Whakaora: Group EMDR in Aotearoa

Survivors of sexual violence in Aotearoa, New Zealand are afforded a unique opportunity to engage in psychological therapy under a programme known as Sensitive Claims. The current pilot study seeks to extend the treatment offered under that programme to include an innovative and inclusive model of trauma therapy, group EMDR. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an eight-phase psychological therapy designed to treat emotional distress caused by traumatic events from the past, most frequently in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The goal of group EMDR is to use a group framework to process a trauma episode to reduce traumatic stress, promote adaptive processing, strengthen resilience and prevent post-trauma complications. The group EMDR model examined in the current study allows participants to reprocess their trauma alongside other survivors of sexual violence. Group EMDR has been described as a method by which a group of strangers can heal from trauma collectively, without the need to share their traumas. Participants in the current study completed pre- and post- treatment assessments, as well as engaged in a unique Feedback Informed Therapy process, allowing for a rich data set. A mixed-methods analysis was conducted as results were both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Using a mixed approach such as this allowed for the nuanced feedback from participants to be explored and will inform future iterations of group EMDR in New Zealand.

Conference

English

Chris Neuenfeldt
Nishtha Saini
Ananda Sleeman

Neuenfeldt, C., Saini, N., & Sleeman, A. (2022, November). Whakaora: Group EMDR in Aotearoa. Presentation at the 2022 EMDR New Zealand Conference, New Zealand, Wellington, NZ