EMDRAA Conference 2016
EMDR DIVERSITY - EXPANDING THE HORIZONS
ABSTRACTS
1 D AY WORKSHOP
SUNDAY 20 NOVEMBER 9.00 - 4.30
Treatment of Fears and Other
Anxiety-Related Conditions with EMDR
Over the recent years we have learned a great deal about
how EMDR should be applied to get the best results in
resolving disturbing memories and other mental representations that are critical in the development and maintenance of
clients’ fears. This presentation focuses on EMDR as a
treatment of fears, specific phobias and other anxiety-related
conditions. Participants will learn to conceptualise cases in
terms of how EMDR should be applied to make the
treatments successful, and to use the ‘flashforward strategy’ a
relatively new treatment approach for anticipatory fears.This
will be illustrated by video segments of treatment sessions
using EMDR with a wide range of clients.
AD DE JONGH
KE YNOTE ADD RESS
EMDR: From Neurobiology to Clinical
Applications
MARCO PAGANI
Marco Pagani [Medical Doctor, 1985; PhD in Brain Neurophysiology and Nuclear Medicine Methodology, 2000, at
Karolinska Institute of Stockholm] is a Senior Researcher at
the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies of the
Italian National Research Council (ISTC-CNR) and is Chair of
the European Neuroimaging Committee of EANM. His work
focuses on the physiopathology of cerebral blood flow,
metabolism, electrical activity and brain anatomy, applied to
neurodegenerative, neurological and psychiatric disorders, as
investigated by SPECT, PET, EEG and MRI, respectively.
In the recent years he has been tutoring PhD students
investigating various forms of depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder and autism and has acquired deep knowledge
in neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric investigations. In
this vein he has published in Peer Reviewed Journals more
than 70 full papers (mean IF 4.0), 11 of which deal with EMDR
related investigations. He is reviewer for the most relevant
Journals in Neuroimaging, has presented more than 100
communications at international Conferences (20 about
EMDR related investigations) and has been awarded with two
Prizes (one National and one European) for studies on
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and EMDR.
EMDR and Neurobiology
JON LANGHORNE
This presentation will outline a recent study in which 20 adult
patients with PTSD (CAPS diagnosis) were randomly assigned 12
sessions of either EMDR or Prolonged Exposure (PE). Clinical
ratings (CAPS, PCL, Ham A, Ham D) were administered before
and after treatment and there was a six week wait list period for
each patient prior to therapy. MRI brain scans were administered
before and after treatment for both treatment groups. Initial
structural analysis has focussed on the amygdala and indicates a
significant increase in left amygdala (p<0.05) following EMDR but
not following PE. To our knowledge this is the first study to
compare structural brain changes following EMDR and PE and
initial analysis of the amygdala changes indicates a possible
difference in the biological effects of these two therapies.
PTSD and Co-Morbid Disorders
This presentation reports cases of posttraumatic stress disorder, drawn from a secondary level care
outpatient clinic, for which systematic clinical data was recorded using validated instruments, before
and after treatment with EMDR and at 12 month follow-up. All patients improved significantly in terms
of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. There were significant reductions in paranoid, depressive
and borderline traits post treatment and at follow-up. There was a reduction in co-morbid psychiatric
diagnoses and in personality disorder diagnoses post treatment and maintained at follow-up. These
results suggest that EMDR may be effective in treating co-morbid disorders as well as PTSD.
CLAIRE KULLACK
Treating Chronically Traumatised
Children. Don’t Let Sleeping Dogs Lie!
Some chronically traumatised children are resistant and not
motivated for trauma treatment. Within their families they
often have witnessed violence, have been abused and
neglected. Some haven been placed in foster families or
residential facilities by Child Protection. These children can be
avoidant or deny, forget or dissociate their traumatic
memories. Trauma treatment does not seem to have an effect
or trauma processing seems impossible. For these children
the temptation to let sleeping dogs lie and not focus on
processing the traumatic memories can be strong. But all
children deserve a chance to heal and recover. If practitioners
struggle how to, this workshop provides a method to analyse
these cases and develop a phased treatment plan to help
them process their traumatic memories.
In this workshop the Sleeping Dogs method will be explained.
The Sleeping Dogs model has been developed to motivate
these children and their families and to help them prepare
and process traumatic memories. Participants will learn to
analyse cases by considering six items (safety, daily life,
attachment, emotion regulation, cognitive shift and nutshell)
ARIANNE STRUIK
to discover why the child is resistant and which interventions
are needed. Then the trauma-processing phase with the use
of EMDR and the integration phase will be demonstrated.
Participants will get an understanding of how to set up
interventions to support the families of these children to
reconnect and heal from trauma. The presentation will be
illustrated with case examples to enable to apply this
method to their own practice.
Learning objectives
Participants will be able to: use the six tests of the Sleeping
Dogs method; recognise the items that need to be worked
on in stuck cases; and plan the outline of the stabilisation
phase for the target group
From Protocol To Process :
15 Ways To Be A More Flexible EMDR Therapist
EMDR is based on an information processing model. Being clear about what both
“information”and“processing” are enables the therapist to be more flexible in helping clients
process information more effectively and efficiently. This experiential mini-workshop gives you the
opportunity to practice 15 ways to be a more flexible EMDR therapist, whilst remaining true to the
Adaptive Information Processing model underlying EMDR
GRAHAM TAYLOR
•
Building a memory map. 10 questions you must know.
•
Assessmentissues:Imagery, schemas, questionnaires.
•
Case Conceptualisation: Shall I use EMDR? is the LAST question to ask. What are the
others?
•
Stacking the Deck: positively biasing processing towards resolution before you start eye
movements.
•
Building (Resourcing) Positive Beliefs: Contributions from Schema Therapy and Cognitive
Processing Therapy.
•
Multiple memory desensitisation: Seeding the session.
•
Processing Memories with multiple Negative Beliefs: you have 3 options.
•
BLS: Fast or Slow? When and Why. Implications of Orienting Response and Working
Memory models.
•
Interweaves for generalisation. What they are and When and When Not to use them.
•
Working with Parts of Self: using ego states / modes in interweaves.
•
Incomplete sessions: Should you always contain the unprocessed material?
•
Future work: The Third Prong of EMDR.
•
Doorstep therapy.
EMDR Therapy: An Introduction to
the Developmental Modifications
for Children and Adolescents
EMDR is an evidence-based psychological therapy
recommended by the World Health Organisation (2013) for
the treatment of PTSD in children, adolescents, adults. EMDR
is a therapy that has established its effectiveness for the
treatment of children, adolescents, adults, and families who
have experienced traumatic events (i.e. domestic violence,
physical and sexual abuse, and neglect) that have disrupted
attachment, social, emotional and physical development, and
impeded one’s ability to grow, learn, and reach one’s full
potential. The aim of this workshop is to encourage
participants to think flexibly and creatively about how to work
with younger clients within an EMDR therapy framework. The
workshop will involve teaching adaptations to the standard
therapy protocol, with a focus on how to adapt language and
techniques used in phases 1 – 3 of EMDR treatment to the
child’s developmental age and needs. Child development
theory as it applies to the theory underlying EMDR therapy,
and how to conceptualise simple and more complex case
presentations from the adaptive information processing
perspective is also discussed. This is an interactive workshop
that includes videos, practicum and didactic material so
participants can deepen their understanding and enhance
skills in working with children and adolescents within as
EMDR therapy framework. Handouts are provided that
includes materials (i.e. instructions for therapists, scripts,
worksheets) discussed throughout the workshop.
SARAH SCHUBERT
process trauma memories in phases 4-8 provided in a
summarised form.
Learning objectives:
Participants will be able to:
•
Discuss theory underlying EMDR and evidence for its use
with children and adolescents.
•
Discuss with children, adolescents, and parents the
rationale for trauma-focused work and the procedures
involved in EMDR therapy.
•
Conceptualise simple and more complex case
presentations from the adaptive information processing
perspective.
•
Effectively assess trauma history and identify negative life
events underlying symptoms.
•
Identify indications and contraindications of EMDR therapy
for children and adolescents.
•
Develop a treatment plan and integrate EMDR into a
comprehensive child treatment approach.
•
Adjust phases 1-3 of the EMDR protocol (history,
preparations, and assessment) to the
Note.
•
This presentation does not aim to provide participants with
all the skills and knowledge required to begin incorporating
EMDR into their clinical work with children and adolescents.
Rather, the focus of this workshop is on adapting the EMDR
protocol in the assessment and preparation phases of EMDR,
with an overview of the adaptations needed to effectively
developmental age and needs of the child. Participants will
be provided with a summarised overview of the adaptations
and developmental modifications for phases 4-8 of the
EMDR protocol.
•
Understand the role of parents in EMDR therapy for children
and adolescents.
•
Effectively use a Resource Development protocol.
Treating Emotional Eating as an Addiction with an EMDR Group
Protocol
This workshop will:
CAROLYN SULLIVAN
•
Describe Robert Miller’s Feeling State Theory of Impulse Control Disorders (ICD).
•
Explain the reasons for treating emotional eating to address the obesity epidemic.
•
Define what is meant by the cycle of emotional eating being an ICD.
•
Demonstrate use of the Impulse Control Disorder EMDR protocol with an individual.
•
Explore how the unconscious factors that lead to emotional eating can be identified.
•
Describe briefly the importance of using multiple means of dealing with affect regulation
and expression.
•
Experience the success of the EMDR ICD protocol within the group setting.
•
Understand the rationale for setting up groups to treat emotional eating.
•
Describe the successes of the group protocol in workshops held in Canberra in 2016.