The breastfeeding and bonding eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol refers not only to breastfeeding but also to bonding because they are interconnected. If breastfeeding is not only considered as a challenging performance, but its difficulties are seen as critical knots that should be processed because they are linked with dysfunctionally stored memories, the effects will be much more evident and pervasive. The Breastfeeding and Bonding EMDR Protocol addresses the state of crisis, the difficulties, and the distress connected to breastfeeding similar to a recent traumatic event even if it would not be considered a major traumatic event. The selective use of EMD, EMDr, and EMDR depends on the level of focus and the installation of resources useful to deal with the mother’s new role and tasks. This timely focused intervention for breastfeeding difficulties may have high great preventive value and very significant consequences on her psychophysical health.

This chapter discusses illness and somatic disorders protocol. This protocol addresses both psychological and physical factors related to somatic complaints. This is an adjunct to appropriate medical care. For many, addressing the psychological dimensions will cause partial or complete remission of the physical symptoms. When primarily organic processes are involved, psychological issues may be exacerbating physical conditions. While physical symptoms may not remit, the clinical emphasis is on improving the person’s quality of life. The steps involved in illness and somatic disorders protocol are: teach affect regulation techniques and create an action plan to address real needs, identify and target intrusive thoughts and secondary gain; identify and reprocess relevant memories, present situations, and fears of the future; run “videotape” of the next 1 to 5 years and process disturbance and fears and incorporate positive future templates; use log and self-care procedures; if appropriate, use adjunctive imagery with cognitive groundwork.

The reenactment protocol is primarily an interweave and a variation to the standard eye movement desensitization and reprocessing protocol. Its goal is to help the client build a new narrative, which allows the client to be active and in control of the situation. All traumatic experiences have the common element of loss of control. It is most helpful to have the client engage the memory and take control of the outcome of the event. If a client responds positively to the reenactment protocol, it can be effectively used as a stand-alone protocol in future sessions. The reenactment protocol is often effective for relieving the targeted discomfort of painful memories, the first time the new narrative is imagined. This protocol relies on the use of the subjective units of disturbance score, the positive cognition score, and the body scans to determine if the traumatic and painful memory has been processed.

Somatic illness is often life-threatening and even if not it can bring along many stressful life experiences for one self and relevant others. Somatic disorders are of course very physical in experience. Also, medical treatment with its intensive use of medication can add a special flavor to the formation of the memory nodes later to be addressed in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR has demonstrated its efficacy in the treatment of patients traumatized by somatic disorders or medical treatment. Examples are the treatment of survivors of life-threatening cardiac events, the treatment of cancer patients, and the treatment of chronic regional pain syndrome. The treatment of patients traumatized by somatic disorders or medical treatment provides some challenges that one would like to address in this scripted protocol. This scripted protocol is designed to improve the treatment of these patients in need of help.

This chapter addresses the general use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy with somatic disorders and medical conditions using the basic EMDR protocol. The terms “somatic” and “medical” will be used interchangeably. EMDR is an established, evidence-based psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Shapiro (1995) widened the scope of trauma by considering that “victims of physical illness might also be suffering from psychological trauma” outlining a protocol for illness and somatic disorders based on the standard EMDR protocol. The chapter provides a case conceptualization incorporating EMDR into a comprehensive treatment plan for medical patients, along with how each of the eight phases of EMDR treatment can be adapted for use with medical issues. It helps the EMDR therapists to discover or build upon the approaches he or she already uses to facilitate improvement and quality of life in medical patients and their families.

Cancer is considered a “treacherous and uncontrollable invading, transforming and lethal process”. On the psychological level, it can generate a sense of vulnerability, loss of control and hopelessness, emotional lability characterized by a high level of arousal, intrusive thoughts that interfere with normal functioning, and avoidant behaviors in everyday life. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) has been added to possible treatment methods for patients suffering from cancer. This chapter discusses EMDR in psycho-oncology. There are 8 phases in EMDR: history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation of the positive cognition, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. EMDR can address the following: multiple cancer-related factors; past traumatic events; coping-skills reinforcement; strengthening resources for the future; and restructuring cognitive, emotional, and behavioral maladaptive schemas that can lead to a more adaptive response. This scripted protocol-based treatment model can be efficiently applied to support patients, their families, and professional caregivers.

Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy affects 78% to 89% of women and is considered to be normal. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy starts during the first trimester in 99% of affected women. Traumatic or negative experiences associated with previous pregnancies can cause nausea and vomiting in pregnancies, leading to negative affect and anticipation. Controlling the psychological distress of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) cases can help to relieve nausea and vomiting. The processing of the traumatic memory with the standard eye movement desensitization and reprocessing protocol (EMDR) provides relief for the mother. The EMDR HG Protocol allows rapid treatment for nausea and vomiting in pregnant women by targeting these triggers. The chapter describes possible interactions between trauma, previous adverse pregnancy experiences, triggers, and nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP). The EMDR therapy, NVP and HG Protocol, is a quick and effective intervention in the treatment of excessive nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) recent birth trauma protocol may be one of the major applications of EMDR in the obstetrics and gynecology wards. The EMDR recent birth trauma protocol has been specifically developed for intervention in the maternity ward when the delivery has been traumatic; the intervention may be used after several hours or days. In the EMDR recent birth trauma protocol, the clinician will find the following: different guidelines to treat women in a state of shock because of delivery; how to treat a “big T” birth trauma; how to treat a “small t” birth trauma; specific negative cognitions for birth trauma; explanation of the telescopic processing through EMD, EMDr, and EMDR for birth trauma; and the development of resources useful for the mother’s new role and the new tasks the woman is dealing with.

Head and neck cancer (H&NC) and its possible treatments are many and diverse. H&NC is a collective term for over 30 specific anatomical sites. This chapter sets out some of the current context of the disease and then describes how eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) may be applied with this client group. EMDR therapy is, ostensibly, a trans-diagnostic, integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and has proven effective for the treatment of adverse life experiences. The chapter describes EMDR therapy protocol for patients affected by H&NC. Clients with H&NC can often experience high levels of distress and anxiety related to their diagnosis, condition, treatment, levels of functioning, relationships, self-esteem, and quality of life. This chapter highlights that looking at these experiences through the lens of adaptive information processing which indicates a potential amenability to use EMDR therapy for distressing memories past, present, and future.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease of the central nervous system that affects both the brain and the spinal cord by destroying the myelin sheath that protects the nerve fibers. This chapter describes the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy approach applied to the treatment of posttraumatic reactions related to MS. It briefs the emotional burden of MS and specific disease-related problems, followed by the main results of research in psychosocial treatments. The chapter explores the clinical features of traumatic reactions related to the disease. This protocol aims to support patients in their difficult tasks of coping with the following: the illness, fears connected to its future progression, and the difficult choices managing the stage of the disease characterized by the significant worsening of symptoms, often resulting in the total loss of autonomy and the ability to communicate normally with the external world.