EMDR early intervention and crisis response: Current practices, research findings, global needs and future directions

Rolf Carriere, MA The Global Summit Conference EMDR Early Intervention and Crisis Response: Current Practices, Research Finding, Global Needs and Future Directions, held in Boston, USA 20-22 April 2018, was a unique event for several reasons. It brought several pioneers in EMDR Early Intervention (EI) together with approximately 400 EMDR practitioners (half of them via livestream) keen to learn the current state of the art of the practice, its scientific validation, conditions of its application, and desirable future developments. The conference had also invited several outside experts, non-therapists, to articulate the urgent need, modalities and opportunities for EI to be applied at scale in order to contribute to the reduction of the heavy global burden of trauma. Many EMDR practitioners shared their insights and experiences in the use of EI, particularly in the context of natural and man-made disasters, both in the Global North and in the Global South. Several of these related to community trauma response networks of EMDR professionals and their work in recent traumatizing events. Twelve distinct EI-based protocols were described. Altogether 32 presentations were given, and their summaries are put forward below. Five Special Interest Groups (dealing with EI research; EI as a specialty; taking EI to scale; building EI community response capacity; and partnering with first-responders) added further opportunities for greater in-depth discussion. Summaries of these are also included below. Finally, preceding and following the conference, the two lead EI presenters (Nacho Jarero and Elan Shapiro) each offered training workshops about their protocols (on 19 and 23-24 April, respectively). Francine Shapiro sent a welcome message and a Call to Action. “We welcome you to our joint commitment to bring healing wherever it is needed worldwide. The possibilities are profound for the individual, society and generations to come… As a helping profession, we must take help to where it is most needed… We join together in a commitment to do our best to ensure that no one is left behind.” Her full message is included in this report.

Conference

English

Global Summit Committee

Global Summit Committee. (2018, April). EMDR early intervention and crisis response: Current practices, research findings, global needs and future directions. Summary of the Global Summit Conference, Natick, MA