Parent-child EMDR protocol for infants and young children
Description
Background and aims
The impact of traumatization in infants is great and when left untreated, the effect on development can be devastating and long lasting. More than 20 years ago, Joan Lovett1,2 developed EMDR Storytelling (1999,2015) to apply EMDR with children under 4 years old. However, using EMDR with young children can be challenging and raise many questions. Trauma in young children affects not only the child, but also the parents and the way they interact.
Methods
In this presentation the presenters outline the Parent-Child EMDR Therapy protocol3,4, which provides EMDR clinicians with a solid theoretical framework and understanding of the EMDR process with young children and their families. This new framework is based on the 8 phases of the EMDR Standard Protocol, the most recent findings in trauma and attachment, memory research, the working memory and reconsolidation theory, optimizing EMDR research, and Infant Mental Health.
Results
With this framework clinicians get in insight in how to address practical issues such as how to make the narrative, where to focus on, and how to work with the child and parent’s or caregivers associations and responses. The use of this framework and the results of this treatment is illustrated with a range of cases and video fragments.
Conclusions
Even though, EMDR with young children is experimental and clinical trials are underway, the incredible positive results and this theoretical framework supports EMDR clinicians to continue to use EMDR with young children.
The impact of traumatization in infants is great and when left untreated, the effect on development can be devastating and long lasting. More than 20 years ago, Joan Lovett1,2 developed EMDR Storytelling (1999,2015) to apply EMDR with children under 4 years old. However, using EMDR with young children can be challenging and raise many questions. Trauma in young children affects not only the child, but also the parents and the way they interact.
Methods
In this presentation the presenters outline the Parent-Child EMDR Therapy protocol3,4, which provides EMDR clinicians with a solid theoretical framework and understanding of the EMDR process with young children and their families. This new framework is based on the 8 phases of the EMDR Standard Protocol, the most recent findings in trauma and attachment, memory research, the working memory and reconsolidation theory, optimizing EMDR research, and Infant Mental Health.
Results
With this framework clinicians get in insight in how to address practical issues such as how to make the narrative, where to focus on, and how to work with the child and parent’s or caregivers associations and responses. The use of this framework and the results of this treatment is illustrated with a range of cases and video fragments.
Conclusions
Even though, EMDR with young children is experimental and clinical trials are underway, the incredible positive results and this theoretical framework supports EMDR clinicians to continue to use EMDR with young children.
Format
Conference
Language
English
Original Work Citation
Struik. A., Dumoulin, A., & van Haaften, G. (2023, June). Parent-child EMDR protocol for infants and young children. Presentation at the EMDR Europe Conference, Bologna, Italy
Collection
Citation
“Parent-child EMDR protocol for infants and young children,” Francine Shapiro Legacy Library, accessed January 14, 2026, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/28204.