This book has two main goals: to provide descriptions of specific eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapeutic “tools” and, by incorporating these tools, to develop an overview of an Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model of the treatment of complex PTSD. The development of EMDR-related tools has been ongoing since the introduction of EMDR three decades ago. What will EMDR be in 2030? Unfortunately, the field—the field of psychotherapy for trauma-related disorders—has at times had a kind of dissociative disorder. Some therapists identify with one theoretical approach, and others are strong adherents of another identity. Often, these two “identities” do not communicate sufficiently, and sometimes they mistakenly think they have to fight with each other. Clearly, the author’s primary identification as a therapist is with EMDR-related methods based on an AIP approach, but the author attempting in the following chapters to also integrate the concepts and methods of cognitive approaches—approaches that are not only useful, but at times essential in the treatment of dissociative clients. The chapters of this book are divided into four parts. The first, comprising Chapters 1 and 2, is an overview of the application of the AIP model to complex PTSD and other dissociative conditions. The second part, Chapters 3 to 6, presents ways of treating (i.e., resolving) psychological defenses that are often linked intrinsically to disturbing memories but can be conceptually defined as separate entities because defenses typically contain dysfunctional positive affect, as opposed to the disturbing affect within memories of traumatic events. The third part, Chapters 7 to 14, focuses on several issues important in the EMDR treatment of dissociative conditions. And Chapters 15 to 17 are detailed case reports illustrating how these AIP “tools” can be employed in actual treatment sessions.
