Edmr and Its Impact on Complex Trauma Presentation 2022

Eye Desensitization Movement and Reprocessing
(EDMR) and its impact on Complex Trauma

What is Complex Trauma?
• Complex trauma is an interpersonal
challenge that exploits a feeling of
being trapped (Tarocchi et al., 2013).
• It can be planned, extreme, ongoing or
repeated.
• The impacts of the trauma are more
severe, persistent and often cumulative.
• This causes the individual to combat
shame, trust issues, reduced self
esteem, regulating emotions and
identity crisis (Cook et al., 2017).

• The individual might develop coping strategies like
substance abuse, excessive work, overeating, self harm
etc.
• This impacts the well being of the individual negatively
impacting the health and emotion. It impacts their
family life and daily activities as well.
What is Complex Trauma?

Victims of Complex trauma
disorder
• Partner violence
• Chronic sexual, psychological or
physical abuse
• Victims of kidnapping and hostage
• Indentured Servants
• Victims of slavery
• Human trafficking
• Sweatshop workers
• Neglect

Symptoms of Complex trauma
disorder

The four stress responses

Treatment of Complex trauma
• Psychotherapy
• Eye desensitization and
reprocessing (EMDR)
• Medication

What is EDMR?
• Eye movement desensitization and
reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment
process that is exploited to attenuate
the distress that is related with
traumatic memories, it reformulates
negative believes and reduction in
physiological arousal (Shapiro, 2014).
• This exploits therapist directed lateral
eye movements are most common
but there are other stimuli which
includes hand tapping and audio
stimulus.