EMDR after a critical incident: Treatment of a tsunami survivor with acute posttraumatic stress disorder

Research indicates that EMDR is effective for the treatment of PTSD, with numerous studies showing a high percentage of symptom remission after 3 sessions. The case of a tsunami survivor with acute PTSD is presented. Treatment for overt trauma symptoms was completed within 3 sessions, including all 8 phases and the 3-pronged protocol (i.e., past, present, future targets). One EMDR session was sufficient to process the trauma and alleviate the related symptoms, while another session was necessary for re-evaluation and processing present triggers and future templates. Resource installation was particularly helpful to prepare him for those future situations that had been generating anxiety as a result of his traumatization.

Journal

English

Isabel Fernandez

Fernandez, I. (2008). EMDR after a critical incident: Treatment of a tsunami survivor with acute posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2(2), 156-159. doi:10.1891/1933-3196.2.2.156