Grief as seen through the many stages of development from the perspective of EMDR

Grief is a normal reaction when someone suffers a loss. However, we must realize that grief is dealt with differently depending on the age and mental development of the person at the time. In other words, a child does not process grief in the same way an adult does. I have found that the best way to treat a patient who has suffered grief is through EMDR, always keeping in mind the mental maturity and chronological age of the patient when the loss occurred. Through EMDR, we are able to work on the mental blocks that inhibit the natural healing process from taking place. This EMDR protocol, however, must be adapted for each patient after taking into consideration the mental age and maturity at the time of the loss. Our goals are working on these mental blocks during the reprocessing phases, through the application of different adaptations of the EMDR procedure for releasing this process, even if the child is an adult nowadays.

Conference

English

María Jesús Taboada

Taboada, M. J. (2017, June). Grief as seen through the many stages of development from the perspective of EMDR. Presentation (Isabel Coch, Chair) at the 18th EMDR Europe Association Conference, Barcelona, Spain