We would like to direct your attention to a brilliant blog written by Dr Flores who has been inspired by the article from our Dr Joyce Blake... 

 

https://www.psyconnect.co.uk/post/attachment-informed-ai-emdr-for-ocd-an-integrative-approach

Attachment Informed (AI) EMDR for OCD: An Integrative Approach

'OCD is far more than a collection of idiosyncratic thoughts and rituals – it is often an attempt to cope with deep internal distress. Clinically, OCD is characterised by recurrent intrusive obsessions (unwanted thoughts, images, or urges) and repetitive compulsions performed to alleviate the anxiety those obsessions cause​ (APA, 2013). For example, a person might feel driven to wash their hands dozens of times (a compulsion) to neutralise a terrifying feeling of contamination (an obsession). These compulsions typically serve self-regulatory functions – they reduce anxiety or a sense of impending harm in the short term​. Therefore, from a therapeutic standpoint, it is unhelpful to conceptualise these symptoms as mere “irrational” behaviors to be eliminated, but as adaptive responses the person’s psyche has developed to manage threat and distress'

Resources - videos

Resources

Ego-dystonic Thoughts - an internal struggle

27 Oct 2024 08:54

Ego-dystonic thoughts refer to thoughts, impulses, or ideas that are inconsistent or in conflict with a person's fundamental beliefs, attitudes, values, and self-image. They are unwanted and when meaning is attached to the occurrence of these thoughts, they cause significant distress and discomfort for the individual and can result in what feels like an internal tug of war. This internal struggle and resultant difficult emotions and distress is exhausting because it's like a battle between your true self, values, intent, desire, and beliefs, and how our very complex thinking machine can be very creative and inventive with the random thoughts it produces. When you really think about it, we need the ability to have spontaneous thoughts in order to be creative and solve problems because this is how we can imagine new ideas and invent. Without this capacity we would have no movies or fiction writing portraying terrifying stories etc. The brain needs to generate thousands of thoughts every day and not all of those thoughts will even come into our awareness or be aligned with our values, intentions, or desires.

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No One Size Fits All in Healing: the wisdom of Bessel van der Kolk

27 Sept 2024 11:51

I stumbled upon an enlightening passage in Bessel van der Kolk's landmark book 'The Body Keeps the Score' that resonated deeply with me. On page 212, van der Kolk powerfully states, "There is no one 'treatment of choice' for trauma, and any therapist who believes that his or her particular method is the only answer to your problems is suspect of being ideologue rather than somebody who is interested in making sure that you get well." This passage struck a chord because it captures the essence of what effective psychological treatment should be: tailored to the individual needs of the client, compassionate, personalised, collaborative, and open-minded.

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Explore valuable resources to enhance your understanding, skills, advance your practice, and support healing for individuals with OCD through EMDR therapy.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Articles

Browse through a collection of insightful articles, podcasts, and book recommendations, that delve into the treatment of OCD and the use of EMDR therapy.

Cromer, K., Schmidt, N., & Murphy, D. (2007.) An investigation of traumatic life events and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Behavior Research and Therapy, 45(7), 1683-1691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.08.018

Pozza, A., Mazzoni, G. P., Neri, M. T., Bisciglia, R., La Mela, C., Fernandez, I., & Dettore, D. (2014). “Tackling trauma to overcome OCD resistance” (The TTOOR Florence trial): Efficacy of EMDR plus CBT versus CBT alone for inpatients with resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder. Protocol for a randomized comparative outcome trial. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 2(5), 114-122. Open access:

http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajap/2/5/3

 

Sarichloo, M. E., Taremian, F., Dolatshahee, B., & Haji Seyed Javadi, S. A. (2020). Effectiveness of exposure/response prevention plus eye movement desensitization and reprocessing in reducing anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms associated with stressful life experiences: A randomized controlled trial. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 14(3), e101535. Open access:

https://dx.doi.org/10.5812/ijpbs.101535

 

 

Talbot, D. (2021). Examination of initial evidence for EMDR as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 15(3), 167-173. Open access:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/EMDR-D-21-00004

 

 

 

 

Podcasts

https://theocdstories.com/episode/robert-fox-314/

EMDRIA. (2022). EMDR therapy and OCD with Dr. Kendhal Hart. Let’s Talk EMDR Podcast.

https://www.emdria.org/letstalkemdrpodcast/

 

Books/Chapters

 

Bohm, K. (2016). Obsessive-compulsive disorder and EMDR therapy. In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy scripted protocols and summary sheets: Treating anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and mood-related conditions (pp. 102-136). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Co.

 

Marsden, Z., & Bohm, K. (2023). EMDR therapy and OCD. In D. Farrell, S. J., Schubert, & M. D. Kiernan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of EMDR. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780192898357.013.8

 

Popky, A. J. (2005). DeTUR, an urge reduction protocol for addictions and dysfunctional behaviors. In R. Shapiro (Ed.), EMDR solutions, pathways to healing (pp. 167-188). New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Co.

 

Shapiro, R. (2009). Attachment, affect tolerance, and avoidance targets in obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. In (Author), EMDR solution II, for depression, eating disorder, performance, and more. New York, NY: W. W. Norton and Co.

 

Zampieri, M. A. J. (2023). EMDR safety platform for early and transgenerational trauma: Description and an OCD application. In J. Y. Elshimali (Ed.), Research developments in medicine and medical science Vol. 8 (pp. 84-98).

Our favourite free resource links

“OCD Stories” Podcast

 https://theocdstories.com/

OCD Action provides information and various support routes including a free helpline https://ocdaction.org.uk/

The video explaining OCD to children (www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1kjw0kmMds) is clear, concise, and informative

Multiple resources and information on attachment 

https://www.attachmentproject.com/blog/early-maladaptive-schemas/

 

The International OCD Foundation has informative and helpful information

Therapist Workshops and CPD
Participate in our specialized workshops and CPD sessions tailored for therapists looking to enhance their skills in treating OCD with advanced therapy methods.

Unlock the Power of EMDR Therapy for OCD

Take the next step in your therapeutic journey. Access our resources to target root causes, support healing, and advance your practice.