A controlled comparison of progressive counting and eye movement desensitization & reprocessing

Ten therapists who were already trained and experienced in eye movement desensitization & reprocessing (EMDR) received training in progressive counting (PC), a newer trauma resolution method. Nineteen volunteers with single-incident trauma or loss were assigned to a therapist and then randomized to treatment condition; 15 completed treatment to termination criteria or until the fourth session. Participants in both conditions experienced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, memory-related distress, and presenting problems at one week post-treatment, maintained at 12-week follow-up, with no significant differences in outcomes, treatment efficiency, or dropout rate. The preliminary findings of this pilot study suggest that PC is an efficient, well-tolerated, and effective trauma treatment that is relatively easy for therapists to master.

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English

Ricky Greenwald
Scott D. McClintock
Tyson D. Bailey

Greenwald, R., McClintock, S. D., & Bailey, T. D. (2013, November). A controlled comparison of progressive counting and eye movement desensitization & reprocessing. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 22, 981-996. doi:10.1080/10926771.2013.834020