Emdr in Addiction Continuing Care: a Phenomenological Study of Women Treated in Early Recovery

The treatment of addictive disorders has baffled professionals over the decades, specifically when it comes to treating those individuals who have suffered the effects of trauma. The needs of traumatized women have been specifically overlooked until recent integration of trauma-sensitive treatments like EMDR into addiction programs. In this study, Dr. Jamie Marich explores how one program in the United States implemented Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) into their treatment program. Ten women who completed EMDR as part of this treatment program spoke to Dr. Marich about how EMDR enhanced their experience in early recovery. The overall finding of this inquiry is that there is a place for EMDR in addiction treatment, as long as it is properly implemented. The depth of this phenomenological study, based on the experiences of actual clients, gives treatment providers the insight they need on how to best implement EMDR into addiction treatment and gender-specific recovery programs.