Brief Adjunctive EMDR

Abstract

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and its application to other psychological problems has been documented as well. Many EMDR-trained clinicians report that they have been asked to provide EMDR to their colleagues' clients. However, very little has been written on the implementation of adjunctive or consultative EMDR treatment. The proposed model of brief adjunctive EMDR is expressly collaborative, has clearly articulated boundaries, and includes guidelines to build and maintain active, reciprocal communication between the primary therapist and the EMDR therapist. The proposed model also offers criteria for identifying appropriate referrals, evaluating the target symptoms pre- and posttreatment, anticipating and avoiding potential pitfalls, and dealing with possible ethical issues. Brief adjunctive EMDR therapy is a focused application of standard EMDR treatment, provided by an EMDR-trained clinician to clients who are already engaged in some other form of individual psychotherapy with another therapist. This model of brief adjunctive EMDR is offered as one way to think through requests to provide EMDR to individuals who are already engaged in therapy with another clinician. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)