EMDR FORUM ARCHIVE, 2000
Re:Dangers of EMDR
Sandra Paulsen Inobe,PhD · 02/04/03 at 12:05 ET
Your questions are repeated below, with answers. Question 1. Can EMDR cause neurological damage? I've read cases of people developing tics and stuttering after EMDR treatments. One person developed Dyslexia. Many have experienced disruptions in their menstrual cycles. A. I have heard, in 12 years of active EMDR clinical practice and communication with Dr Shapiro and the extended EMDR international community, no cases of EMDR associated with neurological damage, or anything remotely resembling that. Question 2. Memories have probably been repressed for a reason. Is it wise to unleash them so powerfully and painfully? A. It is unwise for anyone to receive EMDR unless they have been screen for red flags and the presence of a dissociative disorder (not to suggest you have one; I'm saying this in general). This is because EMDR can apparently rupture dissociative barriers and cause flooding of dissociated/represed memories. If a client is highly dissociative, appropriate preparatory steps are needed, as described in my article, or others. That preparation is consistent with the recommendations of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation. If people are not very dissociative, and are able to recompensate as measured by the ability to readily go to a "safe place" in the mind's eye, then the risks are reduced. Every EMDR therapist should be screening for a dissociative disorder prior to doing EMDR on any client for the first time. Usually things will go well, but sometimes they don't. 3. Where are the studies proving EMDR's effectiveness? All I have been able to find are critics. The people who support it do it for a living. Are there independent studies? Oh yes. The studies are available at www.emdr.com. A more recent version may be available by request of the EMDR International Association in Austin Texas, through emdria.org. Also, recent studies are discussed in this forum. The APA and ISTSS have found EMDR to be effective in a juried review of all the methods and studies for treatment of PTSD. Dr. Shapiro's books also review the literature. The critics are noisy, I'll agree. To any client considering EMDR I'd say, if it feels scary, go slow. If your therapist has not screened for a dissociative disorder, be concerned, especially if you think you may have a complex trauma history or have amnesia for periods of time in your life. See, I love this aspect of moderating this forum. On the one hand, I'm arguing with someone who thinks placebo may be as good as EMDR. On the other hand, I'm cautioning someone about the necessarily prep steps for EMDR, because its so far from a placebo that it can be disruptive if people aren't ready for it. You may wish to read Shapiro and Forrest's book about EMDR , written for the lay public, and available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local independent bookstore.
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