Using EMDR with autistic clients: How do therapists adapt?

Autistic people commonly experience co-morbid mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and low mood. General consensus is that autistic people can benefit from evidence-based psychological therapies, with the acceptability and effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy becoming a growing area of interest. One hundred and three EMDR therapists were asked if and how they adapt the standard EMDR protocol to make the process and content more tailored to the needs and preferences of autistic people. We analyzed the qualitative responses of participants to these questions, including barriers and adaptations to all eight phases of the EMDR standard protocol. Overall, therapists emphasized the need for flexibility and responsiveness to the individual client, and the importance of autism-specific knowledge and autism-informed clinical supervision. Implications and future directions are discussed

Journal

English

Caroline van Diest
Marguerite Leoni
Naomi Fisher
Debbie Spain

van Diest, C., Leoni, M., Fisher, N., & Spain, D. (2022). Using EMDR with autistic clients: How do therapists adapt? Journal of EMDR Research and Practice, 16(3), 123-134. doi:10.1891/EMDR-2022-0014