EVALUATION OF THE ONE-SESSION EYE-MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION REPROCESSING PROCEDURE FOR ELIMINATING TRAUMATIC MEMORIES

Eye-movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new t herapy technique originally reported to eliminate traumatic memories ( rape, catastrophes) in one session. Early published research has tende d to support the technique. However, there is controversy and at least one unpublished recent study by Rothbaum who reported only about one- half of her cases had successful outcomes. The present study was condu cted as a preliminary evaluation in 1990. Our results were judged to b e unsuccessful in five of eight cases and successful in three cases. F urther, the cases with the most pathology improved the least. The tech niques, cases, and outcomes are presented to provide additional data o n this new and controversial therapeutic technique.