EMDR therapy for personality disorders
Description
Background and aims
Personality Disorders are usually challenging for clinicians. Clients with this diagnosis often present high-risk behaviors, difficulties in self-regulation, impulsivity, and severe interpersonal relationships issues. Some clients, especially those with Borderline Personality Disorder, also present self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation, and a risk and/or history of suicide attempts. Others, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder clients, present poor impulse control and aggressive reactions, which can be frightening for themselves and others, including clinicians. This workshop aims to help the participant understand Personality Disorders from the Adaptive Information Processing model perspective. Case conceptualization, treatment plan, target selection and frequent difficulties and solutions based on the different presentations will be addressed through lecture and videos of real sessions.
Methods
Lecture, clinical videos and cases.
Results
This is a clinical workshop. Participants will be able to follow several cases and the improvement using EMDR Therapy.
Conclusions
Given the challenges presented by personality disorders and the strong affect that EMDR reprocessing may mobilize in our clients, clinicians must be able to recognize countertransference issues to not be afraid of applying a very effective method with this population. Understanding these problems and how to manage them is crucial to avoid getting stuck during EMDR processing. Clinicians working with Personality Disorders need to be very attentive to what gets triggered in themselves to be able to see beyond the defensive responses in both client and therapist.
Personality Disorders are usually challenging for clinicians. Clients with this diagnosis often present high-risk behaviors, difficulties in self-regulation, impulsivity, and severe interpersonal relationships issues. Some clients, especially those with Borderline Personality Disorder, also present self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation, and a risk and/or history of suicide attempts. Others, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder clients, present poor impulse control and aggressive reactions, which can be frightening for themselves and others, including clinicians. This workshop aims to help the participant understand Personality Disorders from the Adaptive Information Processing model perspective. Case conceptualization, treatment plan, target selection and frequent difficulties and solutions based on the different presentations will be addressed through lecture and videos of real sessions.
Methods
Lecture, clinical videos and cases.
Results
This is a clinical workshop. Participants will be able to follow several cases and the improvement using EMDR Therapy.
Conclusions
Given the challenges presented by personality disorders and the strong affect that EMDR reprocessing may mobilize in our clients, clinicians must be able to recognize countertransference issues to not be afraid of applying a very effective method with this population. Understanding these problems and how to manage them is crucial to avoid getting stuck during EMDR processing. Clinicians working with Personality Disorders need to be very attentive to what gets triggered in themselves to be able to see beyond the defensive responses in both client and therapist.
Format
English
Original Work Citation
Mosquera, D. (2024, June). EMDR therapy for personality disorders. Presentation at the 22nd EMDR Europe Conference, Dublin, Ireland
Citation
“EMDR therapy for personality disorders,” Francine Shapiro Library, accessed May 14, 2024, https://francineshapirolibrary.omeka.net/items/show/28671.