EMDR from the perspective of Freudian and Kleinian meta-psychologies with neuropsychoanalytic and feminist-perspective contributions: Clinical and research implications

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has emerged as a transformative therapeutic approach in the treatment of various psychopathologies ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to severe depression. This study develops a meta-psychological model of the psyche to explain the underlying processes of EMDR and Transference Dynamics, highlighting clinical, training, and research implications. The study employs a hermeneutical approach, drawing on psychoanalytic, neuropsychoanalytic, feminist, and EMDR principles to produce a meta-psychological model of the psyche aimed at conceptualizing the underlying processes of EMDR. The findings indicate that EMDR’s eight phases and specific neuropsychoanalytic principles align with the meta-psychologies of Freud and Klein, with bilateral stimulation acting as a ‘waking dream.’ The integration of Klein’s paranoid-schizoid and depressive positions explains developmental aspects and potential memory networks to be processed. This study highlights the significant clinical, training, and research implications of theoretically integrating EMDR with psychoanalysis.

Journal

English

Ernesto Lloyd Means
Rudy Roman
Maria Hu
Melissa Sahlin

Means, E. L., Roman, R., Hu, M., & Sahlin, M. (2026). EMDR from the perspective of Freudian and Kleinian meta-psychologies with neuropsychoanalytic and feminist-perspective contributions: Clinical and research implications. The Scandinavian Psychoanalytic Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/01062301.2026.2649429