Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Using EMDR With Autistic Clients: How Do Therapists Adapt?

Using EMDR With Autistic Clients: How Do Therapists Adapt? Autistic people commonly experience co-morbid mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and low mood. General consensus is that autistic people can benefit from evidence-based psychological therapies, with the acceptability and effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy becoming a growing area of interest. One hundred and three EMDR therapists were asked if and how they adapt the standard EMDR protocol to make the process and content more tailored to the needs and preferences of autistic people. We analyzed the qualitative responses of participants to these questions, including barriers and adaptations to all eight phases of the EMDR standard protocol. Overall, therapists emphasized the need for flexibility and responsiveness to the individual client, and the importance of autism-specific knowledge and autism-informed clinical supervision. Implications and future directions are discussed. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of EMDR Practice and Research Springer Publishing

Using EMDR With Autistic Clients: How Do Therapists Adapt?

Download PDF
12 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-publishing/using-emdr-with-autistic-clients-how-do-therapists-adapt-zC8FPuxfR4

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Springer Publishing
Copyright
© 2022 Springer Publishing Company
ISSN
1933-3196
eISSN
1933-320X
DOI
10.1891/emdr-2022-0014
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Autistic people commonly experience co-morbid mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and low mood. General consensus is that autistic people can benefit from evidence-based psychological therapies, with the acceptability and effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy becoming a growing area of interest. One hundred and three EMDR therapists were asked if and how they adapt the standard EMDR protocol to make the process and content more tailored to the needs and preferences of autistic people. We analyzed the qualitative responses of participants to these questions, including barriers and adaptations to all eight phases of the EMDR standard protocol. Overall, therapists emphasized the need for flexibility and responsiveness to the individual client, and the importance of autism-specific knowledge and autism-informed clinical supervision. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Journal

Journal of EMDR Practice and Research – Springer Publishing

Published: Aug 1, 2022

References

  • Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed
    American Psychiatric Association.
  • Stepping Stones: EMDR treatment of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and challenging behavior
    Barol, B.; Seubert, A.
  • Risk of self-harm in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Blanchard, A.; Chihuri, S.; DiGuiseppi, C. G.; Li, G.
  • One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?
    Braun, V.; Clarke, V.
  • Using thematic analysis in psychology
    Braun, V.; Clarke, V.
  • Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners
    Braun, V.; Clarke, V..
  • Camouflaging in autism: A systematic review, Clinical Psychology Review, (89)
    Cook, J.; Hull, L.; Crane, L.; Mandy, W.
  • Using eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) with autistic individuals: A delphi survey with EMDR therapists
    Fisher, N.; Van Diest, C.; Leoni, M.; Spain, D.
  • Autism diagnosis ‘stretched to breaking point’ with numbers jumping 20-fold over last two decades
    Gallagher, P.
  • Effective treatments for PTSD
    International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
  • Understanding, assessing, and intervening with emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder: A developmental perspective
    Keluskar, J.; Reicher, D.; Gorecki, A.; Mazefsky, C.; Crowell, J. A.
  • Traumatic childhood events and autism spectrum disorder
    Kerns, C.; Newschaffer, C.; Berkowitz, S.
  • Assessment of suicidal behaviors among individuals with autism spectrum disorder in Denmark
    Kõlves, K.; Fitzgerald, C.; Nordentoft, M.; Wood, S. J.; Erlangsen, A.
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in a patient with Asperger’s Disorder: Case Report
    Kostaka, D.; Ona, C.
  • The EMDR toolbox (2nd ed
    Knipe, J.
  • Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis
    Lai, M. C.; Kassee, C.; Besney, R.; Bonato, S.; Hull, L.; Mandy, W.; Ameis, S. H.
  • First aid for depression: A Delphi consensus study with consumers, carers and clinicians
    Langlands, R.; Jorm, A.; Kelly, C.; Kitchener, B.
  • Autism, Adverse Events, and Trauma
    Lobregt-van Buuren, E.; Hoekert, M.; Sizoo, B.
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy as a feasible and potential effective treatment for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a history of adverse events
    Lobregt-van Buuren, E.; Sizoo, B.; Mevissen, L.; de Jongh, A.
  • Using stories in EMDR: A guide to the storytelling (narrative) approach in EMDR therapy
    Logie, R.; Bower, M.; Dent, A.; Elliot, J.; O’Conner, M. and Russell, A.
  • Use of the flash technique in EMDR therapy: Four case examples
    Manfield, P.; Lovett, J.; Engel, L.; Manfield, D.
  • Cost-effectiveness of psychological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults
    Mavranezouli, I.; Megnin-Viggars, O.; Grey, N.; Bhutani, G.; Leach, J.; Daly, C.; Pilling, S.
  • EMDR for the next generation
    Morris-Smith, J.; Silvestre, M.
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder NICE Guideline
    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
  • How to talk and write about autism: Guidelines
    National Autistic Society.
  • Time trends in autism diagnosis over 20 years: a UK population-based cohort study
    Russell, G.; Stapley, S.; Newlove-Delgado, T.; Salmon, A.; White, R.; Warren, F.; Ford, T.
  • Eye movement desensitisation: A new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder
    Shapiro, F.
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols and procedures (3rd ed
    Shapiro, F.
  • How to optimise cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD): A delphi study
    Spain, D.; Happe, F.
  • Cumulative life events, traumatic experiences and psychiatric symptomatology in transition-aged youth with autism spectrum disorder
    Taylor, J.; Gotham, K.
  • EMDR beyond PTSD: A systematic literature review
    Valiente-Gómez, A.; Moreno-Alcázar, A.; Treen, D.; Cedrón, C.; Colom, F.; Perez, V.; Amann, B. L.
  • Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress
    World Health Organization.