Re:Question for Practitioners: EMDR/DBT?

Ricky,

Your post brought up a question in my mind. If EMDR is done with a client over a period of many months, yet they continue to have intense problems with emotion regulation and distress tolerance, could it be that they need to quit EMDR and develop those skills through DBT first?

The client I have in mind has been taught some emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in psychotherapy, but has not had DBT. The client is concientious and works hard, but EMDR does not appear to be that effective. The client gets emotionally overstimulated easily, and negative cognitions reduce but never fully abate.

Even with encouragement to use coping skills, the client continues to experience intense distress and emotion regulation in daily life and in between sessions. The client often does not notice her anxiety is building until she hits the "overwhelm" stage, at which time she is so distressed she is not in a place to recall and use her distress tolerance skills.

The client is extremely conscientious and extremely sensitive. And the EMDR issues are around loss, abandonment, and sexual abuse in childhood.

Replies:

Re:Question for Practitioners: EMDR/DBT?, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe, PhD, 08/16/02 Re:Question for Practitioners: EMDR/DBT?, by CA, Nurse/therapist, 08/16/02 Re:Question for Practitioners: EMDR/DBT?, by Celso Lugão da Veiga, 09/10/02

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