Marital therapy, EMDR, Herman's model of recovery from trauma:  The journey of one woman and her family

Judith Herman delineates a 3-stage model of recovery from trauma: (1) Safety; (2) Remembrance and Mourning; (3) Reconnection. She criticises current treatment methods for their failure to make a difference in the "constrictive symptoms of numbing and social withdrawal...and marital, social and work problems do not necessarily improve." Family therapy has been criticised often for insufficient focus on emotion and general sensations. This case analysis will illustrate how these shortcomings can be successfully addressed with the use of marital counseling and EMDR. The use of multiple treatment approaches contributed to one client's resolution of recent trauma due to a car accident, of past crises due to marital infidelity and early childhood abuse, with significant changes for her in her current family as well as in her family of origin. Theoretical implications for "family therapy" are raised.

Journal

English

Malise Arnstein

Arnstein, M. (1996, December). Marital therapy, EMDR, Herman's model of recovery from trauma: The journey of one woman and her family. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 17(4), 212-224