Episode 41: EMDR – A Critical Perspective

by Michael on January 8, 2008

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – what is it about this type of psychotherapy that draws such criticism? In this episode I interview Dr. Scott Lilienfeld of Emory University. Dr. Lilienfeld has been a critic of EMDR and in this episode he explains his reasons why. He also talks a little bit about how exposure therapy works. A fascinating interview with a leading critic and author of a new textbook in Psychology.

Resources for this episode

Authors critical of EMDR:

Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, who wrote the article on EMDR, has a website here at Emory University where he is a Professor of Psychology.
You can learn more about Dr. Lilienfeld’s new textbook, “Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding” here.
Here is where you can find the full article that Dr. Lilienfeld wrote regarding his criticisms of EMDR treatment. The full title of the article is EMDR Treatment: Less Than Meets the Eye? and it originally appeared in the January/February 1996 issue of the Skeptical Inquirer.

Authors supportive of EMDR:

The Perkins Center for Counseling has an article by Byron R. Perkins and Curtis C. Rouanzoin which attempts to address the critics of EMDR.
The EMDR Institute maintains an FAQ page containing information supportive of the treatment.
Here is the link to the interview I conducted with Jamie O’Neil, a practitioner of EMDR. This is episode 19.

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Tagged as: Critical Thinking, EMDR, Psychotherapy, Therapy

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

kimberly lowe 01.10.08 at 8:33 am: I would like to know what progress has been made on Asian American utilization of mental health services in the United States? Is there any new reserach done on asaian american perception relating to metal health or mental illness? The reason I am asking is because I am writing a research paper on Asian (chinese) americans perception on mental illness and what could be done to better understand cultural differences in pscyiatric treatment among chinese americans.
mikebritt 01.10.08 at 12:05 pm: Hmm. Well I must admit I am not aware of research in that area. I’ll take a look at what I’ve got here and see what I can find though. If anyone else has any info on this feel free to add to the conversation. Maybe you can clarify exactly what you’re looking for though. What do you mean by Asian Americans’ “perceptions” of mental health or illness? If you could be more specific that would help.
RC 01.05.10 at 1:44 pm: Hi Michael,

This was an interesting interview. However, I noticed that Dr. Lilienfeld didn’t mention the role of emotions, family background and/or life experience at all in his discussion of “exposure therapy.”

I can’t imagine that someone who has a debilitating fear of infection or some other compulsion has such a fear for no reason at all, other than they just do. No mention of what that patient’s life story is, what feelings he may have been repressing, what traumas he may have experienced in his life? Hmmmm.

RC