EMDR Forum Archive, 1999
Re: EMDR therapy in companion animals
Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D. · 3/23/00 at 12:55 pm ET
Here's a little single subject study I did on my Golden Retriever, Tabasco, in 1994. I moved from Hawaii to St. Paul, Minnesota, and the poor dog came a few months later, after I was settled. I'm sure the few months without me was traumatizing, and so was the 15 hour flight from Hawaii, and the loss of my ex, her other friend for life (we broke up at this time). Tabasco had been on a bit of tranquilizer for the flight but when I picked her up at the cargo terminal in St. Paul I hardly recognized her. Haggard and scared, she stood up for another 5 hour drive, never laying down, and I could see she was very very scared and upset. Tabasco slept poorly after this, with what looks like little dog nightmares every night, 1-3 times a night (kicking, whimpering, while sleeping on her side). I decided to try EMDR on her as best I could. To make her eyes track properly I held a dog biscuit in one hand and held her muzzle in my other hand. To focus her attention on the loss/trauma I reviewed her entire approx 30 word comprehension vocabulary, and chose the negative cognition "Chuck", my ex's name, which she full well knows. (To this day if I say Chuck she looks at the door or runs to the window). So we did a dozen or so sets of 10-15 eye movements while I'm saying "Chuck" continuuously (sorry, Francine, I had to modify the protocol). At the end, the Positive Cognition was a soothing sweet voice (mine) saying "its okay, its okay." After that experience, she had no more doggy nightmares, I swear it. Coincidence? Maybe. Possibly an animal application of EMDR? I think so and await further reports.
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