A Therapist's Guide to EMDR: Tools and Techniques for Successful Treatment

by Laurel Parnell

Explore with the clients times when they had that quality or qualities. If they cannot think of one, they can think of someone else dealing effectively with this type of situation. The person could be someone they know personally, someone from a movie, TV, book, history, or religious figure, or anyone else. It could even be a symbolic representation of this resource. 3. Next ask the clients to describe the images or memories they have chosen in more detail. Have the clients provide sensory detail: What do they see, hear, feel, smell, or taste? What emotions do they feel and what do they feel in their body? 4. The therapists can ask the clients to say a cue word or phrase with the resource they want to amplify. The installation of the positive resource may or may not be done, depending on the client. Some clients will flip to the polar opposite when BLS is used or may begin processing traumatic memories. For others, the addition of BLS will enhance the client’s felt sense of the resource. 5. The installation of the positive resource is done much like with the standard protocol for traumatic memories: the clients are asked to focus on the image, feelings, the cue word or phrase (if one is used), and the therapists add the BLS. A short set of