What about EMDR in the treatment of anorexia nervosa?

In our specialised treatment centre for adolescents with severe anorexia nervosa, we found that EMDR can be a very useful and powerful tool in the context of a multifaceted treatment program for anorectic adolescents. We noticed that setback and delay can occur during the process of regaining weight as a consequence of relived memories of traumatic experiences. Emotions linked to these memories are felt more intensely when they are recovering. These memories can become significant blocks to moving forward to achieving our goal of normalisation of weight and eating habits. We are in the process of listing the specific issues that need to be addressed in the applications of EMDR to this target group. Experiences, solutions and hypotheses will be presented.

Conference

English

Renee Beer

Beer, R. (2001, May). What about EMDR in the treatment of anorexia nervosa? Presentation at the 12nd EMDR Europe Association Conference, London, England