Twenty Years of EMDR

Abstract

The year 2009 is the 20th anniversary of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). This is a time for celebration and fireworks, for congratulatory comments and accolades, for satisfaction and gratification. And there is lots of that to go around EMDR has come a long way in 20 years. Originally dismissed and derided, EMDR has now established itself as an efficacious treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition to resolving distress related to traumatic memories, EMDR appears to produce global changes. Research is needed that can quantify and measure these types of outcomes and compare them to those produced by other PTSD therapies. In the current issue, authors discuss the development of EMDR over the past 20 years in the treatment of adult PTSD, anxiety disorders, and acute stress syndromes. It is hoped that the articles in the special section will serve as a useful resource to clinicians and researchers, providing summaries of EMDR's development and effectiveness in each of these domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)