Books / Trauma, body & expressive
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures
Francine Shapiro’s clinical manual presents eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, its theoretical framework and its treatment procedures.
Book details
Author of listed edition: Francine Shapiro
Edition: 3rd edition (2018; 1st ed. 1995)
Publisher: Guilford Press
Edition year: 2018
First published: 1995
Language and origin: English (United States)
ISBN: 9781462532766
Form and genre: Treatment Manual & Clinical Guide
Level: Advanced
Historical era: 1980–2009 · Evidence-Based, Trauma & Integrative Era
Covers: The adaptive information processing (AIP) model as a theoretical framework; Eight phases of EMDR therapy; Attention to past experiences, present concerns and future situations; Clinical procedures and training resources
APA 7th reference: Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
What it is
The third edition of Shapiro’s clinical manual describes the development and practice of EMDR therapy. The first edition appeared in 1995. The publisher describes this edition as a training resource and presents its theoretical and research background.
What it covers
Shapiro’s adaptive information processing model proposes a way to understand distress and memory. Its account of memory processing is a theoretical framework. Research on possible mechanisms continues, and a description of the model should not be taken as proof of a specific neural process.
Practice and evidence
The manual describes eight phases, from history and preparation through assessment, treatment and review. Clinical guidelines including NICE recommend EMDR for some adults with post-traumatic stress disorder in specified circumstances. A recommendation for a treatment does not establish a single mechanism or predict an individual outcome.
Reading level and limits
This is an advanced clinical manual. The publisher record and an excerpt were consulted; the full text was not reviewed for this entry. Treatment decisions depend on the individual and the relevant clinical guidance.
Paired academic and clinical scholarship
Paired work: Efficacy of the Eye Movement Desensitization Procedure in the Treatment of Traumatic Memories (Francine Shapiro, 1989)
Reference: Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2(2), 199–223.
An early controlled study of 22 people with traumatic memories. Its findings are historically important but do not by themselves establish a universal mechanism or outcome.
Source-mapped claims and evidence notes
Claim 1: The AIP model proposes that inadequately processed experiences may contribute to later distress. (The model is a proposed explanation, not an established account of how every memory is stored or how treatment works.) [Source 1: Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. (Original work published 1995)]
Claim 2: The manual describes eight phases of EMDR therapy and attention to past, present and future concerns. (This describes the author’s framework; it does not guarantee an individual outcome.) [Source 1: Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. (Original work published 1995)]
Sources and inspection notes
Supports: Publisher record identifies the third edition and describes its scope. A publisher excerpt was consulted; the full manual was not reviewed.
Supports: Early controlled study of traumatic memories, not evidence of a universal mechanism or outcome.
Supports: WHO guideline on conditions related to stress; recommendations depend on the condition and context.
Supports: A review of the AIP theory and its proposed mechanisms; not proof of a universal biological process.
Supports: NICE recommends or considers EMDR for specified adults with PTSD or clinically important symptoms depending on timing and circumstances.