When can we accept an ecological 1?

When can we accept an ecological 1?

In my experience training clinicians in EMDR, I have noticed a trend that trainees will sometimes accept a SUD of >0. Dr. Laurel Parnell also discusses this in the introduction to her book, “A Therapist’s Guide to EMDR.” She discusses a case in which the trainee believed that the Client, who was raped as a child, needed to hold on to some of her anger to protect herself, and thus not go beyond this point of reprocessing.

Another example I have noticed involves grief. Therapists might feel that maintaining some sadness, anger, or whatever the emotion makes sense for the grieving process. However, in this example, there could be a blocking belief, such as, “I have to feel sad to be connected to this person?” or something along those lines. In his workshop on grief, Dr. Roger Solomon talks of the transformation that takes place when the connection the Client has with the deceased is no longer through pain, but rather love. If we preemptively shut down the reprocessing because we believe the Client has already reached the best resolution they can, we are essentially disallowing the Client to be their most integrated and unburdened self.An example of when to accept an ecological 1: When having a certain level of fear or hypervigilance is necessary for safety. The classic example is a person who continues to live with someone who abuses him/her.

It is important when assessing the SUD, that the Client understand that a 0 is not the absence of emotion, but rather the originally memory is no longer disturbing. Shapiro uses an example in EMDR, The 3rd Edition, in which a Client feels anger that is ecologically sound. A justified level of anger could be felt that is not disturbing and thus yield a SUD of 0.

In summary, deciding to accept an ecological 1 and moving into the installation phase is a subjective process. The goal of this post was to list some guidelines and considerations. Generally, clinicians who are new to EMDR tend to accept an ecological 1 too soon.

I hope you found this helpful. Please share your thoughts and ideas.

Robert Peacock, LCSW-S

EMDRIA Approved Consultant
EMDRIA Certified Therapist

0

Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S

Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy. 

Dr. Jose Carbajal, LCSW

Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.

Dr. Amanda Martin, LMFT-S, LPC, BCN

Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

Send this to a friend