EMDR therapy in the treatment of complex PTSD

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) denotes a severe form of PTSD, not only comprising the symptom clusters of PTSD, but also those reflecting difficulties in regulating emotions, disturbances in relational capacities, and adversely affected belief systems about oneself, others or the world. Although there is evidence mounting showing that first-line trauma-focused treatments, such as EMDR therapy, are effective for patients with a history of early childhood interpersonal trauma, and suffering from symptoms characteristic of CPTSD, controversy exists as to when and how EMDR therapy should be offered to this target group. For instance, do they need a stabilization phase before trauma processing? The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of potential treatment options for this condition using EMDR therapy, and of new developments in this area that might help us to improve the treatment of individuals suffering from CPTSD.

Conference

English

Ad de Jongh

de Jongh, A. (2020, June). EMDR therapy in the treatment of complex PTSD. Keynote at the 18th UK Virtual Conference & AGM, Cardiff, UK