EMDR Forum Archive, 1999
Re: an article that may be of interest
Sandra Paulsen, Ph.D. · 4/27/00 at 1:41 pm ET
Brian, I agree with you as far as you have gone, but the important other side should be mentioned too. Indeed, most of the publications on this subject caution that traumatization is wide spread and that distortion of memories is possible, so that a neutral therapeutic stance is most appropriate. It is important to say, "I don't know what really happened, as I wasn't there", rather than advocate one way or another regarding the veracity of apparent memories of trauma. One of the things I like BEST about using EMDR to work through traumatic material, is that as an EMDR practitioner I can maintain my neutral therapeutic stance throughout the procedure. Because once targeted and started, EMDR processes on its own, pushed by the bilateral stimulation itself and the force of the unprocessed material, I don't have to push it myself. When practitioners conduct trauma work, including abreactions, using a hypnotherapeutic procedure (a la Watkins and Watkins, as one example), the procedure requires therapeutic jumpstarting and it is, in my opinion, harder to remain neutral. In EMDR, our task is to get the logs off the track so the train can proceed. In sum, EMDR can assist those responsible practitioners who are committed to conducting the highest standard in trauma/memory work by carefully maintaining a stance of therapeutic neutrality.
Replies:
|
| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |
Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.
