Over the past sixteen years, since its initial introduction to professional circles, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) has become increasingly popular among practitioners dealing with trauma. While a number of empirical studies, clinical experience, and published scholarly work have confirmed the efficacy of this therapeutic method in the treatment of trauma and PTSD, there remains a large gap in the literature pertaining to this burgeoning area. Most of the existing literature on EMDR concentrates on the theoretical constructs of the method and/or the physical methodology...

Childhood can be an exciting time, full of joyous exploration, new skills, friends, and imaginative play. It can also be very frightening, especially when children have experiences that threaten their feelings of safety and well-being. Even common traumatic childhood events can deeply affect children's normal healthy development, their self-esteem, and their families. Many behavioral problems stemming from common traumatic events could require years of psychotherapy or medication. That is, they did -- until the advent of EMDR. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR...