This kind of integration has been such
a mainstay in my practice, that I would like to share it with you. The therapists I meet
who have made this jump are among the most inspiring, because they make solution-focused
work a such a rich experience.
This type of work is very empowering to clients because they can use
many of the skills they develop in their daily lives.Related Resources
Recordings of
alternating bilateral sound, brainwave entrainment, and lectures.
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Summary: This provides some basic guidelines for integrating
visualization and awareness processes into psychotherapy, with comments for EMDR
practitioners included. Use of this document in any form indicates your consent to use
such processes only within your scope of practice and in ways that are clinically sound,
with clients whom you have assessed as being capable of tolerating exposure to processes
that may increase relaxation or awareness.
Some Guidelines for Clinicians Using Such Processes
(Specific processes are linked and annotated in the next section
below.)
EMDR and other approaches intended to produce expedient results can involve
creating a positive mental and physical state, and some clinicians believe that
this is an important aspect of EMDR and other so-called power therapies, as well as
modalities that may produce power therapy-like results. Charles Figley, for example,
stresses the relaxation aspect and feels that reciprocal inhibition is important here. Any
of the processes you learn which can create a positive or balanced state may facilitate
EMDR treatment. Chill Energy Points, below, is a nice generic example. It is quite likely
that any process that can link a client's state of distress around an issue with a
positive, relaxed state within a sufficiently short period of time will produce power
therapy or EMDR like effects, where sustained reductions in distress pertaining to an
issue or memory that is not an actual current threat is concerned.
EMDR and other modalities can also involve future pacing
(seeing oneself engaging in a desired behavior and in a desired physical and mental
state.) The mental rehearsal process is a detailed way to do this.
The rapid results that occur with power therapies can not only resolve
symptoms, but also lead to valuable cognitive restructuring. However, most clients (most
everybody) are missing important skills. This amounts to developmental deficits
that hamper peoples' progress and happiness. Including processes such as these in therapy
can help redress these deficits. They can be integrated into therapy in
several ways.
1) Stand-Alone: The therapist instructs the client and/or provides
handouts or other media to assist with this.
2) As part of a larger process such as EMDR or hypnosis. For example,
mental rehearsal would assist in creating a model for behavior, chill energy points could
assist in relaxation to allow adequate reprocessing of an issue or to expedite reduction
of SUDS in EMDR. (Tapping therapies such as Thought Field Therapy are used for this
purpose by many EMDR practitioners.)
3) As part of a chain of processes intended to achieve various purposes
or keep the client working on various aspects of a problem. For example Focusing or EMDR
might lead to a reduction in distress around an issue, but the client may have a cluster
of memories that can be reprocessed while creating models for future behavior. The
Timeline exercise might be a next step.
Example Processes
More sources of processes are listed in the parent document: Oodles of Visualization and Awareness Processes
Chill
Energy Points: an example of the energy work that can be integrated
into EMDR. This is one of my favorites for reducing agitation.
After tentative beginnings, good results gave me confidence to bring more and more
elements of Asian energy work into therapy. Now that tapping therapies such as TFT are
gaining favor and being used to assist in EMDR (or on their own), increasing numbers of
therapists are becoming curious about Asian energy work.
Method: Mental Rehearsal:
a more extensive version of the future pacing used in classic EMDR. Step-by-step
instructions which can make a good hand out for clients. Includes explanatory
material.
Zapping Brainstorming:
a lightly structured process that can be good for self-use of EMDR
by therapists already comfortable with experiencing EMDR. Sound or alternate tapping is
recommended.
Body
Mind Breathing Zoning: this illustrates a method for creating a strong somatic
focus that can be a valuable part of EMDR. I often use such a focus with minimal
use of cognition until the client has begun spontaneous cognitive restructuring. Of
course, it is not appropriate for all clients. This process is a good example of
sensory recruitment, in which body mind therapy processes can be potentiated by
increasing the number and focus of senses on the feeling, image, memory or other
awareness.
It can facilitate targeting in EMDR, as well as
development of a positive state as described earlier.
Focusing for Poise:
Eugene Gendlin's Focusing process was an early power therapy that did not
get the development or full appreciation it deserved. Exploring this process will give you
a greater subjective appreciation of the left/right hemispheric balancing believed
to be an important element of all power therapies. The book Focusing by
Gendlin goes into much more detail. I use the term "poise" in the guide as a
euphemism for objectivity and peace of mind.
The NLP Timeline Exercise: I haven't yet had
time to include the instructions. I have used this is a process in EMDR many time, with
exciting results. It is explained in detail in the book Timeline Therapy. It is a
beautiful hybrid of targeting and future pacing that can itself be enhanced.
© 1998, Robert Yourell |