ACT-AS-IF and ARCHITECTS approaches to EMDR: Treatment of dissociative identity disorder (DID)

This chapter describes key steps, with scripts, for the phases of therapy with a DID client, and for an EMDR session with a DID client. In brief, the method employs the artful use of EMDR and ego state therapy for association and acceleration, and of hypnosis, imagery, and ego state therapy for distancing and deceleration within the context of a trusting therapeutic relationship. It is based upon the Standard EMDR Protocol as much as possible, while taking into account the complexity of the client's self-system and trauma history and the need to ensure client stability. It is also endeavoring to stay close to the treatment guidelines as promulgated by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (2005). The acronym ACT-AS-IF describes the phases of therapy; the acronym ARCHITECTS describes the steps in an EMDR intervention. Those two acronyms organize the chapter, as well as the approach to treatment at the birds-eye view and the EMDR session viewpoint. Naturally, the ACT-AS-IF phases of treatment cannot include all of the language for a process that takes years, so only a few sample scripts are included for each phase. These acronyms and their processes are discussed in Paulsen (2008a) and Paulsen (2009). The two processes covered by the acronyms ACT-AS-IF and ARCHITECTS, taken together, correspond approximately to the Shapiro eight phases of EMDR, however, extended over years of treatment for highly complex trauma histories.

Book Section

English

Sandra Paulsen

Paulsen, S. (2010). ACT-AS-IF and ARCHITECTS approaches to EMDR: Treatment of dissociative identity disorder (DID). In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization (EMDR) scripted protocols: Special populations (pp. 357-386). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co