Cognitive-BehavioralTherapy to EMDR-An Easy Transition

    EMDR (Shapiro)
    • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and EMDR Research by Francine Shapiro, 8/4/97

    Cognitive-BehavioralTherapy to EMDR-An Easy Transition
    by Laura A. Campbell, BCSW, 8/4/97

    Hello Francine,

    This is to reinforce the idea that EMDR embodies the "truth" of other approaches. I have utilized an eclectic approach in my private practice including gestalt, inner child imagery, and more recently C-B techniques. EMDR "fits" very easily into what I have learned through trail and error in my own work. The accelerated thought processing explains why some clients seemed to get better and others stay stuck. I do believe there are many ways to "process" the emotional/physical aspects of memory and in fact that is what does create change in therapy. However, in all my experimentation with various therapies, nothing has ever created change as consistently and permenantly as EMDR. With my cognitive orientation, it has been very easy for me to identify negative cognitions to target. I still think that these early developed self-beliefs are shaping in one's perception of the world. When this is negative, then one's perception is always tainted. Of course, with EMDR, I recognize that the emotion gives energy to the belief. That is why I greatly appreciate that EMDR takes all aspects into consideration.

    A metaphor that I use to help clients understand how trauma impacts the present is my caveman analogy. As the caveman was walking through the jungle, he passed a large rock. As he did so, a tiger jumped out at him-he had two choices to survive, fight or run. His body gave him the extra energy he needed for this emergency and stored the memory of the event in his mind to help him survive in the jungle. So the next time he passed a big rock(the same or another), his brain reminded him of the event with all the feelings, physical reaction, thoughts, and images so that he would be prepared to fight the tiger, just in case. In 1997, anything that reminds one of the original event is a "big rock". It helps clients to recognize their triggers and why they react with such intensity. I'm open to see any flaws in this metaphor.

    I sincerely encourage all therapists to consider EMDR as a viable addition to their conceptual framework and direct clinical practice.

    Other areas for discussion that interest me are the differences in protocol/approach to clients with very recent trauma (I have a client who survived a plane crash last month) and single subject research design.

    Thank you for your contribution to this field.

        • Using Beliefs to Identify Targets by Francine Shapiro, 8/4/97
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