Re:EMDR Treatment for PTSD

Since the earliest days of EMDR it has become abundantly evident that profound and deep results can and do occur with EMDR. Usually they are positive.

Dr Shapiro has always insisted on the importance of training and supervised practiced for EMDR practitioners so that bad things don't happen. Since 1992, its been part of the training that all EMDR recipients be screened in several particular ways for red flags contraindicating the use of EMDR with a given client (for some people a fancier protocol is required for safe and effective use of EMDR).

Some EMDR practitioners disregard those cautionary statements and do EMDR on people they shouldn't. Some EMDR practitioners do EMDR in an inadquate way, basically opening people up without resolving the material, and without having a process to assist people to get to a good place. This can be counterproductive and even damaging to clients. There is no doubt about this.

There is a fully elaborated protocol to make sure that no matter what gets opened up in an EMDR process a well trained therapist should be able to get a satisfactory outcome for a client. That's why the EMDR training is in two parts with 2.5 days each. That's why there is a facilitator for every 9 trainees at an EMDR training offered by the Institute. Precisely because EMDR is a power tool and can be misused.

I hope that you heed the recommendation of the next poster and find a highly qualified person to assist you in accomplishing a safe landing from the disorganizing experience that EMDR was for you. It should not have been.

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