A critical review of the controversy surrounding eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

The treatment eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) continues to court controversy despite its adoption by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2005) as a preferred treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. This article critically reviews the two issues at the heart of the controversy. First, is EMDR effective for unique reasons or is it a disguised treatment such as exposure therapy? Second, is evidence-based practice an appropriate framework within which to assess psychological therapies or are its criteria too narrow and inflexible? The article proposes practice-based evidence as a potential way forward in EMDR research and describes an appropriate model within an EMDR treatment framework.

Journal

English

Joanna Nowill

Nowill, J. (2010, April). A critical review of the controversy surrounding eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. Counselling Psychology Review, 25(1), 63-70