Customer Reviews

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures

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This very readable book was written by EMDR originator Francine Shapiro to provide detailed directions for therapists using this approach. Beginning with descriptions of the historical development and theoretical model, the book provides a thorough overview of the treatment process. Several chapters describe each of the eight phases of treatment; information is also provided about working with special populations and with difficult treatment issues. EMDR was first developed as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the book summarizes the research investigating EMDR treatment of PTSD, most of which supports its effectiveness with this disorder. Research has shown preliminary support for EMDR's use with other disorders (e.g., phobias), and the treatment protocols for these approaches are described in detail. Recommendations are made for future research to further evaluate EMDR's effectiveness and to investigate what eye movements, and other treatment components, contribute to treatment effects. This book is an indispensable resource for the therapist who uses EMDR as part of an integrative treatment plan.

this was an excellent book for learning more about EMDR....it is written more with the therapist in mind than the client...but for a client who wishes to read on the subject before submitting to the process of EMDR...it will help to explain it very well.....

This restatement of Francine Shapiro's standard overview of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)outlines the standard protocols for this proven treatment method. The methods, theory, and failsafe procedures are carefully explained for clinician practitioners. Careful liability reduction checks are examined and encouraged throughout the manual. This book alone is not a substitute for training in EMDR, yet will assist the new and veteran EMDR practitioner in remaining competernt in the skills and therory. I keep it handy for frequent review.

EMDR may be an excellent form of overcoming trauma, and the research tends to suggest it does, although if you read the literature in a disinterested way, you will find there are many mixed reports on study results. Some find EMDR equal to or better than Cog/Beh Therapy intervention; some find it better; some find it not as effective. As someone who has conducted experimental research, I wish to point out several issues that should be addressed, even for true believers. First, EMDR is a perfect intervention for a technological age: after all, don't all our life's problems supposedly have a technological solution. Our culture says so, but of course, history tells us otherwise. Spiritual meaning, social integration, a personal credo, culture and religion still appear to be the ingredients that hold us together..or as Paul Tillich says, "Our ground of being." Technology may be helpful but it is ultimately ancillary. Of course, those who suffer from trauma may require immediate relief, and if EMDR can reduce suffering efficiently and quickly, that's fine. HOWEVER, that being said, one must look a bit further. First, one must consider the individual client him/herself. EMDR helps us return to a traumatic event, see it more objectively, and hopefully allows us to use our reasoning faculties which may not have been in play during such events owing to stress, shock, immaturity, ignorance, and so forth. However, we all have varied levels of experiencing or "reliving" memory. Some can visualize quite easily and can "see" the experience as vividly, even more vividly than the true life one. In keeping with Gardner's idea of "multiple intelligences," we should consider that different individuals have different "intelligences" in reconstructing or reliving events. Furthermore, we should consider that individuals have varying degrees in their ability to make associations. While a trauma may be a single event or several similar events, in all likelihood they have developed as narrative themes that compose the self-concept the client has. The better a client can connect the trauma to such themes, the more holistic the effect. A good EMDR clinician can encourage this reconstruction, but one should be aware that we have different cognitive styles.

Second, some of us have more entry into traumatic events than others. This may be attributable to personality traits such as openness to self-disclosure, and environmental influences of trust, and/or varying levels of general repression of uncomfortable (let alone traumatic) thoughts and events. So, one size may not fit all.

Another important variable that should be examined by practitioners/researchers is the background of the therapist. For example, since much of EMDR is used to uncover traumatic childhood events, I believe it is important that the therapist have a background in treating children--at least to some minimal level. For, as the client recalls events from childhood, he/she is recalling them as a child and may be in a child-like state during the process. Therefore, the therapist must be able to talk to the client as a child (not the inner child because EMDR, if it works for childood trauma, brings the inner child "outward." Finally, the therapist must sense when the client is "ready" for the treatment. The trauma may be known, but the ability for the client to address the trauma in a safe and secure environment may take time to establish and nurture. I do not see the metaphor of the mind as a computer. If we begin to think that way, our society is in very big trouble. Much of our culture already does. In conclusion, this method should not be viewed as a mere technique, but like any intervention for change, as a technique largely dependent on the individual therapist/client. It helps to have a rich sensory life and a good sense-memory. A therapist might be able to jog some of it, but it still is a trait. And finally, about the eye movement part, there have been few studies comparing EMDR with and without the eye movements. Studies regarding whether they are necessary to the process have not been highly encouraging.

This is a very information book. I am in the process of becoming certified in EMDR therapy, and this book has really helped me to understand the origins of EMDR, the reasons why it works, and how to use it in my practice. This book is a very useful tool in addition to an EMDR training program.

This book is too comprehensive. It offers a complete understanding of an exciting new psychological discovery. However if the process explained is used by inexperienced or untrained people or therapist, it could easily be misused. A very complicated proceedure, not for the inexperienced and not a Cocktail party trick. Excellent

This book is a companion to the live course, the foundation for EMDR. A must have text if you are a therapist using this modality.

Very informative and helpful book. While written for professionals in the fields of psychiatry, psychology and mental therapy, it can also be educational for lay people with better-than-average vocabulary who want to know more about this important technique for treatment of people with PTSD, victims of rape and other traumas or long-standing and repetitive memories stemming from negative childhood experiences.

I found the first 8 chapters to be well organized. The author does an excellent job of giving a description of what she will teach and then more thoroughly teaches the information in the following chapters. It re-enforced what I learned reading the first 2 chapters.
I look forward to reading the rest of the text.

Easy to read and helpful for understanding the process of EMDR. I would have to agree with the previous reviewer Laura M that PEACEFUL HEART : A Woman's Journey to Healing is a must-read. Aimee Jo Martin's story clearly illustrates and details her journey with successful EMDR treatments. Quite powerful if you want to really see how effective EMDR can be.