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder, reflecting important anticipated developments in diagnostic classification.

Each of the treatment chapters begins with a short summary of the theoretical underpinnings of the approach, presents a case illustrating the treatment protocol, addresses special challenges typically encountered in implementing this treatment, and ends with an overview of related outcomes and other research findings. Additional chapters are devoted to the treatment of comorbidities, special populations and special treatment modalities and to pharmacological treatments for trauma-related disorders. A novel addition is the chapter on Innovative interventions to increase global mental health. The book concludes by addressing the fundamental question of how to treat whom, and when.”

—Description from publisher