ETQ Spring 2023 – out now
15 May, 2023
A note from the Editor
I promised in the previous issue to shine the light on intensive EMDR therapy, so I am delighted to be showcasing the preliminary results from an intensive trauma service for serving police officers. Back in the summer of 2022 Rachel Rogers started a new residential service under the auspices of Police Care UK. Having now treated three separate cohorts of police officers she presents the background and early findings which are hugely encouraging.
A systematic review exploring the role of eye movements in EMDR therapy from a working memory perspective
Clare Carter delves into the mechanism of eye movements in EMDR from the perspective of the working memory theory and reviews the literature since 2018. There is general agreement that EMs tax the working memory and reduce the vividness and/or emotionality of aversive memories within analogue studies. Their contribution within clinical trials with patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is less conclusive, suggesting that they may be no more effective than other dual attention tasks.
Research news
Research highlights from the last three months.
The need for trauma-based services in the Middle East
Dr Walid Abdul-Hamid shares the results of a survey of mental health practitioners at a recent EMDR training in Turkey and calls for more trauma-based services in the Middle East. He also pays tribute to his colleague Sian Morgan.
Scientific & Research Committee Update
Ben Wright, Chair of the Scientific and Research Committee shares the latest news from the SRC.
EMDR UK conference overview
If you missed the EMDR UK annual conference in March, you can catch up with the highlights here.
Cognitive functioning as an outcome measure in therapy
Current evidence highlights the complex associations between mental and physical health, behaviour patterns and cognitive health, but cognition is rarely measured as part of the process of psychological therapy. Dr Lopez shows how measures of cognitive functioning can add value to psychological therapy by shaping the approach and measuring outcomes. Changes in cognitive function are intrinsically related to changes in brain structure and activity, and, in turn, to mental health and everyday functioning. This has strong implications for the wellbeing of clients.
A personal view of the EMDR UK conference 2023
Jordan Mcphail shares her impressions of her first visit to an EMDR conference.
Essential skills for working with challenging ego states in the preparation/stabilisation and early processing phases of EMDR therapy: review of the clinical workshop
Charles Hamblet attended the EMDR UK annual conference online and reports on what he learned from the clinical workshop presented by Michael Paterson and Bridget O’Rawe.
Update from the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee
It was wonderful meeting some of you at the EMDR UK conference 2023 in Glasgow. Thank you for those who took time to come and talk with me and those who sought me out online. It was heartening to hear some of the speakers incorporating the EDI perspective.
An intensive trauma service evaluation for serving police officers
Policing is a job like no other, it carries a multitude of risks, particularly to psychological health. In addition to usual life stressors, an officer could see 400-600 traumatic events during an average career, contrasted with the 3-4 serious events typically thought to be experienced by civilians. To better help serving police officers, Police Care UK set up a new intensive EMDR service provision. This new intervention has been evaluated and preliminary outcomes are presented here.