OCP

There are three angles on this treatment that might involve EMDR. First, I know of no controlled studies on obsessive compulsive personality disorder using any treatment (someone else may), though there are some on obsessive compulsive disorder.

I know of three approaches using EMDR, all rely on anecdotal reports rather than research:

1) Combining EMDR with cognitive behavior therapy, in which cognitive distortions are identified (example: I must be completely perfect in everything that I do or I am a bad person) and targeted directly, especially if there are early memories in which that belief was acquired as a maladaptive learning outcome.

2) the strategic developmental approach, in which early relationships and early formative events are systematically targeted by developmental stage (middle childhood, later, and early childhood), whether or not there is a direct apparent link to the presenting symptom. The presenting symptom is put on a reassessment list to be reevaluated later. Often, the items on the list have resolved as a result of the EMDR on the early experiences. The approach requires the therapist to have learned the SDM which is an advanced application of EMDR, not taught in Levels I and II.

3) an ego state therapy approach, in which the child parts of self that are stuck in an early developmental periods are identified and their unmet needs addressed through installation of positive and healing developmental imagery and through mediation with other parts of the self. Example: in ocp, a critical internal introject of a parent (that is, a part of the self that is closely patterned after a parent) may be picking on a young child part of the self for being ugly or making too many mistakes etc. A detente can be negotiated and compassion invited during EMDR by dialogue with and between these ego states.

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