EMDR Essentials: A Guide for Clients and Therapists

Today,eyemovementdesensitizationandreprocessing(EMDR)therapyisawidelyusedintegrativeprotocoltohelpindividualsaccessandovercometheirtraumaticmemories.However,manybothclientsandpractitionersalikestillknowverylittleaboutit,orarebadlymisinformed.Tothosenotfamiliarwithit,EMDRcanseemoverlytheoreticalandabstract,andifitsnotpracticedcorrectly,canbeineffective,orworse,harmful.Butwithaskilledtherapisttocarefullyguideandfacilitatetheprocess,astheauthorwrites,reliefissogreatitoftenfeelslikemagic.Thepurposeofthisconcisehandbook,writtenbyaveteranEMDRpractitioner,istoexplainEMDRinasimple,straightforwardwaysothatthatreaderswillknowwhattoexpectandhowtopreparethemselvesfortreatment.ManybooksonthesubjectdelveintothetheoryortechnicalaspectsofEMDR.Thisbookdoesjusttheopposite.Maibergerfocusesonthebasicsinaneasy-to-readwaysoconsumersandtherapistsalikecanquicklyunderstandwhatitsallabout.Thefirstpartofthebooklaystheframework,describingthephasesofEMDRtreatment,thenatureoftraumaanditseffectonmemory,howtochooseanEMDRtherapist,safetyissues,andansweringwhyEMDRworksandhowitcanworkforchildren.Inthesecondpartofthebook,caseexamplesarepresentedfromtheauthorsclinicalexperiencethatputitallintopractice,demonstratingexactlyhowEMDRtherapycansuccessfullyresolvedeepemotionalproblemsandtraumas.