5 years of EMDR in a general practioners practise

This study describes the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in clients suffering from posttraumatic stress symptoms after recent traumatic experience. Between November 2003 and July 2009, 45 clients of a general medicine practise with stress reactions and inability to work after a recent traumatic event were treated with EMDR. The number of active EMDR sessions varied from 1 to 5 sessions. After this short time of active treatment, everyone of these clients was free of symptoms and able to take up work again. After a three months period, those clients were reinvestigated. Up to this time, none of them had suffered from symptoms of distress or accumulation of trauma memories or inability to go to work. The study shows an interesting aspect in EMDR treatment: general practitioners are the first to be consulted by clients with recent trauma. EMDR is shown to be very effective in treatment of stress symptoms after recent trauma. Consequently, an early intervention with EMDR reduces stress symptoms and the period of inability. This is to promote interest and awareness specially among general practitioners with psychotherapy training.

Conference

English

Opperman-Schmid, F. (2010, June). 5 years of EMDR in a general practioners practise. In Treatment of children/acute stress. Symposium conducted at the 11th EMDR Europe Association Conference, Hamburg, Germany