An integrative approach to narrative therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

As I engaged in a therapy journey with a single client, the possibilities for research on the integrative use of narrative therapy and EMDR unfolded. I investigated recent literature and realised that much had been written about narrative therapy as single approach to therapy within the postmodern paradigm. There was also extensive writing on EMDR and its integrative use with other therapies in assisting people who struggle with upsetting memories of trauma. Since I was unable to find any literature to date on the integrative use of narrative therapy and EMDR, I realized that there was much to be discovered and learned on such an integrative research journey. The client's experiences and descriptions of overwhelming emotional distress (as the problem in her life) during the process of integration was the main focus of this qualitative case study. During our therapy conversations knowledges were gathered and deconstructed. Video or tape recordings, photographs, work with clay, sketches, letters and other documents were useful in keeping track of the research journey. A reflecting team and the participation of the client's boyfriend contributed and enriched both the therapy and research journeys.

Dissertation/Thesis

English

Elizabeth Fredericka de Villiers

de Villiers, E. F. (2005). An integrative approach to narrative therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). (Masters thesis, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa). Retrieved from http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/21210