The use of EMDR in the treatment of patients with complex dissociative disorders related to trauma

Today EMDR is widely recognized as one of the most effective therapies for simple trauma. But if people suffer from complex trauma, with dissociative disorder, EMDR, as it has been invented originally, becomes problematic. The therapist has then to develop his/her art in order to keep the therapeutic process ongoing. Numerous authors conceptualized many different ways of adapting the EMDR standard protocol for those apparently difficult clients. Here also, there is no consensus between therapists who are extremely cautious and take a lot of time before coming to the trauma confronting phase, and those who go earlier to desensitization and do further adaptations. Which are the risks ? How to adapt therapy to the sometimes chaotic life style of the person ? In which ways EMDR could be adapted to overcome this dilemma and be more efficient, even with those clients known as being difficult ?

Conference

English

Helene Dellucci

Dellucci, H. (2011, December). The use of EMDR in the treatment of patients with complex dissociative disorders related to trauma. Presentation at the First European Society for Trauma and Dissociation, Paris, France