> Several weeks ago Jim Guinee was kind enough to forward to us a nice long
> list of quackeries from Quackwatch. One of them was EMDR. Without really
> thinking too much about it, I forwarded Jim's post to a class of mine.
>
> Now it turns out that a student has a therapist in the community who wants
> to use that technique with (on?) her. He tells her that he has had success
> with it with other clients. She is hestitant, but wants me to butt out,
> lest it mess up her relationship which otherwise is pretty good.
>
> I am tempted to just let it go, since it doesn't seem to be harmful, but I
> am concerned at the level of care she is getting from this man. Another
> clinician who worked at this particular CMHC tells me that "they" were all
> trained last Summer, but that he, for one investigated it and was
> convinced of the position in Quackwatch before I forwarded to him.
>
> Opinions???
A few reactions.
You're right -- EMDR does not seem to be harmful. The problem with it,
according to the critics, is if it "works," it doesn't for the reasons that Francie
Shapiro (the one who developed it) would have us believe. So, who knows?
It might help.
It has mainly been applied with trauma -- do you know what the
student/client is in therapy for (I realize you shouldn't ask this -- I'm just
curious if she shared that with you).
It would be good if the therapist could provide her with an overview BEFORE
he begins this treatment. Minimally, he is ethically required to have her sign
some kind of "informed consent," which he may have already done.
Keep us informed, if you can. Many of us in the psychotherapeutic
community remain curious about EMDR but hesitant to embrace it (we want
more research).
Thanks,
One is that the therapist ought to have this student/client sign an "informed
consent" -- which would
*************************************************************************
Jim Guinee, Ph.D.
Training Director, Counseling Center
Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Psychology & Counseling
Dept. of Health Sciences
President-Elect, Arkansas College Counselor Assoc.
University of Central Arkansas
313 Bernard Hall Conway, AR 72035
(501) 450-3138 (office) (501) 450-3248 (fax)
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks
of changing himself." -- Leo Tolstoy
************************************************************************
