Successful EMDR in conditions of patient avoidance: To seek or not to seek the negative cognition

The willingness of a victim to re-experience trauma through the use of words and felt emotion, to approach rather than avoid the experience under conditions of safety, is generally associated with the resolution of the trauma (Van der Kolk 2002, Harbour & Pennebaker, 1992). This is usually considered an essential prerequisite for successful therapy. In this paper I would like to consider two associated areas, those of control and the role of semantic processing as they relate to the conduct of brief therapy under adverse conditions in cases where there remain high levels of avoidance.

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Pauline Fullam

Fullam, P. (2007, August). Successful EMDR in conditions of patient avoidance: To seek or not to seek the negative cognition. EMDR Practitioner. Retrieved from http://www.emdr-practitioner.net