Treating destructive externalizing behaviour: EMDR protocol rage, resentment and revenge

Patients with traumatic experiences are most of the time willing to participate in EMDR-treatment to resolve there PTSD-symptoms. Another group of patients with traumatic experiences sometimes shows a destructive externalizing behaviour pattern: divorces with long lasting destructive battles between the ex-partners and aggressive war-veterans, not able to come to senses, but aggressively overreacting on situations of perceived injustice and perceived humiliation. The externalizing side of patients can be so massive, that EMDR - focused on mostly “vulnerable-like” symptoms - will be rejected by the patient. At that point, the EMDR protocol Rage, Resentment and Revenge (RRR-protocol) is indicated; the starting point of this protocol is the externalizing side of the patient.

In the workshop, after a brief review of the literature on anger and revenge, and discussing results of single-case studies on the RRR protocol, the RRR-protocol will be demonstrated with extensive video footage and practiced extensively, step by step, by the participants. In conclusion, questions from the audience will hopefully lead to an inspiring discussion.

Conference

English

Herman Veerbeek

Veerbeek, H. (2014, June). Treating destructive externalizing behaviour: EMDR protocol rage, resentment and revenge. In EMDR specialty presentation (Maeve Crowley, Chair). Presentation at the 15th EMDR Europe Association Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland