EMDR with young children

I'd like some general information about this subject as I know that particular consultations are inappropriate, but I'll mention our concerns before asking questions in general terms. Our daughter was adopted internationally at age 9 months. We don't have attachment issues with her but she does have a localized reaction to any other adult taking care of her when it's not part of her routine, either baby-sitting or even playing with her while we work at home upstairs. She goes to nursery school & has no problem there, we think because the routine and ritual of saying good-bye circumvents the triggering that occurs when baby-sitting is not part of a set routine. She's going to be turning 4 soon & having observed this with her and thought about it for several years, my husband and I have come to the conclusion that it is a limbic reaction, triggering either the experience of being given to us from the orphanage (a rough & rapid transition) or the experience of multiple caregivers there or both. We have observed that our daughter's anxiety is not triggered when, for example, we work upstairs and she plays on her own or has a nap, only when there is another designated caregiver involved. We tried again this morning with a family friend invited to play with our daughter and she was looking forward to it right up till the minute our friend walked in and she began to cry hysterically in terror.

Now (as promised) I'll ask my general questions. Can a child as young as four undergo EMDR? I do remember reading cases about children in Dr. Shapiro's book but can't remember how young the children were. Can EMDR be done when the trauma has occurred at under 12 months of age? How does the therapist describe the trauma for the child? Is the child asked to visualize it? Does the therapist draw a picture? Does the therapist try to refer back to the original trauma or to what at present is triggering it? What if the child is not upset in thinking about the issue but only reacts when it actually occurs?

Any information would be very much appreciated!

Replies:

Re:EMDR with young children, by another client, 07/16/02 Re:EMDR with young children, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe, PhD, 07/16/02

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