Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is evidence-based and valid psychotherapy for PTSD, that was first published in 1989 by Shapiro and is recommended in the guideline of WHO guidelines (2013). It has been getting a lot of attention in Europe and America, and recently in Japan. RCT studies of EMDR application for children, depression, and panic disorder have been performed, and the effectiveness of eye movement was confirmed in a meta-analysis. An adaptive information processing model was described, which is useful when we explain and predict patient responses to the procedure. It is hypothesized that the human brain has self-healing power, but trauma may block this process and such blockage may be removed by bilateral stimulation. Dual attention to two things, one is past traumatic memory and another is present simple repetition of stimulation, is considered as a key element of EMDR. Excluding eye movement, the other procedural elements are therapeutic. There are several hypotheses regarding the mechanisms, including the functional role of eye movement, from different perspectives such as cognitive psychology, learning theory, and brain-physiology, which are being actively discussed. During therapy, the oldest memory is treated first. We use eight phases and a three-prong protocol, comprising past, present, and future. The case of forty-year-old female is illustrated. She had a history of abuse by her father and was successfully treated by EMDR. Lastly, some limitations of EMDR are discussed.
Author's abstract
Psychotherapy Processing Traumatic Memories: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Hyogo University of Teacher Education
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
123: 11-19, 2021
<Keywords:EMDR, PTSD, adaptive information processing, dual attention, meta-analysis>