Application of EMDR Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy beyond posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) where its application is well established. With strong scholarly consensus that early traumatic and adverse life experiences contribute to the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD), EMDR would appear to offer much to the treatment of persons with BPD. However, given the specific characteristics of these clients, the application of EMDR therapy to their treatment can be challenging and necessitates several minor adaptations of the standard EMDR procedures for PTSD. This article provides an orientation to principles and strategies for safely and effectively preparing clients with BPD for EMDR therapy and for accessing and reprocessing the traumatic origins of BPD. Clinical examples are provided throughout.

An Efficient System for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: A Pilot Study

“…Since EMDR therapy has proven to be efficient in the treatment of PTSD, recommended by the World Health Organization in 2013, it has also begun to be used in the treatment of resistant disorders, such as PTSD with comorbid psychosis [ 11 ], in which case it obtained a reduction of paranoid thoughts and allowed patients to reach remission in the psychotic disorder in a shorter period of time. For the treatment of borderline personality disorder [ 12 ], there had to be several adaptations made from the standard procedure. The same was done for people suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder [ 13 ] or comorbid bipolar I and II disorders [ 14 ].…”

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing as a treatment for PTSD: current neurobiological theories and a new hypothesis

“…Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the evidence‐based treatments for post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is recommended by multiple international guidelines . To date, EMDR has been used experimentally with some benefit, to treat phobias, mood, and personality disorders . EMDR is a structured psychotherapy developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987, and it became the first psychotherapy with a demonstrated neurobiological effect, specifically altered brain wave activity in response to treatment .…”

Real-Time-Monitoring in der Behandlung komplexer posttraumatischer Belastungsstörung: Ein Fallbericht

“…Angesichts der hohen Bedeutung episodischer Gedächtnisin-halte für das Selbstbild und der ätiologischen Bedeutung belastender Erinnerungen für eine Vielzahl psychischer Störungen [Brewin et al, 2010] wurde von unterschiedlichen Autoren vorgeschlagen, Methoden der Traumakonfrontation bei Patienten mit komorbiden Persönlichkeitsstörungen nicht nur zur Behandlung der PTBSKernsymptomatik anzuwenden, sondern traumakonfrontative Methoden wie das Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) auch gezielt zur Behandlung weiterer Symptome sowie dysfunktionaler Persönlichkeitseigenschaften einzusetzen [Mosquera und Knipe, 2015;Mosquera et al, 2014]. De Jongh et al [2010] empfahlen für die traumakonfrontative Modifikation dysfunktionaler Persönlichkeitseigenschaften, nicht nur traumatische Erinnerungen, die mit Symptomen der PTBS im engeren Sinne in Verbindung stehen, zu konfrontieren, sondern auch Erinnerungen, die mit darüber hinaus gehenden Symptomen zusammenhän-gen. Im Falle narzisstischer Pathologien ist dabei insbesondere auch an Erinnerungen an verbale Gewalt und emotionalen Missbrauch zu denken [Carr et al, 2013;Johnson et al, 2001].…”