EMDR and AF-EMDR

Advanced Protocols for Trauma-Related Treatment and Healing

However, clinical work and research over the few decades has revealed that traumatic experiences have the potential to happen even when there the threat of death or great bodily harm is not so obvious, such as the following:

• exposure to controlling/manipulative environments

• long-term or intense family/social conflict

• bankruptcy

• poverty/lack of resources

• relational breakup or cutoff

• divorce

• bullying/intimidation

• high intensity/high stress situations

• exposure to environments affected by mental health and addiction problems

• unexpected medical diagnosis

• inpatient medical or psychiatric hospitalization 

• threatened or actual abandonment/relational loss

• job loss

• sudden change in family or living situation

• drug or addiction-related experiences

• interpersonal betrayal

• emotional abuse/neglect

• cultural/social/religious conflicts or threats

Therefore, it seems that trauma is related to a person’s perception of a situation as overwhelming, without a way to respond that will ensure their safety. If a person’s safety cannot be ensured, then that situation could lead to death or great bodily harm. From this standpoint, all people encounter traumatic experiences occasionally. Thankfully, our brains and the associated nervous system in our body are equipped to process these experiences appropriately, such that we often overcome the effects of these experiences in a relatively short time.

Unfortunately, some experiences are not processed in the way we would hope. This can be due to the severe distress of the experience, the particular vulnerability of the individual at the time of the experience, or both. When traumatic experiences are not processed appropriately, it can leave a person unable to function at their potential, often with painful results. This type of distress and dysfunctional behavior is known as a trauma-disorder or a trauma-related disorder.

How do you know if you are experiencing symptoms related to unresolved trauma?

These are some of the common symptoms and collateral indicators of unresolved trauma:

• recurrent distressing memories or dreams

• flashbacks/dissociative experiences

• phobias/excessive fears

• unreasonable/abnormal avoidance of certain thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or situations

• memory problems

• persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs about self, others, or the world

• persistent emotional discomfort

• persistent inability to feel emotional comfort

• diminished interest or participation in significant events

• self-limiting, reckless, or self-destructive behavior

• obsessive thinking/compulsive behavior

• feelings of detachment or estrangement from others

• excessive irritability/angry outbursts

• hypervigilance

• exaggerated startle response

• concentration problems

• persistent sleep disturbance

• addictions

• recurring pattern of interpersonal problems at home, school, work, or in public

• persistent inability to choose, make progress toward, or accomplish reasonable goals

• unhealthy/inappropriate dependence on others

What is EMDR?

“EMDR” is an acronym for “Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing.” It is a psychotherapeutic intervention that began to be researched in the 1980’s and since that time has undergone refinement by various clinicians and institutes.

There is a significant amount of research providing evidence that EMDR is effective in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and traits of posttraumatic stress, although clinical experience and professional literature suggest its usefulness in treating additional trauma-related and other disorders, including psychological distress in combat veterans, phobias and panic disorder, crime victims and police officers, phantom limb pain, excessive grief, children traumatized by assault or natural disaster, sexual assault victims, addiction, and performance anxiety (see Laurel Parnell’s A Therapist’s Guide to EMDR: Tools and Techniques for Successful Treatment, 2007, pages 19-21). Shapiro reports significant efficacy of EMDR for many distressing life experiences, including the following: relationship issues, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, phobias, social anxiety, performance anxiety, depression, grief and loss, medical issues, pain, sleep issues, addictions and compulsions, military veteran experiences, and first responders experiences (Francine Shapiro, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, 2018) .

It is considered an efficacious treatment intervention by many prominent mental health organizations world wide, including the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and others in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, Israel, and elsewhere (lecture by Constance Kaplan, the Parnell Institute, Transforming Trauma with EMDR, April 9, 2021). Additional reliable information can be found online at the EMDRIA Francine Shapiro Library (EMDRIA.org), the EMDR Institute (EMDR.com), and the EMDR Research Foundation (EMDRfoundation.org).

What is AF-EMDR?

There are a number of mental health organizations that conduct research, develop best practices, and provide training to clinicians who use EMDR in their therapy practices. Steven R. Hobbs, has received training in Attachment-Focused EMDR through the Parnell Institute, founded by Laurel Parnell. Parnell has built on the brilliant pioneering work of EMDR founder Francine Shapiro to couple EMDR with an attachment approach that allows for an enhanced client-centered experience, advanced strategies for a variety of presenting problems and difficult situations, and more desirable overall outcomes. This training includes extensive education, practicum, and consultation in standard and modified EMDR protocols. Visit ParnellEMDR.com for more information on the Parnell Institute.