Acceptance of EMDR Therapy

More than 30 positive controlled outcome studies have been done on EMDR therapy. Some of the studies show that 84%-90% of single-trauma victims no longer have post-traumatic stress disorder after only three 90-minute sessions. Another study, funded by the HMO Kaiser Permanente, found that 100% of the single-trauma victims and 77% of multiple trauma victims no longer were diagnosed with PTSD after only six 50-minute sessions. In another study, 77% of combat veterans were free of PTSD in 12 sessions.

There has been so much research on EMDR therapy that it is now recognized as an effective form of treatment for trauma and other disturbing experiences by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the World Health Organization and the Department of Defense. Given the worldwide recognition as an effective treatment of trauma, you can easily see how EMDR therapy would be effective in treating the “everyday” memories that are the reason people have low self-esteem, feelings of powerlessness, and all the myriad problems that bring them in for therapy. Over 100,000 clinicians throughout the world use the therapy.  Millions of people have been treated successfully over the past 25 years. (www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/)

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (2013)
Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are the only psychotherapies recommended for children, adolescents and adults with PTSD.

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION (2004)
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Arlington,VA: American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines.
EMDR therapy was determined to be an effective treatment of trauma.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (2004, 2010)
VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Post-Traumatic Stress. Washington, DC.
EMDR therapy was placed in the “A” category as “strongly recommended” for the treatment of trauma.

RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDIES
24 randomized controlled (and 12 nonrandomized) studies have been conducted on EMDR in the treatment of trauma. www.emdr.com

RESOURCES

http://www.emdria.org/ -- EMDR International Association
The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) is a professional association where EMDR therapy practitioners and EMDR therapy researchers seek the highest standards for the clinical use of EMDR. EMDR therapy is an accepted psychotherapy by leading mental health organizations throughout the world for the treatment of a variety of symptoms and conditions. This website provides information to the greater EMDR community including clinicians, researchers, and the public that our members serve.  

https://maibergerinstitute.com/ -- The Maiberger Institute
The Maiberger Institute provides EMDR Trainings for psychotherapists, including the EMDR Basic training and EMDR Advanced Trainings. The Maiberger Institute was founded by Barb Maiberger, MA, LPC, the author of “EMDR Essentials: A Guide for Clients and Therapists” All of the trainings offered by the Maiberger Institute have been approved by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA.org).

http://emdr.com/ -- The EMDR Institute™
The EMDR Institute™, founded by Dr Francine Shapiro in 1990, offers quality trainings in the EMDR™ methodology, a treatment approach which has been empirically validated in over 24 randomized studies of trauma victims. An additional 24 studies have demonstrated positive effects for the eye movement component used in EMDR therapy.