The integration of relational gestalt therapy and EMDR

In this article I attempt to show how the integration of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) techniques within a relational gestalt therapy approach results in a more powerful method than either therapeutic method alone. I describe the steps in the EMDR standard protocol, as outlined by Francine Shapiro, the founder of EMDR. I briefly discuss what we now know about how trauma affects brain functioning and EMDRs effectiveness in resolving simple trauma. I then explain how EMDR, within the context of a relational gestalt approach, can help to resolve therapeutic impasses, enhance the working through process of therapy and trigger associations that neither therapists nor clients anticipate or predict.

Journal

English

Stephan Tobin

Tobin, S. (2004, Spring). The integration of relational gestalt therapy and EMDR. International Gestalt Journal, 27(1), 55-82