COMMENTARY ON THE BATES ET-AL. REPORT ON EYE-MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATIONAND REPROCESSING (EMDR) - RESPONSE

Lipke's criticisms of the experiment reported by Bates and colleagues are without merit. Data from the experiment show either that the proce dure was sound or that the clinical measurement reported by eye-moveme nt densitization (EMD) therapists is suspect. Lipke's statement that E MD enjoys increasing scientific support is likewise without merit. Sci entific support for EMD seems to exist only when one disregards the me thodological lessons taught by behavior-therapy research for the last three decades. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.