A conceptual framework for treating traumatic memories and its application to EMDR

With burgeoning interest in trauma has come a proliferation of interventions for the treatment of intrusive memories. At this stage of development, uniformity of clinical practice in the trauma field is neither possible nor desirable. The literature suggests that a wide range of treatment interventions are effective. But diversity in practice does not preclude coherence in conceptualization. This article presents a general theoretical framework to provide clinicians and patients with a rationale for treating intrusive symptoms of PTSD. To illustrate the applicability of the framework, the authors critique Shapiro's recent theoretical explanation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an exemplary cognitive-behavioral approach to the treatment of trauma. EMDR merits careful theoretical reappraisal, because it has become a highly popular and seemingly effective technique that currently rests on an unsound neurobiological theoretical foundation.

Journal

English

Jon G. Allen
Lisa Lewis

Allen, J. G., & Lewis, L. (1996, Spring). A conceptual framework for treating traumatic memories and its application to EMDR. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 60(2), 238-263