Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart [Paperback]

Laurel Parnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1998

The revolutionary new therapy for freeing the mind, clearing the body, and opening the heart.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR®) has helped thousands of clients haunted by abuse histories or recent traumatic events. It also benefits patients who have not found relief with other therapies and those with chronic conditions or blocked personal and professional performance.

EMDR® therapy incorporates eye movements into a comprehensive approach that processes and releases information trapped in the body-mind, freeing people from disturbing images and body sensations, debilitating emotions, and restrictive beliefs. Not only does healing occur much more rapidly than in traditional therapy, but clients also experience a sense of joy, openness, and deep connection with others. EMDR® seems to be a quantum leap in the human ability to heal trauma and maladaptive beliefs.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a controversial method of psychotherapy used for treating posttraumatic stress syndrome and anxiety disorders. These two books provide an overview of EMDR for the general reader. Supporters claim that EMDR releases traumatic memories locked in the brain, accelerates recovery, and reduces stress; opponents point out that a neurological basis for this theory has yet to be established. These two new books on EMRR chiefly contain case histories and descriptions of the therapy; both warn against unauthorized use by therapists not trained by the EMDR Institute. Parnell, a clinical psychologist and senior EMDR Institute facilitator, claims a transcendent focus for EMDR, leading to "objective forgiveness" of oneself and the perpetrator of the trauma. Shapiro, who developed EMDR in 1989, documents research supporting EMDR, citing both controlled and uncontrolled studies and listing 12 populations where EMDR has been effectively used as a form of treatment. Both books are recommended for popular psychology collections, though Shapiro's book is the preferred choice for readers who may wish to follow up on EMDR research.?Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L. Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“EMDR® . . . is one of the most helpful innovations in psychotherapy. . . . Parnell has done an outstanding job of describing the method and its possible benefits. . . . [T]his book will encourage and inform the recovery of many people who have experienced trauma.” (Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D., author of The Courage to Change )

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (April 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393317579
• ISBN-13: 978-0393317572
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book to clients all the time:, July 30, 1999

By 

Carol Ummel Lindquist,Ph.D. "Carol" (Laguna Beach, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transforming Trauma: EMDR (Hardcover)

I frequently recommend this book to clients who are interested in EMDR. It is very readable and conveys some of the power of EMDR. I find it more client friendly than the Shapiro books which are also good.

32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not too clear, August 19, 2001

By 

"dscat" (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Transforming Trauma: EMDR (Hardcover)

This book provides a wealth of clinical examples of EMDR, but doesn't provide any information about what EMDR is or any understanding about how it works. The author admits that she is "not trained as a cognitive-behaviorist" and thus rationalizes her lack of explanation of the theory of EMDR. The author is also an EMDR trainer, which calls into question her choice of case studies. EMDR is a patented method (as the little "r's in a circle" keep reminding us) and it would seem that the author thus has a conflict of interest in selecting which case histories are described. The cases are presented in a gee whiz style that undercuts any sense of objectivity, and as a consequence, the books ends up sounding like a long info-mercial. Too bad, because EMDR is an interesting therapy, but may benefit from a more objective approach than what is given here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than Others, April 22, 2008

By 

JCB (SD CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Transforming Trauma: EMDR: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Freeing the Mind, Clearing the Body, and Opening the Heart (Paperback)

I read several books on this topic and found this to be the most scientific and includes a lot more references. Other books tended to have more personal, anecdotal stories.