Cessation of deliberate self harm following eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing: A case report

We present a case report of an eighteen year old female patient presenting with a psychological trauma related complaint. Part of the manifestation of the complaint included acts of self cutting over a number of years. Following two sessions of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing with one of the authors (DM) her self cutting ceased. This is maintained at thirteen months follow up. We conclude that Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing may be an effective treatment option in reducing repeat self harm where traumatic events are noted to be the precursor to deliberate self harm.

Journal

English

Derek F. McLaughlin
Iain W. McGowan
Michael C. Paterson
Paul W. Miller

McLaughlin, D. F., McGowan, I. W., Paterson, M. C., & Miller, P. W. (2008, September). Cessation of deliberate self harm following eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing: A case report. Cases Journal, 1, 177-180. doi:10.1186/1757-1626-1-177