EMDR systemic approach: Application in couple's therapy

The presentation will illustrate how the systemic model created by Mony Elkaïm for understanding couple crisis can be useful in the EMDR treatment of couples. This model insists on the double bind in which each member of the couple is torn between his/her Official Program and his/her World View. For example: “I want to be loved” (O.P) and” if someone loves me he will leave me” (W.V.). These world views are creating repetitive cycles which are trapping the members of the couple or of any people in relationship. The aim of EMDR practitioner is to treat the dysfunctional stored memories connected with these worldviews and give them flexibility to free the members of the couple from the vicious circle in which they are caught. In this presentation we propose to show how making hypothesis about the World view of each member of the couple and verifying them will guide us to the individual target that will be the Gordian knot in the present problem which the couple come with, helping the system to evolve from a situation of crisis to a situation of equilibrium. Using EMDR will help to give flexibility to the world view of each member. Using it within Mony Elkaïm’s systemic model will help the couple. Following each phase of the EMDR model eight phases protocol, we will show how it will be applied to couple therapy with case studies and practice example. This target plan can be apply to any dyad or system in crisis.

Conference

English

Isabelle Meignant

Meignant, I. (2010, July). EMDR systemic approach: Application in couple's therapy. Presentation at the 1st EMDR Asia Conference, Bali, Indonesia