Re: Two reasons that these claims are spurious

I find the logic in this train difficult to follow.

In the posts above, it has been suggested that:

1. We shouldn't believe the people who find the EMDR research signficant, because after all they believe in EMDR and so their judgements can't be accepted.

2. We shouldn't believe EMDR practicioners, because after all they are just practicioners and their judgements can't be trusted to be free of bias.

3. We shouldn't trust the regular positive reports by patients, because after all they are just patients and their assessment of their outcomes can't be accepted at face value.

4. We shouldn't believe outside groups (in this case APA and ISTSS) because their procedures are all fatally flawed and politically biased.

The short version of all this I guess is that we are advised that we shouldn't believe what EMDR supporters say, OR what practicioners say, OR what patients say and certainly not what outside groups (APA or ISTSS)say.

Perhaps we all should read again the work of Mahoney on the mind of the scientist. His bottom line finding, when you already "know the truth" then only research that supports what you know is deemed competent and well done. For the rest, intellectual scientific arguements are made to justify why it should be dismissed.

Everyone is encouraged to make their own best judgement on the merits of EMDR. To do less would be irresponsible.

As for me, when there is a body of research that supports what I do (not perfectly, not without limitations, but in general), when I know literally hundreds of therapists who are using the method and report positive results, when I know of hundreds of patients who report the process to be worthwhile (and in most cases more effective then the therapy they had been in with other therapist) and when outside groups review the research and tell me that they agree that the methods have empirical validation, then I am pretty comforable with what I am doing.

Does this make it perect, no of course not. Will I keep checking to find even better ways to help people, of course. Will I keep up to date on the research and review it regularly, yes of course.

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