Francine Shapiro and the EMDR Approach

Dr. Francine Shapiro, a psychologist, has made her mark on the field of therapy with her system entitled EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The system was created to help patients who had suffered from life experiences that had left them traumatized in some way. She developed the theory, as it is said, when she was walking in the park one day in 1987. She noticed by chance that when she moved her eyes about, it reduced the level of stress she felt from remembering traumatic events. From those inauspicious beginnings, she worked and developed her system over the next few years.

Francine Shapiro holds a senior fellowship at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California. Much of her attention is focused on the EMDR Institute and the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, which are developed to give training and influence in the wake of natural disasters around the world. She is known and respected not only for her singular contributions to the field of psychotherapy, but for her willingness to speak at lectures and conferences around the world. Her many books and journal articles concerning the practice of EMDR have been read by therapy students the world over.

While her contributions to the field of psychotherapy cannot be overlooked in any respect, her development of the EMDR program is what sets her apart. As noted, it was a system developed to help patients escape and cope with traumatic experiences they carried around with them. Using a structured approach, the system aims to help the patient address not only the past aspects of those memories, but also how to handle them in the present, how they are affecting a person’s life, and how they can be dealt with in the future. By taking this three-pronged approach to the memories, they can more effectively be dealt with by the patient and the therapist.

Any therapist that wants to learn more about EMDR and the approach of Francine Shapiro to treating patients who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder should avail themselves of her writings on the subject. She sometimes creates material for the internet as well, which can be perused by visiting the sites which she corresponds with and contributes to. As it is said time and time again, a therapist cannot live in a vacuum. Not only must they communicate effectively with their patients, they must keep up with the latest research in their chosen fields. By taking a bit from every respected psychologist, a true professional can only improve their own approaches.