The perspectives of EMDR therapists on a digital psychotherapeutic application, A thematic analysis approach

Globally, 70% of the population reported exposure to at least one lifetime trauma, with nearly 6% developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result. In regions of strife, this number increases drastically causing the rate of suicide ideation and comorbid psychiatric disorders to rise above average. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapeutic treatment for PTSD emphasizing sensory stimulation and eye movements to facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories for symptom reduction. Despite the established efficacy of EMDR, many patients cannot access treatment due to multiple social, cultural, and economic barriers. Compared to conventional in-person therapy, a digital EMDR therapeutic application could address these ongoing accessibility issues. Any risks to client safety must be accounted for in a digitized EMDR model, which is crucial for increasing the efficacy and reach of this intervention for trauma survivors. The goal of this study was to solicit critical insight about a digital EMDR platform from EMDR therapists. Eight EMDR therapists were shown a demonstration of a digital EMDR platform and then participated in one-on-one structured interviews and post-interview surveys. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed 4 themes and 11 sub-themes, namely, (1) Acknowledging diverse contexts, (2) Efficacy of treatment, (3) Role of therapist and (4) Barriers to accessing therapy. Findings suggest a holistic digital EMDR application is capable of addressing cultural, financial and geographical barriers, and could address the diverse circumstances of each client. It was highly recommended by the therapists to develop a digital psychotherapeutic intervention without substituting for the role of the therapist as in self-administration, and so integrative models that were successful in other mental health contexts were explored. Overall, these findings provide preliminary evidence for the potential of a robust digital EMDR intervention in addressing multiple barriers to healing trauma.

Journal

English

Aleen Shakeel
Emma Clark
Madison Fernandez
Ilham Abbasi
Vic Shao-Chih Chiang
Becky Choma
Sakeena Mihar

Shakeel, A., Clark, E., Fernandez, M., Abbasi, I., Chiang, V. S., Choma, B., & Mihar, S. (2022, December). The perspectives of EMDR therapists on a digital psychotherapeutic application, a thematic analysis approach. Psyarxiv Reprints. doi:10.31234/osf.io/g82cq