We Answer the Question: Is EMDR a Pyramid Scheme?

Curt and Katie chat about an episode of Very Bad Therapy that asks the question, Is EMDR a Cultish Pyramid Scheme. This is our response to that question. We talk about what EMDR is, common misconceptions of the model, the concerns with people doing EMDR poorly, and the benefits of this model. We also talk about clinician factors that impact whether someone can do EMDR well. 

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore EMDR

We decided to respond to an episode of Very Bad Therapy. Curt is an EMDR clinician and consultant in training, so he wanted to respond to the criticisms of EMDR that were brought forward in that episode as well as a related article in The Therapist magazine.

What is EMDR?

·      Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

·      The mechanism of action is hard to study due to not being able to cut open the brain

·      EMDR is a well-defined 8-stage protocol

·      The “greatest hits” of other theories put together

What are the misconceptions related to EMDR?

·      “It’s expensive,” but the training (which is intensive and comprehensive) breaks down to $35 per CE – a usual and customary rate for continuing education

·      There is an argument that the only things that are different from other theories are the eye movements or bilateral stimulation, but it is more of an integrative model

·      “EMDR” is manualized and only taught in one way – which is not true. There are a number of stages in the protocol that are taught very differently and there is more nuance

·      The criticisms about EMDR may be related to clinician factors, not necessarily model factors

What are the concerns with people doing EMDR poorly?

·      Only getting the EMDR certification to be marketable

·      Not doing EMDR soon enough and forgetting the model

·      Lack of confidence that leads them to revert back to theories they are comfortable with

·      Not fully learning the theory and trying to use it outside of the model

·      Clinicians with less training or less experience may struggle to adapt the model to complex trauma or relational trauma

What are the benefits of EMDR?

·      Intensive training with deliberate practice being built into the certification

·      Consultation and support in learning the model

·      Strong research base for single incident trauma

·      For stronger or more experienced clinicians, there are uses of EMDR for complex trauma and/or transdiagnostic purposes

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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/