Re: emdr:nothing's happening
I have just reread this thread above, and am not responding to any particular post. However, I am saying as clearly as I can, in the plainest language I can find, that EMDR therapists should never use EMDR with dissociative clients without using an appropriate dissociative protocol. Doing ego state preparations with highly dissociative clients BEFORE doing EMDR will prevent a great many harms. Many EMDR therapists do not think this applies to them, that their clients are dissociative because they "haven't seen that" as if it shows, or is tattooed on clients foreheads. If nothing happens, it is sometimes (not always) because a protective part has stopped the work. Better to bring that part on board first. If there is a struggle between parts, better to have that dialogue in part first. Parts need to be oriented to present time, place and the one body they are in. I can tell when I read here that these steps are sometimes not occurring, which is not in the clients interest. I'm doing a day-long preconference workshop at ISST&D this year in Atlanta to help EMDR practitioners get this. Also, this years EMDRIA conference in Minneaplis has a theme of dissociation.
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