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1: EMDR Therapy for Specific Fears and Phobias: The Phobia Protocol

DOI:

10.1891/9780826131683.0001

Authors

  • Jongh, Ad de
  • Jongh, Ad de

Abstract

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy may be particularly useful for phobic conditions with high levels of anxiety, with a traumatic origin or with a clear beginning, and for which it is understandable that resolving the memories of the conditioning events would positively influence its severity. This chapter illustrates how EMDR therapy can be applied in the treatment of specific fears and phobic conditions. It discusses four cases where clients actually underwent the dental treatment they feared, most within 3 weeks following EMDR Therapy treatment. The efficacy of EMDR therapy was also tested in a randomized clinical trial among 30 dental clients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria of dental phobia, and who had been avoiding the dentist for more than 4 years, on average. Clients in the EMDR Therapy condition showed significant reductions of dental anxiety and avoidance behavior as well as in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).