Adolescent dating violence may lead to adverse health behaviors. We examined associations between sexual teen dating violence victimization (TDVV) and sexual risk behaviors among U.S. high school students using 2013 and 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data (combined n = 29,346). Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to estimate these associations among students who had dated or gone out with someone during the past 12 months (n = 20,093). Among these students, 10.5% experienced sexual TDVV. Sexual TDVV was positively associated with sexual intercourse before age 13, four or more lifetime sexual partners, current sexual activity, alcohol or drug use before last sexual intercourse, and no pregnancy prevention during last sexual intercourse. Given significant findings among both sexes, it is valuable for dating violence prevention efforts to target both female and male students.

This study examined individual and partner characteristics that contribute to the propensity for physical violence in couples. In a sample of 171 heterosexual dating couples, each partner completed measures assessing experienced childhood abuse, alcohol use, alcohol expectancies, attachment, and relationship length. Physically violent men reported more abuse from each parent, greater alcohol use, anxious attachment, and a longer relationship. Their female partner reported more childhood abuse by the father and reciprocal perpetrated violence. Physically violent women reported more abuse from the father, greater alcohol use, aggressive alcohol expectancies, and a longer relationship. Their male partner reported greater abuse from the mother, greater alcohol use, and reciprocal perpetrated violence. This study demonstrates the importance of considering how each individual’s characteristics within a dyad contribute to increased propensity for dating violence.

A large proportion (11%–60%) of people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also suffer from substance use disorder (SUD). As the high cooccurrence of PTSD and SUD leads to a worsening of psychopathological severity, development and evaluation of integrated treatments become highly valuable for individuals presenting with both diagnoses. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy may fit these needs. This article summarized all studies that investigated EMDR treatment for SUD, to clarify whether EMDR might be a useful approach. A comprehensive Title/Abstract/Keyword search was conducted on PsycInfo, PsychArticle, PubMed, and Scopus databases. A total of 135 articles were retrieved, and 8 articles met inclusion/exclusion criteria. One RCT and one case study evaluated trauma-focused EMDR; one clinical RCT, one non-clinical RCT, one cross-over study, and one case study evaluated addiction-focused EMDR; and one quasi-experimental and one multiphase case study evaluated the combination of addiction-focused and trauma-focused EMDR. Results show that EMDR treatment consistently reduces posttraumatic symptoms, but that its effects on SUD symptoms are less evident. Although EMDR should be considered as a promising tool for this population due to its possible potential to improve SUD outcomes, further research is needed to see whether EMDR therapy, either trauma-focused or addiction-focused, is effective for SUD. We conclude with suggestions for future research and clinical practice in this area.

This article introduces the “Flashforward procedure,” which is a specific application of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). It is used for the treatment of irrational fears, for example, when a persisting fear continues after the core memories of past events have been fully processed. A theoretical background is presented, and the procedure is explained, together with 2 illustrative case studies. We describe psychological conditions and mental health problems for which the use of EMDR aimed at client’s flashforward might be appropriate, as well as indicating which stage in the therapeutic process is most applicable for the use of this procedure. Furthermore, the Flashforward procedure is compared with other EMDR applications and similar procedures in other therapies. Some implications are discussed.

Cet article présente la technique éclair, une nouvelle technique utilisée pendant la phase de préparation de la thérapie EMDR (désensibilisation et retraitement par les mouvements oculaires) pour faciliter le traitement de souvenirs traumatiques intenses auxquels les patients hésiteraient autrement à accéder. Les premières données, demeurant à confirmer, suggèrent que cette technique pourrait permettre aux patients d’accéder à ces souvenirs d’abord de manière la moins perturbante possible, réduisant leur intensité émotionnelle, afin de pouvoir ensuite les aborder plus pleinement et les traiter à l’aide de la thérapie EMDR. La technique semble aisément tolérée par les patients de tous âges, y compris les enfants ; elle paraît rapide et relativement indolore pour les patients, même ceux qui possèdent des souvenirs cibles particulièrement perturbants ; elle s’enseigne facilement aux cliniciens. Elle se distingue par le fait que les patients qui évitent un souvenir terriblement perturbant peuvent se voir offrir une façon de le traiter sans devoir le ramener clairement à l’esprit. Quatre exemples de cas, dans lesquels quatre cliniciens différents ont utilisé la technique, sont présentés brièvement. Des suggestions sont formulées pour des études à venir. Cet article présente des hypothèses pour expliquer divers mécanismes d’action et évoque les effets en termes de la théorie de reconsolidation mnésique.

The comparative treatment efficiency of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and prolonged exposure (PE) therapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was tested for 20 participants diagnosed with PTSD. Efficiency was operationalized as the total exposure time to traumatic memories during and between sessions; the number of trauma memories processed over the course of therapy; how many sessions were required to resolve the primary trauma; and lower subjective units of disturbance (SUD) levels after the initial treatment session. Participants were randomized to each condition and received 12 90-minute sessions of therapy over 6 weeks. Symptoms were assessed by treatment-blind assessors at posttreatment, and at 3 and 6 months follow-up. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in symptoms posttreatment for PTSD (d = .64), depression (d = .46), anxiety (d = .52) and stress (d = .57) for both groups, which was maintained at 3 months. At 6 months there was a small increase in symptoms compared to the 3-month time point on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) but no significant change in any self-report symptoms EMDR was significantly more efficient than PE. EMDR participants had less total exposure time to traumatic memories when homework hours were included (d = .66), reported lower SUD scores after the first session (d = .45), required fewer sessions for the target memory to decrease to near zero distress levels (d = .84), and processed more traumatic memories.

Healthcare workers and mental health clinicians are at heightened risk for mental health issues while they support their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and early psychological intervention is crucial to protect them. The Self-Care Traumatic Episode Protocol (STEP) is a computerized intervention adapted from the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (EMDR G-TEP). This study evaluated the effectiveness of STEP for mental health clinicians in the context of COVID-19. Thirty-four mental health clinicians were randomly allocated to treatment (n = 17) or waitlist (n = 17). The Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were completed by the treatment group at baseline and 1-week follow-up postintervention and by the waitlist group at baseline, preintervention, and 1-week follow-up postintervention. Pre–post comparisons showed a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress for Immediate Treatment, t(15) = −3.64, p < .01, d = .73, and for Delayed Treatment, t(15) = −3.53, p < .01, d = .68, There was also a significant increase in general self-efficacy for Immediate Treatment, t(15) = 2.87, p < .05, d = .46, and Delayed Treatment, t(15) = 3.72, p < .01, d = .56. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) indicated that STEP may be effective in increasing general self-efficacy and reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among mental health clinicians in the context of COVID-19. Further research investigating the potential of utilizing the STEP intervention on a larger scale and with other populations is needed.

Depuis 2001, les guerres en Irak et en Afghanistan exercent une pression considérable sur la médecine militaire pour gérer efficacement la demande croissante de soins en santé mentale du personnel déployé. Cet article examine la capacité du Ministère de la défense des Etats-Unis à fournir des services de santé mentale de qualité en fonction de la disponibilité (a) de la formation clinique, (b) des interventions en santé mentale et (c) de la recherche subventionnée portant sur les traitements de l’état de stress post-traumatique. Alors que des progrès notables ont été réalisés au niveau de l’accès au traitement cognitivo-comportemental et des études dans ce domaine, l’Intégration neuro-émotionnelle par les stimulations bilatérales alternées ou EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) est beaucoup moins disponible – peut-être à cause de la controverse actuelle qui entoure la technique. Nous suggérons qu’une meilleure disponibilité des traitements comportementaux basés sur les données probantes, peut-être par le biais de la poursuite d’un récent programme régional de formation, serait bénéfique pour les vétérans qui y ont aujourd’hui peu accès.

This case study demonstrates the effective use of EMDR in helping a child manage fears triggered by a life-threatening chronic medical condition—congenital heart failure. It is well documented that childhood chronic illness creates ongoing stress and psychological problems for children and their families. Evidence suggests that interventions to enhance coping skills improve psychological functioning. EMDR has the potential to contribute to this end. Deconstructive analysis of a single EMDR session illustrates the working of Shapiro’s adaptive information processing (AIP) model. It demonstrates that the child can spontaneously open up channels of association to uncover, process, and resolve fears relating to the medical condition, as well as other concerns. A case is made for targeting whatever current, overt problem or symptom the child presents, because this inevitably serves as a portal to more covert, even unconscious core issues. Past, current, and future fears and traumatic experiences emerge and are processed to resolution. Also highlighted is the importance of integrating the individual EMDR treatment component into a family systems treatment approach for optimum outcome, because the illness impacts the whole family, ergo, the child. Recommendations for EMDR treatment planning and implementation with chronic illness are offered.

Le protocole “opaque pour le thérapeute” (blind-to-therapist) (Blore & Holmshaw, 2009a, 2009b) a été conçu pour contourner les réticences du patient à décrire le contenu de ses souvenirs traumatiques au cours de la désensibilisation et du retraitement par les mouvements oculaires (EMDR). Il a été utilisé auprès d'au moins six sortes de cas cliniques :

Cet article détaille l'historique, le développement et le statut actuel du protocole et illustre chacune de ces utilisations par des vignettes cliniques. Sont également abordées les difficultés rencontrées lors de l'utilisation du protocole et de la transition vers le protocole standard.

Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is of significant importance to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Eye movements seem to be the most effective form of BLS in EMDR. A brief summary of the cultural applicability of EMDR is provided, and research which showed the value of incorporating religion and/or spirituality into psychotherapy is highlighted. Islamic Sufism, in common with other traditional religions, has long been known to have a psychotherapeutic perspective and has been used over time to help people to overcome trauma and stress. This article argues that the ritual movements associated with the Sufi Dhikr may involve a form of BLS and that this might underline some of the therapeutic effectiveness of Dhikr and Sufism. The authors recommend investigating if the Sufi Dhikr element could be incorporated into a modified EMDR protocol. We anticipate that this would give EMDR an even wider and more popular acceptance in the Middle East and the Muslim world.

This article provides excerpts from each chapter of An EMDR Primer: From Practicum to Practice (Hensley, 2009) to assist novice eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) clinicians who are learning how to use this approach and to serve as a refresher for therapists who have not used EMDR consistently in their practices. Actual cases are presented that demonstrate various strategies that the therapist can use to help clients reach adaptive resolution of trauma. Tables and figures highlight important features to explain the obvious and subtle nuances of EMDR. Focal points are the following: (a) the adaptive information processing model; (b) the types of targets accessed during the EMDR process; (c) the 8 phases of EMDR; (d) the components of the standard EMDR protocol used during the assessment phase; (e) past, present, and future in terms of appropriate targeting and successful outcomes; and (f) strategies and techniques for dealing with challenging clients, high levels of abreaction, and blocked processing.

We aimed to assess changes in the attachment internal working model and reflective function (RF) as mechanisms of change in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment for patients with traumatic memories. Twenty adult female patients with parenting and relational problems participated in the study. Attachment organization was assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the RF coding scale pre- and posttreatment. We found that EMDR therapy increased patients' narrative coherence and RF. We noted a significant decrease in the number of participants classified as unresolved following the course of EMDR treatment in which loss and/or trauma were resolved. This article summarizes the changes after EMDR therapy regarding attachment status and its efficacy to reprocess early traumatic memories in a more adaptive way. Finally, our results also support the usefulness of the AAI as a tool for understanding the changing processes during a therapeutic treatment.

Nonpharmacological Techniques (NPT) have been suggested as an efficient and safe means to reduce pain and anxiety in invasive medical procedures. Due to the anxious and potentially traumatic nature of these procedures, we decided to integrate an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) session in the preprocedure NPT. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of one session of EMDR in addition to the routine NPT. Forty-nine pediatric patients (Male = 25; Female = 24) aged 8–18 years (M = 13.17; SD = 2.98) undergoing painful and invasive medical procedures were randomized to receive standard preprocedural care (N = 25) or a session of EMDR in addition to the standard nonpharmacological interventions (N = 24). Participants completed the anxiety and depression scales from the Italian Psychiatric Self-evaluation Scale for Children and Adolescents (SAFA) and rated anxiety on a 0–10 numeric rating scale. Participants in the NPT+EMDR condition expressed significantly less anxiety before the medical procedure than those in the NPT group (p = .038). The integration of EMDR with NPT was demonstrated to be an effective anxiety prevention technique for pediatric sedo-analgesia. These results are the first data on the efficacy of EMDR as a technique to prevent anxiety in pediatric sedo-analgesia. There are important long-term clinical implications because this therapy allows an intervention on situations at risk of future morbidity and the prevention of severe disorders.

La mente humana es difícil de investigar, pero los fundamentos biológicos de la mente, sobre todo de la conciencia, generalmente conllevan una mayor complejidad. En este artículo, extraído del libro Fundamentos neurobiológicos para la práctica de EMDR (Bergmann, 2012), introducimos y delineamos aspectos de la conciencia, el procesamiento de información y su relación con la terapia de desensibilización y reprocesamiento por movimientos oculares (EMDR). Examinamos la conciencia en relación a tres características: la unidad de percepción y función, la subjetividad y la predicción. Examinamos la relación de estas características con EMDR.

This article is a nonexhaustive overview concerning the developments of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in a humanitarian context in Africa. These efforts aimed to promote psychological healing for people suffering after humanitarian crises, wars, and disasters. This article reflects a summary of the contributions obtained from organizations and people working and teaching EMDR therapy in Africa. In addition to explaining the cultural, political, and socioeconomic outcomes of the African context and the special needs of those suffering from trauma and trauma-related symptoms, this article emphasizes the challenges for humanitarian efforts in offering and in teaching EMDR therapy in Africa. The work in four countries is presented to provide specific examples.

There is currently a limited number of studies into the efficacy of eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study utilizes a systematic narrative review of methodologies and findings of previous literature reviews and meta-analyses as well as analyzing randomized control trials (RCTs) conducted from 2002 to 2018. Following initial scoping of the extent of studies, two systematic literature searches were conducted, firstly for literature reviews and secondly for recent RCTs. Nine databases were utilized. Eight reviews and seven RCTs were identified and analyzed for quality of methodology and outcome as measured by impact on PTSD symptoms. EMDR was found to be efficacious in reducing children's PTSD symptoms compared to waitlist conditions, with similar outcomes to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). EMDR was effective with both single-event trauma as well as cumulative trauma such as sexual abuse. EMDR was equally effective with girls and boys as well as children from different cultures. EMDR achieved medium to large effect sizes. Reductions in PTSD were maintained at 2-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. In conclusion, EMDR was consistently found to be an efficacious treatment for children with PTSD. Recommendations are made for future practice and research.

The present study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in treating pain and subjective distress of patients with cancer. A randomized controlled trial was performed on patients with cancer suffering from moderate to severe cancer pain in Yasuj, Iran, in 2019 and 2020. Sixty patients aged 30–60 years who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected using a consensus sampling technique. Patients were randomly assigned to EMDR therapy or control groups based on random block allocation. EMDR therapy was administered in six to eight daily 1-hour sessions. The control group received the standard treatment provided by the hospital. A Numeric Pain-Rating Scale (NRS) and the Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale (SUDS) were used to assess pain and subjective distress before and after the intervention in each session. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and independent t test using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24. The mean pain intensity and subjective distress score in the experimental group before and after the EMDR intervention were significantly reduced (p < .001). In the control group, no decreases in NRS and SUDS scores occurred at any time (p > .05). Differences in pain scores between the groups were statistically significant (p < .001). EMDR can effectively and sustainably reduce the pain and subjective distress experienced by patients with cancer. Thus, EMDR is a recommended therapeutic option to mitigate pain and subjective distress among patients with cancer.

El presente artículo reporta los resultados de seguimiento de nuestro estudio de campo (Jarero & Uribe, 2011), en el que se investigó la aplicación del Protocolo de Terapia de Reprocesamiento y Desensibilización a través del Movimiento Ocular para Incidentes Críticos Recientes (EMDR-PRECI) en una situación de masacre humana. Se aplicó una sola sesión de tratamiento a 32 empleados forenses de la Procuraduría General del Estado de Durango en México, quienes estaban trabajabando con 258 cuerpos recuperados de fosas clandestinas. Los resultados pre y post-tratamiento mostraron una mejoría significativa, tanto en el grupo de atención inmediata (GAI), como en el grupo de atención demorada (GAD), en los puntajes de la Impact of Events Scale (IES) y en el Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT). En este estudio reportamos la evaluación de seguimiento, la cual se realizó después de 3 y 5 meses de la aplicación del tratamiento. Los puntajes obtenidos en el seguimiento muestran que los resultados del tratamiento original se mantuvieron, y que continuó presentándose una disminución significativa de los síntomas de estrés postraumático y de TEPT auto-reportados, entre el post-tratamiento y el seguimiento. Durante el período de seguimiento, los empleados continuaron su labor forense con los restos humanos recuperados y estuvieron permanentemente expuestos a estresores emocionales aterradores y a amenazas constantes relacionadas con su seguridad. Lo anterior sugiere que el EMDR-PRECI fue una intervención temprana efectiva al reducir el estrés postraumático en un grupo de adultos traumatizados que continuaron laborando bajo estresores extremos en una situación de masacre humana. Parece ser que el tratamiento ayudo a prevenir el desarrollo de TEPT crónico y a aumentar la resiliencia psicológica y emocional.

The blind to therapist (B2T) protocol (Blore & Holmshaw, 2009a, 2009b) was devised to circumvent client unwillingness to describe traumatic memory content during eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). It has been used with at least six clinical presentations:

This article details the history, development, and current status of the protocol, and provides case vignettes to illustrate each use. Clinical issues encountered when using the protocol and “dovetailing” the B2T protocol back into the standard protocol are also addressed.

This study used a quantitative, single-case study design to examine the effectiveness of the integration of intensive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and ego state therapy for the treatment of an individual diagnosed with comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The participant received 25.5 hr of treatment in a 3-week period, followed with 12 hr of primarily supportive therapy over the next 6-week period. Clinical symptoms decreased as evidenced by reduction in scores from baseline to 6-week follow-up on the following scales: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) from 46 (severe depression) to 15 (mild mood disorder), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) from 37 (severe anxiety) to 25 (moderate anxiety), and Impact of Events Scale from 50 (severe PTSD symptoms) to 12 (below PTSD cutoff ). Scores showed further reductions at 6-month follow-up. Results show the apparent effectiveness of the integration of intensive EMDR and ego state work.

This narrative literature review examines 12 eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy studies published in peer-reviewed journals that implement qualitative methodology other than case studies. Qualitative studies in the EMDR community and in mental health research can get overlooked because they are not perceived to be as scientific as quantitative studies. However, the presence of proper, systematic methodology in qualitative research can reveal another layer of important data about the how and why of EMDR therapy's impact. A variety of study types are reviewed (grounded theory, phenomenology, content and thematic analysis, and several other published forms) that offer evidence-based insight in six major areas of relevance to the EMDR community: the value of the therapeutic relationship and attunement, the role of EMDR therapy preparation and safety measures, the perceived impact of reprocessing phases, and insights for EMDR therapy training and implementation. The authors conclude that it is imperative that clinicians attend to the therapeutic relationship and provide adequate preparation. A discussion about clinical implementation and training EMDR therapists is also included, with suggestions made for advancing qualitative research in EMDR therapy.

Beaucoup de patients souffrant de psychose fonctionnelle ont connu un passé traumatique et présentent des symptômes d'ESPT (état de stress post-traumatique) ; certains peuvent aussi être traumatisés par leurs propres symptômes psychotiques. Nous présentons ici une série de vignettes cliniques décrivant le traitement EMDR (désensibilisation et retraitement par les mouvements oculaires) de quatre patients souffrant de psychose fonctionnelle et ayant tous un passé de traumatisation sévère. Après le traitement, tous les patients ont présenté une réduction de leurs symptômes d'ESPT et ont rapporté également une amélioration de leur qualité de vie. Le suivi, entre trois et six ans plus tard, a montré que les effets du traitement s'étaient maintenus, avec des changements manifestes : élimination des éléments délirants d'origine traumatique, réduction de l'anxiété et de la dépression, réduction du nombre d'hospitalisations, et amélioration globale de la qualité de vie des sujets. Comme les patients psychotiques ont plus fréquemment que les autres un passé de traumatismes et des symptômes d'ESPT, et que le trauma peut être une composante étiologique du déclenchement d'une psychose, il nous paraît nécessaire d'étudier et d'explorer l'EMDR en tant qu'opportunité de traitement.

This article is an evaluation of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Europe Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) facilitators’ training in Pakistan based on a project set up in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake. Q-methodology was the method of choice for this research because it permits the systematic study of subjective experiences by combining the richness of qualitative protocols with the rigors of quantitative ones. Research participants were 6 recently trained EMDR Pakistan consultants and facilitators, of which 5 were consultant psychiatrists and 1 was a general practitioner (GP)/psychologist. The Q concourse addressed issues such as EMDR clinical practice, cultural application of EMDR in Pakistan, EMDR research and development, and their experiences of their EMDR-HAP training. Results highlighted issues around professional role and application of EMDR, the teaching and learning experience of EMDR, clinical supervision, the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and the cultural sensitivity and application of EMDR in Pakistan. The article also considers how the EMDR-HAP training program could be improved in Pakistan.

This practice-based article discusses the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in counseling “Paul” and “Eddie” (aliases), a couple for 4 years who presented with what they identified as “communication problems.” Through the use of psychosocial assessments of the men’s personal histories, it was determined that Paul’s experience of feeling controlled and Eddie’s struggles to believe that he mattered in the relationship were linked to traumatic memories in each man’s childhood that related to his sexual identity development. EMDR was used to target the men’s traumatic memories, alternating between Paul and Eddie. Following each EMDR treatment series, the work was integrated by talking through how the reprocessed material integrated into the overall couple experience, leading to both men’s increased satisfaction in the relationship.

The standard protocol of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy has been well established as an efficacious brief treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addressing past, present, and future aspects of a traumatizing event. This article provides instruction in the administration of the EMDR Life Stress Protocol, which targets a significant recent experience or a life scenario that is not necessarily remarkable as a stand-alone event (getting up every morning with dread, feeling anxious about leaving the house) and which causes distress and impaired function such as has been commonly reported during the COVID-19 crisis. This protocol involves minor but significant modifications within EMDR therapy’s standard procedures. It uses the present-day experience as the Target Memory while accessing briefly, the memory network of historical experiences that inform the client’s reactions to their present circumstances. Successful processing is immediately followed by a Future Template to generate an alternative pattern of response, optimizing the client’s capacity to respond adaptively to continued life demands. The EMDR Life Stress Protocol differs from EMDR’s various recent events protocols, which seek to reduce posttraumatic symptoms following a recent traumatic event or crisis. Those protocols focus on the critical incident and ancillary events, and typically do not intend to activate memory networks of related historical experiences. The article describes case conceptualization to offer a rationale for this approach and provides a detailed description of this protocol, illustrated with case examples, highlighting its application both as a psychotherapy approach and as a brief intervention.

This study examined the effects of bilateral stimulation during unpleasant memory recall followed by free association, similar to Phase 4 of EMDR therapy. Forty-six female nonpatients were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: bilateral eye movements (BEMs), eye fixation with background movements (BDM), or eye fixation (Dot) control, each while recalling a moderately unpleasant memory and each followed by free association to the memory. Electroencephalography recordings were conducted on these participants during the 1-minute free association of the original memory after each of five administrations of the conditions. Results revealed only trend increases in Beta interhemispheric coherence following BEMs. However, statistically significant increases in Right Frontal Theta and Beta intrahemispheric coherences were found following BEMs, with similar trend increases for Left Frontal Theta and Beta and for Right Frontal Gamma. Cortical electrode maps are presented for these Beta coherence effects. Ratings of imagery vividness and emotional valence were collected after each set of eye movements plus free associations and showed a significant decrease across all conditions. Results are discussed within the context of a proposed integrated 2-stage cortical coherence model. Suggestions are made for future research, including investigation of possible implications for treatment of traumatic brain injury.

This research projects spans a 6-year period surveying 485 participants’ experiences of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) training in the United Kingdom and Ireland between the periods of 2005 and 2011. This research used a mixed research methodology exploring EMDR training participants’ application of EMDR within their current clinical practice. The rationale was to explore potential differences between EMDR-accredited and EMDR-nonaccredited clinicians in relation to retrospective reports of treatment. Results indicate that EMDR-accredited clinicians report better treatment outcomes. An argument is presented that EMDR has progressed from a convergent technique to a divergent psychotherapeutic approach. Consequently, the research explored whether current EMDR training is “fit for purpose.” A comprehensive model for EMDR training is outlined, proposing the importance of developing more EMDR training in academic institutions.

It has only been in this last decade that trauma-focused treatments (TFT) have been studied in patients with psychotic disorders. Before, the paradigm stated that TFT was contraindicated in these patients because clinicians and researchers assumed the risk of exacerbation of symptoms was too high. The purpose of this article is to examine the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in the treatment of psychosis. To this end, we will present a brief narrative review of the current state of research in this particular field. The results suggest that, contrary to the “no-TFT-in-psychosis” paradigm, TFTs such as EMDR therapy can successfully be used to reduce trauma-related symptoms in patients with psychosis. Moreover, there are now provisional indications that psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations can be targeted directly and indirectly using EMDR therapy.

In this article, the concept of humanitarian aid, the basic needs in crisis situations, the definition of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and EMDR as a humanitarian intervention are explained. General needs and needs in Middle East are discussed. Some of the published studies about the EMDR therapy as a humanitarian intervention are summarized. Training and humanitarian programs in Turkey are documented. Two of our important humanitarian projects with EMDR including Marmara earthquake training and Intervention and Kilis Syrian refugees projects are described in detail. The aim of this article is to underline the importance of basic elements of natural and man-made disasters in terms of organization, financing, training, and intervention.

This article, condensed from Chapter 14 of A Guide to the Standard EMDR Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors, and Consultants (Leeds, 2009), examines applying eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to treating individuals with panic disorder (PD) and PD with agoraphobia (PDA). The literature on effective treatments for PD and PDA is reviewed focusing on cognitive and behavioral therapies, pharmacotherapy, and EMDR. Case reports and controlled studies of EMDR treatment of PD and PDA are examined for lessons to guide EMDR clinicians. Two model EMDR treatment plans are presented: one for cases of simple PD without agoraphobia or other co-occurring disorders and the other for cases of PDA or PD with co-occurring anxiety or Axis II disorders. A more extensive literature discussion, detailed treatment guidelines, and client education resources can be found in the original chapter.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) protocol for recent traumatic events in the treatment of acute stress disorder. Within weeks of being exposed to an isolated traumatic event, 7 adults diagnosed with acute stress disorder were provided with multiple sessions of the EMDR protocol for recent traumatic events, an extended version of the EMDR therapy standard protocol. In each case, an individual’s subjective distress caused by the traumatic events was measured using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the goal of alleviating symptoms was accomplished. The positive results suggest the EMDR protocol for recent traumatic events may be an effective means of providing early treatment to victims of trauma, potentially preventing the development of the more severe symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.

This article discusses the integration of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy with a family therapy treatment, which was designed for treating mothers and their babies from conception through the first year of life. The Calming Womb Family Therapy Model (CWFTM) is a multidisciplinary, Integrative, early intervention approach. Its foundations originate from Murray Bowen's family model of understanding the individual in the context of their families as emotional interactive systems; Selma Fraiberg's psychodynamic work and psychoeducational interventions with mothers and infants to resolve maternal trauma and transference reactions to their babies followed by educational guidance in infant development through the first year of their lives; and EMDR therapy. EMDR therapy can improve internal resources for expectant mothers; monitor their levels of psychological distress; and enable them to access and process traumatic memories, other adverse life experiences, recent stressors, and pre-perinatal concerns and bring them to adaptive resolution. EMDR therapy can also help pregnant mothers develop imaginal templates of future events that incorporate in utero developmental prenatal education and deepen their bonds with their babies. The pre-perinatal psychotherapist's knowledge of infant development and capacity for interpersonal warmth, affect tolerance, somatic resourcing, reflective stance, and relational attunement can provide a fertile ground for the expectant mother and womb baby relationship and enriching life together. The ultimate goal is to conceive and rear healthy children.

Cross-culturally effective, low-threshold therapies for refugees that can be carried out quickly are urgently required. Worldwide, therapies are lacking, particularly for preschool refugee children, which support coping and prevent chronification of posttraumatic stress. This pilot study examined eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)-based group treatment for preschool refugee children in German daycare centers. Ten refugee preschool children aged 4–6 years (n = 5 female) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms took part in an EMDR-based group treatment (with 2–4 children per group). PTSD symptoms were rated by parents and preschool teachers using items from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 1½–5), pre- and posttreatment, and at 3-month follow-up. After treatment children tended to display less fear of animals or situations than before treatment. According to preschool teachers' perspective, the total number of PTSD symptoms dropped significantly at posttreatment (d = .93) and at follow-up (d = .81). Before the intervention, preschool teachers rated the children as being more defiant than their parents did (p = .020). After the intervention, the PTSD symptoms of boys were significantly higher than those of girls (p = .036) according to preschool teachers. The results indicate that timely psychotherapeutic interventions can be conducted with refugee children displaying PTSD symptoms in daycare centers. The efficacy of this intervention needs to be studied in a larger sample under controlled randomized conditions.

Symptome einer Demenz umfassen hauptsächlich neuropsychologische Störungen, insbesondere des Langzeitgedächtnisses. Häufig kommt es jedoch auch zu schweren verhaltensbezogenen und psychologischen Demenzsymptomen (BPSD-behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia). Bei etlichen Patienten ist BPSD nicht mit Arzneimitteln behandelbar. Manche Charakteristika derartiger BPSD ähneln häufig traumatischen Symptomen und scheinen mit der Erinnerung an verstörende traumatische Ereignisse aus der Vergangenheit verbunden zu sein. Da das Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)-Standardprotokoll nicht unmittelbar auf Patienten mit Demenz anwendbar ist, haben wir ein modifiziertes Protokoll entwickelt, die EMDR-Vor-Ort-Methode (on-the-spot-EMDR). Dieser Beitrag beschreibt das Protokoll und evaluiert dessen Anwendung bei drei Patienten mit mittelschwerer bis schwerer Demenz. Es zeigten sich eindeutige therapeutische Wirkungen und bei allen drei Patienten kam es zu einer deutlichen Verbesserung der BPSD, die bei einer Nachuntersuchung nach sechs Monaten weiterhin festzustellen war. Die Relevanz dieser Erkenntnisse wird besprochen und es werden Vorschläge für die weitere Forschung vorgestellt.

This article is an excerpt from the book EMDR Therapy and Adjunct Approaches With Children: Complex Trauma, Attachment, and Dissociation. It presents an original model to work with caregivers of children with complex trauma. This model comprises 3 levels of parental involvement within a comprehensive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment: psychoeducation, self-regulation, and memory reprocessing and integration (Gomez, 2009, 2012a, 2012b). Mentalization and reflective function (Fonagy & Target, 1997), mindsight (Siegel, 1999, 2010), mind-mindedness (Meins, Fernyhough, Fradley, & Tuckey, 2002), insightfulness (Koren-Karie, Oppenheim, Dolev, Sher, & Etziom-Carasso, 2002), and metacognitive monitoring (Flavell, 1979; Main, 1991) are all constructs linked to the parent’s capacity to develop infant’s attachment security. However, unresolved trauma and loss appears to impair these capacities in parents. Many children wounded by caregivers lacking such competences had to endure repetitive emotional, physical, and sexual overt and covert abuse; enmeshment and intrusiveness; or on the contrary, detachment and lack of connection. When the caregivers have been the wounding agents, their inclusion and active participation in the overall treatment of their children is fundamental.

This case series study investigated the effectiveness of an integrative eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and family therapy model, specifically the Integrative Attachment Trauma Protocol for Children (IATP-C), for improving traumatic stress, attachment relationships, and behaviors in children with a history of attachment trauma; specifically, adopted children with a history of maltreatment and foster or orphanage care. Of the 23 child participants, one family dropped out at 6 months, and 22 completed treatment in 6–24 months. Mean treatment length was 12.7 months. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant improvement in scores on children's traumatic stress symptoms, behaviors, and attachment relationships by the end of treatment. Statistical analysis of secondary measures showed significant improvement in mothers' scores related to symptomology and attitudes toward their child. Gains were maintained for the 15 families who complied with completion and returning of follow-up measures. Limitations of the study include the lack of a control group and small sample size. Future directions include controlled efficacy studies with larger sample sizes as well as exploration of application of the model to a similar population of children in other cultures and to children who are not residing in permanent placements.

This article reports on the first 3 randomly allocated cases treated by the author in an ongoing trial comparing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) with cognitive behavioral therapy (exposure and response prevention) in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a U.K. primary care setting. This article describes the treatment and data collection procedures, followed by a summary of each of the 3 cases supported by quantitative and qualitative data. The Adapted EMDR Phobia Protocol (Marr, 2012) was provided, following the trial protocol of 1-hour, 16-session treatment. The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale was administered at every 4th session. At posttreatment, 2 of the 3 cases showed more than a 50% reduction on validated psychometric measures, with symptoms below diagnostic cutoff. The final case started treatment below the diagnostic cutoff on the primary outcome measure and showed a slight improvement. Six-month follow-up data showed maintenance of treatment effects. Transcripts from a semistructured telephone interview carried out by an independent researcher following treatment were analyzed using a 6-stage thematic analysis method, which identified 3 themes: the role of traumatic experiences, role of shame, and importance of therapeutic alliance. This article concludes with a discussion of implications for EMDR practice and theory.

The empirical justification for the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy as part of the repertoire of interventions used in response to humanitarian endeavors continues at a pace. A devastating earthquake, measuring 7.6 magnitude on the Richter scale, occurred in Northern Pakistan in October 2005. In response, the first EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program to be facilitated by an academic institution was established. This article highlights how 3 research projects assisted in the continued development of EMDR therapy in Pakistan to the point where presently more than 125 Pakistani mental health professionals have now been trained; it now has its own EMDR National Association and is an active participant within EMDR Asia.

This study compared the effect of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy versus guided imagery on insomnia severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this randomized controlled trial, 75 patients with RA were selected via convenience sampling before using block randomization to assign patients into three groups comprised of (a) six sessions of EMDR, (b) six sessions of guided imagery, and (c) a control group. The Persian version of the Insomnia Severity Index was implemented at preintervention and 2 weeks' postintervention as the outcome measure. The EMDR group obtained respective pre-and postintervention mean scores of 23.5 ± 5.2 and 11±2.1, whereas the guided imagery group obtained scores of 24 ± 3 and 15.3 ± 2.3, and the control group obtained scores of 24.2 ± 3.3 and 23.6 ± 3. Pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant differences in insomnia severity between patients from each group, with the EMDR group experiencing a greater reduction in insomnia severity than guided imagery. EMDR and guided imagery were both effective in reducing insomnia severity in RA patients, although the degree of insomnia reduction for patients from the EMDR group was greater than that of the guided imagery group.

Les investigations en neuroimagerie sur les effets des psychothérapies qui traitent l'état de stress post-traumatique (ESPT), dont l'EMDR (désensibilisation et retraitement par les mouvements oculaires), ont décrit des résultats cohérents avec des modifications au niveau du débit sanguin cérébral (DSC ; tomographie d'émission monophotonique [SPECT : single photon emission computed tomography]), du volume neuronal et de la densité neuronale (imagerie par résonance magnétique [IRM]) et, plus récemment, du signal électrique cérébral (électroencéphalographie [EEG]). De plus, récemment, des changements neurobiologiques en lien avec l'EMDR ont été relevés par EEG pendant la thérapie elle-même et a montré une modification de l'activation maximale depuis les régions cérébrales limbiques émotionnelles vers les régions corticales cognitives. C'était la première fois que des changements neurobiologiques se produisant au cours d'une séance de psychothérapie étaient rapportés, faisant de l'EMDR la première psychothérapie avec un effet neurobiologique prouvé. Le but de cet article est de résumer les résultats indiquant les changements fonctionnels et structurels se produisant lors du traitement de l'ESPT et présentés par divers groupes de recherche pendant la période 1999-2012. Les changements pathophysiologiques décrits sont présentés en fonction de la technique neuropsychologique et de la méthodologie employée, puis analysés de manière critique.

Little is known of the usability of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as an intervention for those experiencing psychosis. This study aimed to explore therapists' experience of using EMDR with this population. A qualitative design was employed using an inductive approach and a thematic analysis. Twenty therapists, who had used EMDR with this client group, took part in a semi-structured interview to explore their experiences of the intervention. Key themes were generated from the data: (a) familiarity with psychosis and EMDR, (b) acceptability of EMDR, (c) the importance of systemic factors, and (d) keeping key therapy principles in mind. Findings highlighted the importance of supervision to build therapist confidence, the value of the multidisciplinary team, and the need for a shift in beliefs surrounding the usefulness of EMDR to the wider system. Recommendations for individuals and services are provided.

Existe un interés creciente en usar la terapia de desensibilización y reprocesamiento mediante movimientos oculares (EMDR) más allá del trastorno por estrés postraumático; para el cual dicha aplicación está bien consolidada. Con el fuerte consenso académico de que las experiencias vitales adversas y traumáticas contribuyen al desarrollo del trastorno límite de la personalidad (TLP), parecería que EMDR podría aportar mucho al tratamiento de las personas con TLP. Sin embargo, dadas las características específicas de estos pacientes, la aplicación de la terapia EMDR a su tratamiento puede ser todo un reto y son necesarias pequeñas adaptaciones de los procedimientos estándar de EMDR para el TEPT. Este artículo proporciona una orientación a los principios y estrategias para preparar de manera segura y eficaz a los pacientes con TLP para la terapia EMDR, y para acceder a los orígenes traumáticos del TLP y reprocesarlos. Se ofrecen ejemplos clínicos a lo largo del artículo.

The human mind is difficult to investigate, but the biological foundations of the mind, especially consciousness, are generally regarded as the most daunting. In this article, excerpted from the book Neurobiological Foundations for EMDR Practice (Bergmann, 2012), we introduce and outline aspects of consciousness, information processing, and their relationship to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). We examine consciousness with respect to three characteristics: unity of perception and function, subjectivity, and prediction. The relationship of these characteristics to EMDR is examined.

Dieser Artikel stellt die ,,Flashforward-Technik” vor, eine spezielle Anwendung von Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Sie wird zur Behandlung irrationaler Angst eingesetzt; beispielsweise wenn eine andauernde Angst auch nach Bearbeitung der Kern-Erinnerungen vergangener Erlebnisse weiterhin besteht. Der theoretische Hintergrund wird dargelegt und das Verfahren wird, auch anhand von zwei Fallbeispielen, erläutert. Wir beschreiben psychische Zustände und - Probleme, für die der Einsatz von flashforward-fokussiertem EMDR geeignet sein könnte, sowie welche Phase des therapeutischen Prozesses am besten zum Einsatz dieser Methode geeignet ist. Darüber hinaus wird die Flashforward-Technik mit anderen EMDR-Anwendungen und ähnlichen Verfahren in anderen Therapien verglichen. Einige Implikationen werden diskutiert.

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and concomitant depressive and anxiety symptoms in survivors of life-threatening cardiac events. Forty-two patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation who (a) qualified for the PTSD criterion “A” in relation to a cardiac event and (b) presented clinically significant PTSD symptoms were randomized to a 4-week treatment of EMDR or imaginal exposure (IE). Data were gathered on PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. EMDR was effective in reducing PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms and performed significantly better than IE for all variables. These findings provide preliminary support for EMDR as an effective treatment for the symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety that can follow a life-threatening cardiac event.

This article reports the follow-up results of our field study (Jarero & Uribe, 2011) that investigated the application of the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Protocol for Recent Critical Incidents (EMDR-PRECI) in a human massacre situation. A single individual session was provided to 32 forensic personnel of the State Attorney General in the Mexican state of Durango who were working with 258 bodies recovered from clandestine graves. Pre-post results showed significant improvement for both immediate treatment and waitlist/delayed treatment groups on the Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT). In this study, we report the follow-up assessment, which was conducted, at 3 and 5 months posttreatment. Follow-up scores showed that the original treatment results were maintained, with a further significant reduction of self-reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress and PTSD between posttreatment and follow-up. During the follow-up period, the employees continued to work with the recovered corpses and were continually exposed to horrific emotional stressors, with ongoing threats to their own safety. This suggests that EMDR-PRECI was an effective early intervention, reducing traumatic stress for a group of traumatized adults continuing to work under extreme stressors in a human massacre situation. It appears that the treatment may have helped to prevent the development of chronic PTSD and to increase psychological and emotional resilience.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) psychotherapy can play a major role in phase-oriented treatment of complex trauma-related disorders. In terms of the theory of structural dissociation of the personality and its related psychology of action, a previous article described Phase 1 treatment—Stabilization, Symptom Reduction, and Skills Training—emphasizing the use of EMDR procedures in this phase. Phase 2 treatment mainly involves applications of EMDR processing in overcoming the phobia of traumatic memories and their subsequent integration. Phase 3 treatment focuses on further integration of the personality, which includes overcoming various phobias pertaining to adaptive functioning in daily life. This article emphasizes treatment approaches that assist therapists in incorporating EMDR protocols in Phases 2 and 3 of phase-oriented treatment without exceeding clients’ integrative capacity or window of tolerance.

This case study reports the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and family therapy for a 10-year-old boy with severe separation anxiety disorder (SAD). It illustrates how the use of the standard EMDR protocol for the boy and his mother combined with family therapy, led to symptom alleviation and restored appropriate developmental functioning as evidenced by behavioral outcomes. The participant initially presented with severe anxiety about separating from his mother, several years after his parents went through a painful divorce. Treatment focused on processing the boy’s disturbing memories of past nontraumatic events in 14 EMDR sessions; his mother received 4 EMDR sessions to address her perceived marital failure and guilt about the effects of her ensuing depression on him. Eight family therapy sessions were used to help the family spend positive time together. Prior to treatment, the child had been unable to play outside, checked on his mother frequently, and could not attend activities without her. At the end of treatment, he was able to play with friends outside, ride his bike around town, engage in after school activities, and sleep over at his friends’ houses. Gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Treatment did not include instruction in parenting skills or psychoeducation for the mother, or any exposure therapy for the child.

A literature review of current treatment models for child molesters and contemporary theories of etiology suggests a gap between theory and practice. Despite emerging recognition of the importance of addressing etiological issues in sexual offender treatment, many programs resist addressing the trauma sequelae of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in those sex offenders where it is present. Adding trauma treatment to standard sexual offender treatment was identified as a means to closing some of that gap. Ten child molesters with reported histories of CSA were treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Subsequent to adding this trauma resolution component, there was improvement on all six subscales of the Sex Offender Treatment Rating Scale as well as decreased idiosyncratic deviant arousal as measured by the penile plethysmograph. The current study reviews qualitative data collected during treatment and at posttreatment interviews.

In recent years, different studies have observed a strong association between chronic pain (CP) and psychological trauma. Therefore, a trauma-focused psychotherapy, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), could be an innovative treatment option. The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether a specific EMDR protocol for CP leads to (a) a reduction in pain intensity, (b) an improvement in anxiety and depressive symptoms, and (c) an improvement in quality of life. 28 CP patients were randomly assigned to EMDR + treatment as usual (TAU; n = 14) or to TAU alone (n = 14). Patients in the EMDR group received 12 psychotherapeutic sessions of 90 minutes over 3 months. Pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale and the Pain Disability index, quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L, and anxiety and depressive symptoms using the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale. Measures were taken for both conditions at pre- and post-treatment, and a follow-up in the EMDR condition was taken at 3 months post-treatment. Patients in the EMDR group showed significantly reduced pain intensity and improved quality of life and anxiety and depressive symptoms compared to TAU alone at post-treatment. Improvements were largely maintained at 3-month follow-up. This study suggests that EMDR may be an effective and safe psychological intervention to be used within the multidisciplinary treatment plan of patients with CP.

Research on psychotherapy with children is generally underrepresented in the empirical literature. Currently, there are four randomized clinical trials (RCT) evaluating EMDR in individual psychotherapy with traumatized children—two for children diagnosed with PTSD and two for children presenting with symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Since the first case studies of EMDR with children were published in 1993, 19 studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria for this review. The gold standards identified by Foa and Meadows (1997) to assess the methodology of studies designed to treat trauma were applied to the research on EMDR with children. This analysis discusses the challenges to conducting research on psychotherapy with children including the debate regarding the assessment and diagnosis of PTSD in children. Recommendations for future studies designed with methodological rigor are suggested to investigate the efficacy of EMDR with children who have experienced trauma and other mental health symptoms and diagnoses.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms related to the diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancer in adult women. EMDR-IGTP intensive therapy was administered for 3 consecutive days, twice daily, to 24 adult women diagnosed with different types of cancer (cervical, breast, colon, bladder, and skin) who had PTSD symptoms related to their diagnosis and treatment. The data was analyzed using factorial ANOVA with the effects of the EMDR-IGTP evaluated with the Short PTSD Rating Interview as dependent variable and group (two groups of patients: active phase and follow-up phase of cancer treatment) and time (four time points) as independent variables. Post hoc analyses were carried out. Results showed significant main effects for time and group. No significant interaction was found. Results also showed an overall subjective improvement in the participants. This pilot study suggests that intensive administration of the EMDR-IGTP can be a valuable support for cancer patients with PTSD symptoms related to their diagnosis and treatment. Further research with randomized controlled studies is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of EMDR-IGTP in this population.

This article is an excerpt from the book Integrating EMDR Into Your Practice (Royle & Kerr, 2010), which is a hands-on guide to facilitate the successful integration of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) training into therapists’ practice while recognizing that trainees come from a range of theoretical backgrounds. This excerpt focuses on identifying the appropriate target memory and its related negative cognition (NC) in preparation for desensitization. Clients and therapists need to understand the rationale for selecting a particular target utilizing prioritization and clustering techniques. The importance of the belief system is discussed and methods of identifying the initial targets are offered, including the floatback technique. Many practitioners experience difficulty in getting the right NC, and methods for drawing this out are illustrated. Final preparations prior to desensitization are considered as well as the importance of addressing client anxieties and expectations. Throughout the excerpt, case vignettes are used to outline cautions and common pitfalls encountered by the novice EMDR therapist.

The “implicit-explicit” distinction is usually used to specify the nature of mental processing or of essential memory systems. The purpose of this paper is to call attention to this distinction, too often neglected, within the domain of semantic knowledge. In fact, taking account of the degree of explicitation of specific knowledge may enable us to account for both the best performances by experts within their domain and also the idiosyncratic difficulties some learners encounter during the acquisition and generalization of both specific and general knowledge. The importance of processes of explicitation of knowledge within developmental and individual differences perspectives is discussed.

The Peer Mediation with Young Children (PMYC) was investigated in computerized versus noncomputerized environments using process (e.g., mediation strategies) and performance variables (e.g., cognitive modifiability) as outcome measures. The sample consisted of 108 pupils drawn from fourth- (tutors) and first-grade (tutored) classes randomly assigned to experimental (n = 27) and control (n = 27) dyads. Dyads in each group were randomly assigned to either computerized or noncomputerized learning environments. Experimental tutors received training in the PMYC program whereas control tutors received general preparation for peer tutoring. Following the PMYC program, each dyad was assigned to a collaborative learning situation in which the older child taught his/her partner a problem solving task. All children were tested on a set of cognitive measures before and after the PMYC program. The findings showed that the experimental tutors used significantly higher levels of mediation strategies and achieved higher cognitive modifiability than did the control children in both learning environments. Children tutored in the computerized environment achieved higher cognitive modifiability than children tutored in the noncomputerized environment. The findings are discussed in light of Vygotsky and Feuerstein’s theories and recent research on peer-assisted learning.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an established treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there is increasing evidence for its use beyond PTSD. EMDR can be effective at treating distressing memories not associated with PTSD, as well as somatic symptoms (like chronic pain), and as such could potentially be used as a treatment for patients with functional neurological disorder (FND). Searches were conducted for published peer-reviewed articles on the use of EMDR for FND. The databases selected and searched were Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Francine Shapiro Library. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Three relevant articles were found. The studies included are one case series and two case studies. Of the five participants included in the studies, four experienced functional non-epileptic attacks; and one experienced functional movement disorder. Four out of the five patients were successfully treated with EMDR. EMDR is potentially a useful treatment of FND, but further research, including controlled trials, is required. The authors propose that EMDR could be useful in treating patients with FND and comorbid PTSD, as well as patients without comorbid PTSD. We discuss the clinical implications and propose how EMDR could fit into the FND treatment pathway.

The question of why deaf children have difficulties in learning mathematics is the basis of this study. The aim of the study is to illuminate deaf children’s concept formation in mathematics by describing how some deaf children express themselves and act on their way towards understanding two basic concepts: the concept of multiplication with whole numbers and the concept of length.

Theories developed by Feuerstein are used in order to describe how deaf children develop concepts, and to investigate possibilities to help deaf children develop their cognitive potential in a more effective and adequate way. Concept maps illustrate steps and pathways taken by the pupils. The importance of language in concept formation, with focus on sign language is illuminated.

The children in this study were pupils in a School for the Deaf, a bilingual school with the languages Swedish Sign Language and Swedish. Seven 11-year-old pupils, all the pupils in one group in grade 4, were studied. Video recordings were made of pupil-teacher interactions in problem solving situations in sign language only, with paper and pencil, with learning materials, and with real things.

A large variability in the pupils’ ability to solve the problems was found depending on different factors identified by Feuerstein, e.g., self-confidence, looking for meaning, search of challenge, intention to finish the work, and use of known facts. No difference was found concerning the steps towards comprehension of the concepts for the deaf pupils in the study compared to those of hearing pupils. In accordance with earlier studies, it was found that the deaf pupils needed more time to learn mathematics than hearing pupils normally do. As a consequence, they may learn certain concepts at a later age, and the pathways towards comprehension may vary compared to those of hearing pupils. The structure of sign language and the lack of an established terminology in mathematics are also of importance.

The bilingual situation for deaf pupils is a reason for developing methods of teaching mathematics to deaf pupils alternative to methods used today.

This article reviews the literature on EMDR treatment of somatic complaints and describes the application of Shapiro’s Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model in the treatment of phantom limb pain. The case study explores the use of EMDR with a 38-year-old man experiencing severe phantom limb pain 3 years after the loss of his leg and part of his pelvis in an accident. Despite treatment at several rehabilitation and pain centers during the 3 years, and the use of opiate medication, he continued to experience persistent pain. After 9 EMDR treatment sessions, the patient’s phantom limb pain was completely ablated, and he was taken off medication. Effects were maintained at 18-month follow-up. The clinical implications of this application of EMDR are explored.

A patient in psychoanalytic psychotherapy reported to the analyst that the patient recently had been forced by satanic cult members to commit a murder. After discussion, the patient and the analyst agreed to inform the police. The police could not find evidence for the occurrence of the crime. Continued psychoanalytic work revealed that it was not a contemporary murder but a flashback of a childhood horror. Because flashbacks of past traumatic experiences are not an uncommon phenomenon, they would account for some of the gruesome events reported by patients but which law enforcement officers cannot validate as having recently occurred.

The rationale is synthesized for the urgency of empirical studies demonstrating the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), symptoms of PTSD, or other trauma-related symptoms. This literature review examined 15 studies (including nine randomized clinical trials) that tested the efficacy of EMDR therapy for the treatment of children and adolescents with these symptoms. All studies found that EMDR therapy produced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms at posttreatment and also in other trauma-related symptoms, when measured. A methodological analysis identified limitations in most studies, reducing the value of these findings. Despite these shortcomings, the methodological strength of the identified studies has increased over time. The review also summarized three meta-analyses. The need for additional rigorous research is apparent, and in order to profit from experiences of the past, the article provides some guidelines for clinicians seeking to conduct future research in their agencies.

The Flash Technique is a new protocol for use in the preparation phase of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to quickly reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories, prior to full processing with EMDR. This report presents results from a Flash Technique group for five highly dissociative, currently sober addicts in a men's shelter. This group was an attempt to provide an affordable, trauma-focused intervention for the homeless. As part of the intake, each client met individually with the therapist for 30 minutes, to learn to use the flash technique to process a traumatic memory. Three inventories were used to measure treatment outcome: the Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT), the Dissociative Experience Survey (DES-II), and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Clients filled out the surveys 3 weeks before the start of the group and had their individual sessions 2 weeks before the start of the group. The DES and BDI-II were repeated at the beginning of the eighth session of the group. Clients' surveys showed a decline in scores after seven sessions of therapy: the DES scores dropped from 39.07 (standard deviation [SD] = 23.01) to 20.48 (SD = 10.02) with d = 0.81 and the BDI-II scores dropped from 32.4 (SD = 11.01) to 13.2 (SD = 8.4) with d = 1.74. Pre- and 2-week posttreatment SPRINT surveys showed scores dropping from 28 [SD = 2.05] pretreatment to 15.75 [SD = 5.19] 2 weeks posttreatment, with d = 6.07.

La dépression constitue l'un des troubles psychiatriques les plus fréquents. La dépression post-partum affecte environ 9 % des femmes qui accouchent. Malgré des progrès importants en recherche, pharmacothérapie et psychothérapie, les troubles dépressifs demeurent difficiles à traiter. L'application de la psychothérapie EMDR (désensibilisation et retraitement par les mouvements oculaires) à la dépression connaît un retard par rapport à son utilisation dans le traitement de troubles anxieux ou dans le domaine du trauma. Je présente deux cas de dépression post-partum qui ont été traités avec succès à l'aide d'une psychothérapie combinée intégrant l'EMDR dans un cadre psychothérapeutique novateur, développé spécialement pour les troubles dépressifs et fondé sur la théorie évolutionnaire de la dépression : « traiter la dépression en descente » (treating depression downhill [TDD]). Dans la psychothérapie intégrée TDD-EMDR, j'ai apporté quelques ajustements au protocole EMDR standard, de telle sorte que le choix et le type de cibles, le cadre cognitif et le changement affectif attendu sont déterminés par le cadre TDD. Les cas décrits illustrent le processus thérapeutique, y compris les modifications apportées aux procédures EMDR standard ainsi que les résultats du traitement. J'identifie et traite des différences entre la théorie de l'EMDR et celle du TDD.

The purpose of this pre-experimental case study was to explore the efficacy and safety of the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP) in the psychological treatment of cancer survivors and its potential effects on posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Participants (N = 35) were patients with various types of cancer, in different stages, initial or recurring, with diagnosis or oncology treatment received within the past year. Following an individual psychoeducational intake session, participants received two 90-minute EMDR G-TEP sessions, administered on consecutive days. They were randomly assigned to a treatment group or a delayed treatment group. Assessments were administered at pre, post, and follow-up using the Short PostTraumatic Stress Disorder Interview (SPRINT), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Repeated measures comparisons of PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression revealed significant differences between pretest and posttest, with most results maintained at follow-up. Pre-follow-up effect sizes showed medium effects. These promising results suggest the value in providing a lengthier course of treatment. They support the need for research with large sample, randomized clinical trials to examine the viability of providing EMDR G-TEP in the psychological treatment of cancer survivors. No serious adverse effects were reported and we conclude that the EMDR G-TEP may be effective and safe in the psychological treatment of an oncology population.

This report begins with a summary of the literature regarding the theoretical models behind the comorbid relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders and the various modified addiction protocols formulated to assist in treating these disorders. This case series outlines the effect that the standard eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) protocol had on alcohol and substance dependence for 4 patients who attended our Post Traumatic Stress Clinic in Fremantle, Western Australia, primarily for treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Patients were assessed for substance use disorders using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus prior to, immediately after, and 12 months after completing EMDR therapy. Results indicate that the standard EMDR protocol was successful in reducing alcohol and substance use. Prior to treatment, 3 patients met criteria for alcohol dependence and 1 met criteria for substance dependence. At 12-month follow-up, 3 out of 4 clients did not meet the diagnostic criteria for current alcohol dependence or current substance dependence. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to theories of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder and the modified EMDR protocols developed for patients with substance dependence.

Applications of cognitive education have taken place primarily in schools, but applications outside the classroom can be equally rewarding. “Clinical” applications have so far included: (a) cognitive and motivational redevelopment of individuals with mental retardation; (b) psychological treatment of individuals with severe psychiatric disorders; (c) clinical treatment of persons with delays in language development; (d) treatment of children with learning disabilities, including ADD and ADHD; (e) cognitive and social redevelopment of persons with psychological and character disorders; (f) cognitive, motivational, and social redevelopment of persons who have sustained traumatic brain injuries. The last two of these applications, in psychotherapy and in neuropsychology, are especially promising and are examined in some detail.

Este artículo presenta una revisión completa de literatura acerca del impacto neurocognitivo del trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT) e informa acerca de un caso de estudio único cuantitativo, el cual investigó si la terapia de reprocesamiento y desensibilización a través del movimiento ocular (EMDR por sus siglas en inglés) cambiaría las respuestas neuropsicológicas y fisiológicas de una paciente de 18 años de edad de sexo femenino diagnosticada con TEPT comórbido y trastorno depresivo mayor. Se proporcionaron once sesiones de terapia EMDR, de 90 minutos cada una, administradas una vez a la semana. Utilizamos equipo de bioretroalimentación (Equipo Infiniti-ProComp5) para obtener registros de frecuencia cardiaca y conductividad de la piel mientras que la paciente estaba en fases de reprocesamiento de la terapia EMDR. Los resultados mostraron una disminución de ritmo cardiaco entre las bases de referencia del principio y fin del tratamiento. Las evaluaciones neuropsicológicas de atención, memoria y las funciones ejecutivas del cerebro mostraron deficiencias de pre-tratamiento en los procesos de atención, velocidad de procesamiento de información y memoria de trabajo, así como mejora en el post-tratamiento de estas funciones cognitivas con diferencias significativas en la Prueba de Adición del Ritmo de Serie Auditiva (PASAT, siglas en inglés). Encontramos una disminución importante pos-tratamiento en los puntajes promedio del Inventario de Depresión de Beck-II y en la Escala de Experiencias Disociativas. Además, la paciente no mostró signos de TEPT después de la intervención basado en la Escala Global de Estrés Postraumático. Discutimos como la mejora de los síntomas de TEPT está asociada con los resultados neurocognitivos mejorados.

This article presents the detailed case of a 27-year-old man who began to suffer from intrusive imagery after watching a brutal scene in the TV series Game of Thrones. The content of the intrusive imagery included images of people with enucleated eyes and was initially accompanied by anxiety about sharp objects. The patient’s mental distress was assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, and the patient was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy was provided to treat related distressing memories and the intrusive imagery. As treatment progressed, more complex and layered aspects of the symptom presentation became evident, and EMDR was integrated with other treatments. These included psychodynamic psychotherapy to address his complicated relationship with his father, exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy to reduce avoidance of sharp objects, and cognitive therapy (CT) for aggressive violent thoughts toward others. The article identifies the various clinical decision points and discusses theoretical conceptualizations and related factors. This clinical case report provides additional support for the body of knowledge on the relationship between traumatic events and imagery in OCD. Therefore, trauma-focused treatments, such as EMDR therapy, which concentrates specifically on those experiences, might be especially effective.

This master’s thesis (Berger, 2003) concerns a new learning potential test of analogical reasoning, the Hessels Analogical Reasoning Test (HART; Hessels, 2003) aimed at the assessment of pupils from 5 to 15 years of age in a group situation. A frequently emphasized problem of learning potential tests is the time needed for their administration. We intend to be able to assess a whole group of approximately 20 pupils in the context of their classroom, in a relatively short time of about 45 to 60 minutes.

The analogies are presented in two different formats: 2 rows x 3 lines with six response alternatives or 3x3 with eight response alternatives. The number of elements varies from one to three, as does the number of transformations. We created nine series of increasing complexity for a total of 70 items. The items were constructed by pairs, meaning that two items had the same number of elements, and the same number and kind of transformations applied. The complexity, that is, theoretical difficulty, was defined by the number of transformations and elements present in the analogy. For example, an item with one element and one transformation is easier than an item with three elements and two transformations. The procedure was divided into two phases. In the first phase, a collective introduction was offered using four example items aimed at familiarizing the pupils with the tasks and the different formats of the matrices. Immediately after, a pre-test combined with training (after each item an explanation was given about the transformations applied) was administered using the first set. The second phase was a static post-test administered a few days after the pre-test/training using the parallel forms of the pre-test/training items. For each degree, a series of items was defined, according to level of difficulty, varying between 12 (1^st grade) and 20 items (6_th grade) for each phase of the test.

We administered the HART to 117 pupils of a primary public school (mean age 8;11). In addition, these pupils took the Standard Progressive Matrices of Raven (SPM) and an arithmetical test in a static and collective administration. Teachers of each class completed a rating scale for each of his pupils about three noncognitive variables (participation in the lessons, application in schoolwork, and behavior in class) and two cognitive variables (school success in French and mathematics).

The results showed that the training caused great inter- and intraindividual variation, explained by the learning process taking place during this phase. Due to this variation, internal consistency was low for this phase. Thus, for subsequent analysis, we only considered the reliable results of the post-test. Of main interest were the correlations between the HART and the other variables measured. The noncognitive factors given by the teacher’s judgments showed lower correlations with the HART than with the SPM. For instance, the HART showed a correlation of .08 (ns) with pupil’s behavior, whereas the SPM showed a correlation of .21 (p<.05). This result means that the score offered by the HART is more independent of behavior in class. Moreover, the arithmetic test is more correlated with the learning test than with the SPM. Finally, a stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the SPM predicted 14.2% (F_1,116=19.151; p<.01) of the variance of success in mathematics; the HART predicted an extra 4% (F_1,115=5.557; p<.05). For French, the stepwise regression analysis shows that the HART has a slightly superior predictive validity.

These first results show that the instrument can be used in a group situation and has promising properties. The research will be extended to different populations, with variations in the procedures and methods.

Who am I to treat this person? That is what came to mind every time I treated a seriously disturbed patient. I do not know enough, and I have hang-ups. But no one knows enough, and every therapist has hang-ups, although our own analysis helps. We may feel confused, frightened, angry, or hopeless because these are the patient’s feelings. Discussed are creating rational hope, dealing with feelings (including terror), depression, delusions, hallucinations, and suicidal and homicidal dangers. Theory is helpful, but it is not enough. Tolerating not knowing often leads to effective improvisations. Best results were obtained with psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic therapy without medication. Next best was psychoanalytic therapy with initial medication withdrawn as rapidly as the patient can tolerate. Electroconvulsive therapy is discouraged.

Given the significant growth in the migration flow of refugees who are fleeing from persecution, terrorism, and war-torn countries to Europe, there is an urgent need for effective interventions for the treatment of this highly traumatized population. EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) was provided to 14 child refugees (7 females) in 2016 at a Turkey orphanage near the Syrian border which was housing adult and child Syrian refugees. Treatment was provided in three groups, one each for children aged 3–7 years, pre-adolescents aged 9–12, and adolescents aged 13–18 with three sessions provided to each group. Pre-treatment assessment with multiple measures was compromised by difficulties with translator availability and refugee mobility, resulting in high attrition. When the post-treatment assessment was conducted 45 days later, many refugees had already left the orphanage. The sparse character of the data matrix produced analyzable data for 8 children (mean age 11 ± 3; 4 females) on the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES). Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in CRIES scores, reflecting a decrease in severity of posttraumatic symptoms.

In this article, a document presenting a planned psychiatric building in Sweden was analyzed using critical discourse analysis. Focus was on how biomedical perspectives, administration, logistics, and efficiency is materialized in the building. The building is planned without personal consulting rooms or office places. Text and images were understood with reference to Augé's concept of nonplaces; places that are void of meaning. Outpatient practice is portrayed as equal, neglecting power imbalances, diversity, and context. Clinicians and clients are expected to be in transit in an environment centered on transparency and technology, enabling surveillance and control. Encounters and dialogues are never mentioned, while electroconvulsive therapy has its own place both in the document and in the building. Technology is central and presented as necessary for future needs. The idea that current psychiatry represents a story of constant progress, providing precise diagnosis and effective treatment is materialized in the building.

Nyborg (1993) opened his book with the statement: “Pedagogy usually reflects and mediates the culture within which it has been generated.” According to Nyborg, a main purpose of pedagogical activity is to mediate the culture to each new generation, which refers to the transmission of the content of a given culture to successive generations. Central in this regard is the mediation of knowledge and skills, including language skills, which serve as tools for the mediation of the knowledge and skills acquired by many preceding generations. One can infer from Nyborg’s theory of learning that the quality of mediation differs in the extent to which teachers or mediators are able “to provide optimum conditions of learning for persons who may differ widely in prerequisites for learning,” operationally and generally expressed.

Further, Nyborg’s notion of “intelligent teaching and corresponding learning,” referring more specifically to what should be taught and why, is also of interest from a mediational point of view. Intelligent teaching should be taken to mean teaching that contributes significantly to learning that transfers positively to future learning. Nyborg arguesd that such transfer may be in terms of knowledge and skills as well as emotional and motivational dispositions towards learning situations and towards oneself as a learner.

In order to facilitate these kinds of learning Nyborg recommended that children from the age of 5-6 are taught Basic Conceptual Systems, including basic concepts, to a verbalized, generalized and transferable level (e.g., color, shape, size, position, place, direction, number, pattern, substance, up to approximately 20 BCSs) by means of his Concept Teaching Model. According to this model, language skills are used in a unique way in order to help children to learn and organize their experiences into Basic Conceptual Systems (BCSs). This is done by repeated use of, for instance, the subordinate label “round” in close connection with the superordinate label “SHAPE” = Round SHAPE. In this way BCSs in many children are formed years ahead of what would have happened without this kind of verbal mediation. Among other things this model also challenges children to come up with inductive conclusions regarding what they have learned. In the next stage BCSs will serve as tools for performing analytic coding or multiple abstractions. In this way they function as pre-requisites for the learning of more complex concepts and conceptual systems, for the learning of school subjects and skills of different kinds, rendering a greater likelihood of positive transfer.

In this system one may find many examples of ways to direct children’s attention, by means of names for Basic Conceptual Systems, towards characterizing features when teaching the children about such different phenomena as the letter L and the solar system. Readers are given 7 points that will help observers to recognize or identify whether or not a teacher is mediating from Nyborg’s perspective.

The educational approach of Concept Teaching according to Nyborg may be characterized as “domain-general,” aiming at teaching both content and processes, with emphasis on generalization and transfer, focusing on inductive teaching/learning in the beginning changing to more deductive teaching/learning later on. L’ouvrage de Nyborg (1993) s’ouvre sur la réflexion suivante : « La pédagogie reflète et médiatise généralement la culture au sein de laquelle elle s’est développée. » Selon Nyborg, l’objectif principal de l’action pédagogique est de médiatiser la culture pour la nouvelle génération, c’est-à-dire de transmettre le contenu de la culture aux générations successives. De ce point de vue, la médiation des connaissances et des habiletés est centrale, y compris celle des habiletés langagières qui servent d’outils pour la médiation des connaissances et des habiletés acquises par les générations précédentes. On peut inférer de la théorie de l’apprentissage de Nyborg que la qualité de la médiation diffère selon la capacité des enseignants à « fournir des conditions d’apprentissage optimales à des apprenants dont les compétences varient fortement. » De plus, la notion proposée par Nyborg « d’enseignement intelligent et d’apprentissage correspondant » qui réfère à ce qui doit être enseigné et comment, présente également un intérêt du point de vue de la médiation. On doit concevoir cet enseignement intelligent comme un enseignement qui contribue significativement aux apprentissages futurs. Nyborg soutient que ce transfert peut être en terme de savoir, d’habiletés et de dispositions émotionnelles et motivationnelles.

Afin de faciliter ces types d’apprentissages Nyborg recommande d’enseigner aux enfants à partir de 5-6 ans les systèmes conceptuels de base - de leur niveau élémentaire - à celui de leur verbalisation consciente (couleur, forme, position, place, direction, nombre, substance etc, c’est-à-dire une vingtaine de systèmes conceptuels) au moyen du modèle d’enseignement de concept. Selon ce modèle, les habiletés langagières sont utilisées d’une manière spécifique pour aider les enfants à apprendre et à organiser leurs expériences en systèmes conceptuels de base. Cela est par exemple atteint par l’utilisation répétée de l’étiquette subordonnée « rond » en étroite relation avec l’étiquette « forme », c’est-à-dire en amenant l’enfant à les associer systématiquement (« c’est une forme ronde »). L’emploi de cette médiation verbale permet à certains enfants d’acquérir les systèmes conceptuels de base avec plusieurs années d’avance. Un autre aspect de cette méthode invite les enfants à faire des inférences à propos de ce qu’ils ont appris. A l’étape suivante, ces systèmes conceptuels de base peuvent servir d’outils pour le codage analytique et les abstractions multiples. Ils fonctionnement alors comme des pré requis pour les apprentissages de concepts et de systèmes conceptuels plus complexes et les différentes matières scolaires et renforce la probabilité de leur transfert.

Ce cadre offre de nombreuses manière de diriger l’attention des enfants à partir des noms des systèmes conceptuels de base jusqu’au caractéristiques distinctives en jeu dans les apprentissages comme par exemple celles de la lettre L ou du système solaire. Dans cet article on indique sept points qui permettent de savoir dans quelle mesure un enseignant met en oeuvre la médiation selon Nyborg.

L’approche de Nyborg est centrée sur les contenus et les processus généraux et insiste sur les processus de généralisation et de transfert, et il passe d’une approche inductive à une approche plus déductive de l’enseignement/apprentisage. Nyborg (1993) begann sein Buch mit der Feststellung: “Pädagogik reflektiert und vermittelt üblicherweise die Kultur innerhalb derer sie entwickelt wurde”. Nach Nyborg liegt ein wesentliches Ziel der pädagogischen Aktivität darin, jeder neuen Generation diese Kultur zu vermitteln. Hiermit gemeint ist die Übertragung des Inhaltes einer gegebenen Kultur auf die nachfolgenden Generationen. Zentral in dieser Auffassung ist die Vermittlung von Wissen und Fertigkeiten einschließlich von Sprachfertigkeiten, die als Werkzeuge für die Mediation von Wissen und Fertigkeiten, welche von vielen vorausgegangenen Generationen erworben worden sind, dienen. Generell und operational formuliert kann man aus Nyborgs Theorie des Lernens schließen, dass die Qualität der Mediation in dem Maße differiert, in dem Lehrer oder Mediatoren fähig sind, “optimale Konditionen des Lernens für Personen bereitzustellen, die in ihren Lernvoraussetzungen unterschiedlich sind”. Weiterhin ist Nyborgs Konzept des “intelligenten Lehrens und entsprechenden Lernens”, wo er sich spezifischer darauf bezieht, was gelehrt werden sollte und warum, auch von einem Mediationsstandpunkt aus von Interesse. Intelligentes Lehren sollte Lehren bedeuten, das in signifikanter Weise zu einem Lernen beiträgt, das auf künftiges Lernen einen positiven Transfer hat. Nyborg argumentiert, dass ein solcher Transfer in Begriffen von Wissen und Fertigkeiten wie auch von emotionalen und motivationalen Dispositionen bezüglich der Lernsituation und der Person des Lerners selbst verstanden werden kann.

Um diese Art von Lernen zu erleichtern, empfahl Nyborg, dass Kinder ab dem Alter von 5 – 6 Jahren Basale Konzeptuelle Systeme (BCSs) gelehrt werden, wobei mit Hilfe seines Konzeptlehrmodells ein verbalisiertes, generalisiertes und transferierbares Niveau (z. B. Farbe, Form, Größe, Position, Ort, Richtung, Anzahl, Muster, Substanz, bis zu annähernd 20 BCSs) erreicht werden soll. Nach diesem Modell werden Sprachfertigkeiten in besonderer Weise benutzt, um Kindern beim Lernen zu helfen und ihre Erfahrungen in das BCS zu organisieren. Dies geschieht beispielsweise durch die wiederholte Verwendung des untergeordneten Merkmals “rund” in enger Beziehung mit dem übergeordneten Merkmal “Form” (= runde Form). Auf diese Weise werden in vielen Kindern basale kognitive Systeme entwickelt, die jenen um Jahre voraus sind, die ohne diese Art verbaler Mediation entstanden wären. Unter anderem fordert dieses Modell die Kinder auch dazu heraus, induktive Schlussfolgerungen bezüglich dessen was sie gelernt haben, anzustellen. Auf der nächsten Stufe dienen BCSs dann als Werkzeuge für die Durchführung analytischer Kodierungen oder multipler Abstraktionen. In dieser Beziehung funktionieren sie als Prerequisiten des Lernens komplexer Konzepte und Systeme, des Erlernens von Schulfächern und Fertigkeiten von unterschiedlicher Art, und vermitteln so eine größere Wahrscheinlichkeit positiven Transfers.

In diesem System kann man viele Beispiele von Möglichkeiten finden, die Aufmerksamkeit der Kinder mittels verbaler Bezeichnungen für basale konzeptuelle Systeme auf charakterisierende Merkmale zu lenken, beispielsweise wenn die Kinder solche unterschiedlichen Phänomene wie den Buchstaben L oder das Solarsystem unterrichtet werden. Den Lesern werden 7 Punkte zur Verfügung gestellt, die dabei helfen herauszufinden, ob ein Lehrer Mediation aus der Nyborg’schen Perspektive betreibt oder nicht.

Der unterrichtliche Ansatz des Konzeptlehrens nach Nyborg kann als bezüglich der Domäne generell bezeichnet werden. Er zielt auf die Vermittlung sowohl von Inhalt als auch Prozessen ab, betont Generalisierung und Transfer, fokussiert zu Beginn auf induktives Lehren und Lernen und wechselt später auf einen eher deduktiven Lehr- und Lernansatz. Magne Nyborg (1927-1996), difunto profesor de la Universidad de Oslo (Noruega), llevó a cabo una amplia investigación sobre la educación y las dificultades de aprendizaje a lo largo de 30 años. Estuvo especialmente interesado en cómo mejorar la enseñanza con el fin de mejorar y optimizar el proceso de aprendizaje de todos los niños. En el curso de su cuidada investigación, elaboró un complejo y consistente marco teórico ecléctico acerca de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje. Ese marco teórico también incluye detalladas propuestas y prescripciones para el tratamiento educativo. Su contribución central fue la elaboración de su Modelo Conceptual de la Enseñanza, el cual es un modelo para la enseñanza de conceptos, organizado en un sistema conceptual a través de la observación y de la inferencia de definiciones. El título del capítulo de apertura del principal libro de Nyborg en Inglés (1993) es “La Pedagogía usualmente refleja y mediatiza la cultura con la cual ha sido generada”. Parece razonable inferir, a partir de los escritos de Nyborg, que la calidad de la mediación difiere en función de que un profesor o mediador “provea condiciones óptimas de aprendizaje para las personas que poseen muy diferentes prerrequisitos para dicho aprendizaje”, operacional y generalmente expresado. Además, la noción de Nyborg acerca de “la enseñanza y el aprendizaje inteligente”, la cual se refiere más específicamente a lo que debería ser enseñado y al por qué, es también de interés desde un punto de vita mediacional. La enseñanza inteligente debe ser entendida como el medio para enseñar lo que contribuye significativamente al aprendizaje, el cual se transfiere positivamente para aprendizajes futuros. Nyborg argumenta que dicha transferencia puede ser en términos de conocimiento, habilidades, y disposiciones emocionales y motivacionales. Con el fin de facilitar esos tipos de aprendizaje, Nyborg recomienda que a los niños, desde la edad de cinco años, se les enseñen Sistemas Básicos Conceptuales, incluyendo conceptos básicos para lograr un nivel verbalizado y consciente (por ejemplo: color, forma, tamaño, posición, dirección, número, patrones, sustancia, etc, hasta aproximadamente 20 SBC) por medio del Modelo de Enseñanza Conceptual previamente mencionado. En el siguiente estadio, esos Sistemas Básicos Conceptuales pueden servir como herramientas para mejorar la codificación analítica o para realizar múltiples abstracciones. En ese sentido, tales herramientas funcionan como prerrequisitos para el aprendizaje de conceptos más complejos y de sistemas conceptuales para el aprendizaje de contenidos escolares y de habilidades de diferentes tipos. Nyborg (1993) apriva il suo libro con la seguente affermazione: “Solitamente la pedagogia riflette e media la cultura all’interno della quale è stata generata.” Secondo Nyborg, uno degli scopi principali dell’attività pedagogica è mediare la cultura alle nuove generazioni, il che si riferisce alla trasmissione del contenuto di una cultura data alle generazioni successive. Centrale da questo punto di vista è la mediazione di conoscenze e abilità, incluse quelle relative al linguaggio che fungono da strumenti per mediare la conoscenza e le abilità acquisite dalle molte generazioni precedenti. Dalla teoria dell’apprendimento elaborata da Nyborg potremmo inferire che la qualità della mediazione differisce nella misura in cui insegnanti e mediatori sono in grado di “fornire ottime condizioni di apprendimento per persone che possono differire in misura significativa dal punto di vista dei prerequisiti dell’apprendimento”, espresse in termini sia generali sia operativi. Inoltre, anche il concetto di “insegnamento intelligente e apprendimento corrispondente”, che si riferisce in modo più specifico a che cosa dovrebbe essere insegnato e perché, riveste un certo interesse dal punto di vista della mediazione. Infatti per insegnamento intelligente si intende un insegnamento che contribuisce significativamente all’apprendimento e può essere trasferito ad apprendimenti futuri: a parere di Nyborg, tale transfer può essere considerato sia in termini di conoscenze e abilità sia in termini di disposizioni emotive e motivazionali verso le situazioni di apprendimento e verso noi stessi come soggetti che apprendono.

Per facilitare questi tipi di apprendimento, Nyborg suggerisce che dall’età dei 5-6 anni vengano insegnati ai bambini i Sistemi Concettuali di Base, inclusi i concetti elementari, a un livello verbale, generalizzato e trasferibile ( ad esempio, colore, forma, dimensione, posizione, luogo, direzione, numero, modello, sostanza, fino a una ventina circa di SCB) utilizzando il Concept Teaching Model. Secondo tale modello, le competenze linguistiche vengono impiegate in un modo particolare per aiutare i bambini ad apprendere e organizzare le esperienze in Sistemi Concettuali di Base. Questo scopo, ad esempio, viene ottenuto con un uso ripetuto della etichetta subordinata “rotonda” in stretta connessione con l’etichetta sovraordinata di “FORMA” = FORMA rotonda. Procedendo così, si ottiene la formazione dei SCB con anni di anticipo rispetto a quanto accade a bambini che non abbiano ricevuto questo tipo di mediazione verbale. Tra l’altro, il modello stimola la produzione da parte dei bambini di conclusioni induttive rispetto a quanto hanno imparato, mentre nella fase successiva i SCB saranno utilizzato come strumenti per effettuare codifiche analitiche e astrazioni multiple. I Sistemi Concettuali di Base potranno dunque funzionare come prerequisiti per l’apprendimento di concetti e sistemi concettuali più complessi, per la conoscenza di discipline scolastiche e l’acquisizione di altre competenze, offrendo maggiori probabilità di transfer positivo.

Il sistema mette a disposizione numerosi esempi di come i nomi dei diversi SCB possano essere impiegati per orientare l’attenzione del bambino verso gli aspetti che caratterizzano i diversi fenomeni, sia che l’oggetto del nostro lavoro sia la lettera L o il Sistema Solare. L’articolo propone al lettore 7 punti utili per valutare se l’insegnante stia mediando o meno, secondo l’approccio di Nyborg. A parere del suo autore, il Concept Teaching è un approccio educativo “domain-general”, orientato a insegnare sia il contenuto sia i processi, con attenzione particolare alla generalizzazione e al transfer. La focalizzazione iniziale sull’insegnamento/apprendimento induttivo lascia il posto nelle fasi successive a un approccio di carattere deduttivo.

Persuasive design, the use of behavioral psychology in digital devices and applications to alter human behavior, is employed in entertainment and educational technologies that occupy a great proportion of the lives of children and adolescents. A primary purpose of persuasive design is to increase the time spent using social media, video game, and other entertainment technologies in order to increase business revenue. This adds to children's and adolescents' health risks, as excessive recreational screen time has been associated with both physical (sleep, weight) and mental health (depression, anxiety, compulsive use, and inattention) issues for children and adolescents. Given the potential for negative health outcomes, it is necessary for the field of psychology to acknowledge, educate, and take action against the use of persuasive design in platforms typically used by children and adolescents.

Clinical studies carry with them a paradox: The more obviously efficient an intervention is, the more ethical problems its trials pose. This article discusses the ethical problem of breached equipoise principle because of the perceived effectiveness of a nonblindable verbal technique, crisis dialogue (CD). CD is designed to help establish a therapeutic relationship with persons in a suspected psychotic state. In a pilot randomized controlled study in Yverdon, Switzerland (usual treatment vs. usual treatment + CD), after inclusion of 30 patients, clinicians expressed a consensual opinion that CD was effective in most cases. Following their opinion, the joint clinical and research team decided that the study had to be discontinued and that CD should be tried with all patients for ethical reasons. This poses an ethical problem with potential far-reaching consequences: In this interrupted study, differences between groups in terms of clinical outcome (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression), therapeutic alliance (Working Alliance Inventory, Difficult Doctor–Patient Relationship Questionnaire), and patient satisfaction were consistent in favoring CD, but these differences did not reach statistical significance in most measurements. The early interruption of the study because of perceived effectiveness of the intervention can be seen as unethical as well because chances were high that a larger sample would have shown more conclusive results, allowing for faster introduction of CD in various clinical settings with corresponding improvement of patient care.

The theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) comprises a set of concepts that seek to describe and explain specific forms of adult-driven interventions, which are considered to account for both individual cognitive development and cultural transmission. MLE theory is based on the notion of Structural Cognitive Modifiability, which argues that development of the tools of human learning and problem solving, is a process which is amenable to modifiability, involving plasticity of the structures of the brain and functional adaptability which is life-long, transformative and self-perpetuating. By examining Feuerstein’s work on MLE from his earliest English language publications until the most recent and drawing on many lectures delivered by Feuerstein on MLE theory and practice, the author suggests that whilst the basic theoretical formulations have undergone little change over the past 50 years or so since the theory was first proposed, there has been an ever increasing diversity of practical applications of MLE, in order to test and apply MLE to a wide variety of target groups, some quite far from Feuerstein’s original clinical population.

The article is an expanded version of the author’s contribution to a symposium on Mediation from four perspectives, delivered at the biennial Conference of International Association of Cognitive Education and Psychology, Jyväskylä, Finland, June 2001. The author’s goal is to set out the constituent elements of MLE theory and briefly allude to its practical features, so that a comparison can be made between Feuerstein’s concepts and their applications and other forms of intervention which are described as mediational. La théorie de l’expérience d’apprentissage médiatisé (EAM) comporte un ensemble de concepts qui visent à décrire et à expliquer les spécificités des interventions dirigées par un adulte censées rendre compte du développement cognitif de l’individu et des transmissions culturelles. La théorie de l’EAM est fondée sur la notion de la modifiabilité cognitive structurale qui assume que : le développement des processus d’apprentissage et de résolution de problème est susceptible d’être modifié, les structures cérébrales sont plastiques, l’adaptabilité reste fonctionnelle tout au long de la vie, l’individu participe à sa transformation et à sa construction. De l’examen des réflexions de Feuerstein sur l’EAM à partir de ses publications en Anglais (des premières aux plus récentes) et du contenu de ses conférences sur la théorie et la pratique de l’EAM, il ressort que si ses formulations théoriques initiales ont peu changées au cours des quelques cinquante dernière années, en revanche, les applications pratiques se sont grandement diversifiées dans le souci de tester et d’appliquer l’EAM à un large éventail de populations, certaines très éloignées de la population cliniquement étudiée par Feuerstein.

Cet article constitue une version développée de la contribution de l’auteur à un symposium de la conférence de l’Association Internationale pour l’Education et la Psychologie Cognitive (Jyväskylä, Finlande, Juin 2001) sur la médiation considérée selon quatre perspectives. L’objectif de l’auteur est de présenter les éléments constitutifs de l’EAM et de signaler brièvement ses applications de manière à comparer les concepts et les applications de Feurestein aux autres formes d’intervention qui se décrivent comme médiationnelles. Die Theorie der vermittelten Lernerfahrung (MLE) umfasst einen Satz von Konzepten, die spezifische Formen von erwachsenengenerierten Interventionen beschreiben und erklären sollen. Es wird angenommen wird, dass diese sowohl individuelle kognitive Entwicklung als auch kulturelle Veränderung bewirken. Die MLE-Theorie basiert auf dem Konzept der Strukturellen Kognitiven Modifizierbarkeit. In dieser Theorie wird die Position vertreten, dass die Entwicklung von Instrumenten menschlichen Lernens und Problemlösen ein Prozess ist, der der Modifizierbarkeit zugänglich ist, wobei die Plastizität der Strukturen des Gehirns und funktionale Adaptibilität als lebenslanger, transformativer und sich selbst perpetuierender Prozess involviert sind. Basierend auf einer Überprüfung von Feuersteins Arbeit über MLE und beginnend mit seinen frühesten englischsprachigen Publikationen bis zu den neuesten Veröffentlichungen und unter Einbeziehung vieler Vorträge, die Feuerstein über die MLE-Theorie und -Praxis gehalten hat, kommt die Autorin zu der Auffassung, dass, wenngleich die basalen theoretischen Formulierungen in den letzten ca. 50 Jahren wenig Veränderung erfahren haben, es doch eine zunehmende Vielfalt von praktischen Anwendungen des Ansatzes gibt. Diese zielen auf die Überprüfung und Anwendung der MLE bei einer Vielzahl von Zielgruppen, von denen einige von Feuersteins ursprünglicher klinischer Population weit entfernt sind.

Der Artikel ist eine erweiterte Version des Beitrags, den die Autorin auf einem Symposium über Mediation aus vier verschiedenen Perspektiven anlässlich der zweijährigen Konferenz der International Association of Cognitive Education and Psychology, Jyväskyla, Finland, Juni 2001 gehalten hat. Das Ziel der Autorin ist es, die konstitutiven Elemente der MLE-Theorie herauszustellen und ihre praktischen Merkmale kurz anzusprechen, so dass ein Vergleich zwischen Feuersteins Konzepten und ihren Anwendungen sowie weiteren, als mediational beschriebenen Formen von Intervention angestellt werden kann. La teoría de la Experiencia del Aprendizaje Mediado (EAM) abarca un conjunto de conceptos que pretenden describir y explicar las formas específicas en que los adultos llevan a cabo intervenciones cuyo objetivo es describir el desarrollo cognitivo y la transmisión cultural. Dicha teoría está basada en la noción de Modificabilidad Estructural Cognitiva, la cual defiende que el desarrollo de herramientas para el aprendizaje humano y para la resolución de problemas es un proceso que es susceptible de ser modificado, dada la plasticidad de las estructuras cerebrales y la adaptabilidad funcional que se produce a lo largo de la vida, como asimismo debido a la autoperpetuación transformativa. Tomando como referencia los trabajos de Feuerstein sobre la EAM desde sus más tempranas publicaciones en lengua inglesa hasta las más recientes y utilizando muchas referencias de los trabajos de dicho autor sobre la teoría y la práctica acerca de la EAM, el autor sugiere que mientras que las formulaciones teóricas básicas han sufrido pocos cambios a lo largo de los últimos cincuenta años, sin embargo ha habido un notable incremento de los contextos prácticos en que se ha evaluado y aplicado dicha teoría, algunos de ellos bastante alejados de las poblaciones clínicas originales con las que trabajó Feuerstein.

El artículo es una versión ampliada de la contribución de su autor al Symposium sobre Mediación en la Conferencia Bianual de la Asociación Internacional de Educación Cognitiva y Psicología, celebrada en Jyväskylä en Junio de 2001. El propósito del autor es presentar los elementos constituyentes de la teoría de la EAM y, de forma breve, aludir a sus posibilidades prácticas, intentando hacer una comparación entre los conceptos elaborados por Feuerstein y sus aplicaciones, junto con otras formas de intervención que son consideradas como mediacionales. La teoria dell’Esperienza di Apprendimento Mediato (EAM) include una serie di concetti volti a descrivere e illustrare forme specifiche di interventi guidati dall’adulto considerati responsabili sia dello sviluppo cognitivo individuale sia della trasmissione culturale. La teoria dell’ EAM si fonda sul concetto di Modificabilità Cognitiva Strutturale, secondo la quale lo sviluppo degli strumenti dell’apprendimento e del problem-solving umani è un processo riconducibile alla modificabilità che, a sua volta, comporta la plasticità delle strutture del cervello e un’adattabilità funzionale osservabile per tutto l’arco della vita, soggetta a trasformazione e ad auto-perpetuazione. Esaminando il lavoro di Feuerstein sull’EAM dalle prime pubblicazioni in lingua inglese fino alle più recenti, e riferendosi alle numerose conferenze che l’autore ha tenuto sul tema della teoria e della pratica dell’EAM, l’articolo suggerisce che mentre le formulazioni teoriche non hanno subito cambiamenti di grande entità nell’ultima cinquantina d’anni – vale a dire dal momento in cui la teoria è stata per la prima volta avanzata – si è assistito a una proliferazione di applicazioni pratiche, volte a sperimentare ed applicare l’EAM a un’ampia gamma di gruppi target, alcuni dei quali piuttosto distanti dalle popolazioni cliniche a cui Feuerstein si era inizialmente rivolto.

L’articolo è una versione ampliata del contributo presentato dall’autore a un simposio sulla Mediazione da quattro diverse prospettive tenuto in occasione della Conferenza Biennale della IACEP a Jyvaskyla, Finlandia, nel Giugno 2001. Obiettivo dell’autore è presentare gli elementi costitutivi della teoria dell’EAM e fare brevi cenni agli aspetti pratici, così da poter operare un confronto tra i concetti di Feuerstein e le relative applicazioni e altre forme di intervento che si qualificano come orientate alla mediazione.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (5th ed.; DSM-5) Task Force’s recommendation to reduce the limit of normal bereavement to 2 weeks has provoked a wave of negative public and professional reaction not seen since the 1960s and 1970s. I argue that the Task Force is correct to insist that excuses have no place in medicine, which is how psychiatry promotes itself, and therefore for the sake of consistency, bereavement should not count as the only exception to what would otherwise be diagnosed as a mental disorder. But the reclassification of bereavement as mental disorder should focus attention on psychiatry’s overall inability to clearly say what they are talking about when they refer to mental disorder and to provide objective evidentiary grounds for detecting “its” presence. Detecting something is illusory (think of witches) if there is no way to distinguish between true-positive detection and false-positive detection.

Innovative design of new products proceeds by way of cognitive processes of analysis, critical thinking, creativity, conceptualization, cognitive modeling, synthesis, prototyping, and evaluation. Design phases invariably consist of divergence, transformation, and convergence operations. Designing is a creative faculty of the mind, akin to the conceptual faculty of learning arts, sciences, and languages. The author dwells briefly on cognitive, graphical communication, morphological, philosophical, and psychological aspects of design, together with educational imperatives, and proposes that designing new products requires the same cognitive processes regardless of their size, shape, and complexity.

The author has drawn upon his own experience of designing a variety of things and has quoted references to design of household artifacts, office equipment, and industrial products. Reference is made to the ‘Design and Technology’ subject being taught at junior and senior secondary schools in Botswana and elsewhere. Examples are also drawn from some recent world-class designs. These establish the belief that human design cognition is the same for all products, small or large.

An accurate differential diagnosis of children adopted from foreign language situations that include challenging conditions (e.g., neglect) often rests upon accurate measurement of cognitive abilities in the context of low English proficiency, specifically, and may also include generally poor linguistic skills in the native language. In addition, because the goal of any adoption program is ultimately to generate effective intervention supports when needed and measurable progress in function as the child assimilates into his/her new home, it is essential that these programs be designed within the context of valid measurement. Given the particular confluence of low language ability and entrée into a culture that may have differing social interactive norms than the previous culture, one can imagine that identifying disabilities generally, but social-interactive based disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders specifically, could be problematic. Thus, assessment and treatment in these children is difficult and fraught with potential pitfalls. Moreover, recent advances in the measurement of cognitive abilities have out-paced changes in diagnostic classification and treatment methods, and it appears that applications to international adoption cases have lagged even further. This suggests that diagnosis should not be guided solely by available subtests on an intelligence battery or on clinical ascertainment instruments, because these could be confounded by language ability and cultural background. The purpose of this paper is to review measurement of cognitive abilities and diagnosis in international adoption situations and discuss methods for ensuring that diagnosis and treatment include consideration of potential pitfalls. In addition, potential confounds on clinical instruments are discussed.

Death of a loved one is universally distressing. The stressful conditions of COVID-19 can compound the trauma of a loss. Consequently, the mourner has to deal with: (a) the loss of a loved one; (b) potential complications of grief and mourning caused by COVID-19 (e.g., sudden and unexpected death, a loved one's suffering, inability to be physically present to offer comfort or say good-bye, social distancing interfering with funeral and religious ceremonies); and (c) personal disruption caused by COVID-19 (e.g., disruption of employment and daily living routines, fears related to safety and uncertainty). Further, grief can be complicated by prior unresolved losses and trauma, including attachment-based trauma, which would also need to be identified and treated. This article presents a framework for treatment of grief and mourning with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR treatment, guided by the Adaptive Information Processing model, can be informed by other frameworks, including attachment theory and the Dual Process Model, which are described. A case example is presented to illustrate treatment of a client whose father died due to COVID-19.

Despite young children's increasing access to electronic books (e-books) and the evidence indicating their effectiveness for promoting language and literacy, no study has yet explored the e-book's effect in this area among students with intellectual disability (ID). Motivated by this challenge, the current study sought to investigate the effect of an educational e-book on vocabulary acquisition among students with ID. The effect on vocabulary of five repeated readings of an e-book among students with ID was measured and compared with that of children with learning disability (LD). The findings indicate that whereas two independent rereadings with the e-book were enough to promote vocabulary acquisition among the students with LD, at least five rereadings were required to make a difference in the group with ID. Explanations and implications of the findings are discussed.

Therapists trained to provide eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy have a global responsibility. This article summarizes the multiple impacts of high stress events, and their long-term effects on individuals, families, communities, and nations. While it is well documented that EMDR treatment will remediate the individual symptoms of posttraumatic stress, research is still needed to determine how far-reaching such outcomes are. Future studies should determine whether treatment reverses the neurobiological changes, cognitive deficits, and affective dysregulation, which are associated with exposure to traumatic events. Research should also investigate whether successful treatment decreases high-risk and/or perpetrator behavior, and whether these effects are translated into behavioral and attitudinal changes sufficient to bring an end to intergenerational trauma and ethnopolitical conflicts. It seems self-evident that the ideal way to address pressing societal needs, on both local and global levels, is by the integration of science and practice. The article also discusses the development of nonprofit EMDR humanitarian assistance programs, and their essential work in the alleviation of suffering around the world. In addition to recommending the examination of EMDR's efficacy in treating traumatization from direct, natural, structural, and cultural causes, this article advocates that research resources be dedicated for testing interventions in the areas of the world with the greatest needs. The alleviation of suffering is the duty of our profession.

In this study we examined the relationship between stress and social problem-solving skills in student teachers. Results did not show any significant increase in social problem skills at the end of student teaching in 117 primary education student teachers at Laval University in Quebec City. Similarly, stress did not significantly increase. Our results suggest that the more student teachers increase their social problem-solving skills over the course of their student-teaching experience, the less their stress increases. The training of certain social problem-solving skills (problem orientation, generation of alternative solutions, cognition and emotion strategies) could be a promising method for reducing student teachers’ stress. The more we teach student teachers to manage their emotional stress and relax after school or work (relaxation potential), the more they will succeed in reducing their anxiety and overcoming depression.

Ethical psychological practice is essential for beneficiaries’ protection and welfare. This survey research addressed a specific issue, namely compliance with and beliefs about ethical principles and standards of psychologists from the Romanian national law enforcement and firefighting organizations. A total of 140 psychologists, 60.08% of target group members, rated frequency and ethical character of 139 ethically questionable behaviors. Several positive ethical elements were found as lack of almost universal behaviors and many rare behaviors (46.04%). Among the ethical problems found were counted: behaviors and beliefs related to the involvement in ethical practice promotion among psychologists and to the interaction with coordinating and homologous psychologists in the professional or ethical impasse situations. The highest quality ratings of resources for ethical practice guiding and training were made for Code of Deontology and the lowest for legal cases. Several solutions were proposed to improve ethical professional awareness and practice of target group members. The present research showed the difficulty of finding benchmarks to interpret results of an ethical research and the need to approach ethical issues not only from the quantitative view but also from qualitative and/or transcultural view.

The construct of social competence encompasses a set of discrete skills considered important for the formation of positive relationships with others (Raver & Zigler, 1997). Despite the importance of social competence, little is known about its developmental course through early childhood. In addition, little is known about the influence of preschool classroom-level peer characteristics on the developmental trajectory of social competence.

In this study, we fit multilevel models of change to explore children’s trajectories of social competence in early childhood. We investigated whether critical features of children’s trajectories differed systematically by observed aggregate differences in the externalizing behaviors of their preschool peers—a salient aspect of one of the first social contexts in which children engage. We found that children’s social competence grows over time in early childhood and has a statistically significant, positive relationship with the classroom level of externalizing behaviors. Evidence of this relationship disappears when the quality of the classroom relational climate is controlled for in the multilevel regression model.

This article describes and reviews the evidence for two etiologies of depression commonly communicated to clients in a clinical setting. The available evidence suggests that these etiologies are inaccurate and potentially harmful. An alternative etiological approach, which may avoid some of the potential negative consequences, is suggested.

Brooklyn Zoo: The Education of a Psychotherapist delves into the world of psychiatric care and clinical training within the walls of Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. The aim of this commentary is to discuss several ethical dilemmas which were repeatedly presented to the author, Darcy Lockman, throughout her year-long internship. Such dilemmas include psychiatrists' overreliance on medicine, the total disregard for patient comfort, the difference in standards of care for white patients and patients of color, as well as the supervisory neglect in the clinical training program.

Research indicates that school psychologists and special education teachers sometimes face pressures from school administrators to practice unethically. It includes quantitative and qualitative data on: School psychologists’ and special education teachers’ predictions of their responses to administrative pressures to practice unethically; personal and situational factors related to their predictions; errors in some respondents’ ethical reasoning; strategies for responding to pressures to practice unethically; and the ethical obligations shared by school psychologists, special educators, and school counselors in responding to these pressures. The purpose of the article is to increase school-based practitioners’ abilities to understand and cope successfully with administrative pressures to practice unethically.