Reprocessing trauma and restoring resilience in trauma-exposed police officers using EMDR therapy
Description
Background and aims
Police officers are typically exposed to multiple work-related potentially traumatic events (PTE’s) and consequently have a higher conditional probability of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g. Marmar et al., 2006). The odds of developing PTSD are increased when police officers resort to negative resilience: dealing with the stresses of PTE exposure by using structural denial or dissociative coping (Friedman & Higson-Smith, 2003). In addition, police officers may become psychologically injured by morally injurious events and may lose moral resilience (Rushton, 2016). While most police officers may be successfully treated using EMDR or other types of trauma-focused therapy, some may need additional interventions to restore psychological and moral resilience (Martinmäki et al., 2021). In this workshop, participants are acquainted with the negative resilience model and learn how to reprocess traumatic memories and restore resilience in trauma-exposed police officers using EMDR and additional interventions.
Method Work and traumatic stressors as well as common psychiatric disorders in police officers, including PTSD and moral injury, are discussed using research and video material. Specifics of EMDR case conceptualization and cognitive interweaves with this population are discussed and practiced, and additional interventions for restoring resilience are presented, including techniques from sociotherapy, psychomotor therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Police officers are typically exposed to multiple work-related potentially traumatic events (PTE’s) and consequently have a higher conditional probability of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; e.g. Marmar et al., 2006). The odds of developing PTSD are increased when police officers resort to negative resilience: dealing with the stresses of PTE exposure by using structural denial or dissociative coping (Friedman & Higson-Smith, 2003). In addition, police officers may become psychologically injured by morally injurious events and may lose moral resilience (Rushton, 2016). While most police officers may be successfully treated using EMDR or other types of trauma-focused therapy, some may need additional interventions to restore psychological and moral resilience (Martinmäki et al., 2021). In this workshop, participants are acquainted with the negative resilience model and learn how to reprocess traumatic memories and restore resilience in trauma-exposed police officers using EMDR and additional interventions.
Method Work and traumatic stressors as well as common psychiatric disorders in police officers, including PTSD and moral injury, are discussed using research and video material. Specifics of EMDR case conceptualization and cognitive interweaves with this population are discussed and practiced, and additional interventions for restoring resilience are presented, including techniques from sociotherapy, psychomotor therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Format
Conference
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Ter Heide, J. J. (2022, June). Reprocessing trauma and restoring resilience in trauma-exposed police officers using EMDR therapy. Presentation at the 23rd EMDR Europe Conference, Valencia, Spain
Citation
“Reprocessing trauma and restoring resilience in trauma-exposed police officers using EMDR therapy,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 17, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/27407.