Transforming trauma-- EMDR The revolutionary new therapy for freeing the mind, clearing the body, and opening the heart

Laurel Parnell, 1955-

Book - 1997

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

616.8521/Parnell
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 616.8521/Parnell Checked In
Subjects
Published
New York : W.W. Norton & Co 1997.
Language
English
Main Author
Laurel Parnell, 1955- (-)
Physical Description
287 p.
Bibliography
Includes index.
ISBN
9780393040531
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

While recalling a traumatic incident, a patient in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy is led through a series of patterned eye movements in order to gain permanent relief from severe symptoms. According to Parnell, a clinical psychologist and senior EMDR Institute facilitator, theories abound as to how EMDR works. Both consumers and professionals will relish Parnell's enthusiasm, vivid case histories and personal revelations. Clinical reports by EMDR practitioners suggest the therapy is most useful in the eradication of single traumas, often in only one session, although "weeks, months or years may [first] elapse" before the client trusts the therapist enough to allow this. Parnell includes an excellent description of the symptoms in adults of childhood sexual abuse. She follows this with a protocol almost identical to a common procedure of hypnotherapists, so she is unconvincing in her casual dismissal of the similarity of EMDR to hypnotherapy. Parnell's emphasis on authorized training in, and on personal experience with EMDR by therapists wishing to practice this modality, seems too insistent and, also, ironic, given that Francine Shapiro, who developed EMDR, initially tested the technique on friends without a qualm. Scientific evaluation of EMDR remains inconclusive, but those wishing to learn about it will benefit from this book, which complements Shapiro's own EMDR (Lifestyle Forecasts, Mar. 3). (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a controversial method of psychotherapy used for treating posttraumatic stress syndrome and anxiety disorders. These two books provide an overview of EMDR for the general reader. Supporters claim that EMDR releases traumatic memories locked in the brain, accelerates recovery, and reduces stress; opponents point out that a neurological basis for this theory has yet to be established. These two new books on EMRR chiefly contain case histories and descriptions of the therapy; both warn against unauthorized use by therapists not trained by the EMDR Institute. Parnell, a clinical psychologist and senior EMDR Institute facilitator, claims a transcendent focus for EMDR, leading to "objective forgiveness" of oneself and the perpetrator of the trauma. Shapiro, who developed EMDR in 1989, documents research supporting EMDR, citing both controlled and uncontrolled studies and listing 12 populations where EMDR has been effectively used as a form of treatment. Both books are recommended for popular psychology collections, though Shapiro's book is the preferred choice for readers who may wish to follow up on EMDR research.‘Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L. Cal. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.