EMDR Therapy Protocols & Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During the Desensitization phase of EMDR, the therapist asks the client to report their Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) on a scale of:
- 0 to 5
- 0 to 10 (Correct answer)
- 1 to 10
- 0 to 100
Correct answer: 0 to 10
The SUD scale ranges from 0 (no disturbance) to 10 (the worst disturbance imaginable).
Question 2: Which EMDR protocol is specifically designed for clients who have experienced a single-incident trauma?
- Complex trauma protocol
- Standard EMDR protocol (Correct answer)
- Resource Development and Installation (RDI)
- Recent Traumatic Event Protocol
Correct answer: Standard EMDR protocol
The standard EMDR protocol was originally developed for and is most straightforwardly applied to single-incident traumas.
Question 3: In the Installation phase of EMDR, the therapist links the target memory to the Positive Cognition (PC) while the client engages in:
- Relaxation breathing only
- Bilateral stimulation (BLS) (Correct answer)
- Verbal affirmations aloud
- Journaling the experience
Correct answer: Bilateral stimulation (BLS)
Bilateral stimulation continues during the Installation phase to strengthen the association between the target memory and the positive cognition.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of the 'Safe/Calm Place' exercise introduced during Phase 2 (Preparation)?
- To identify the core negative cognition
- To establish a resource the client can use if they become overwhelmed (Correct answer)
- To begin processing the traumatic memory
- To measure baseline SUD levels
Correct answer: To establish a resource the client can use if they become overwhelmed
The Safe/Calm Place is a stabilization resource installed before trauma processing to help the client manage emotional overwhelm.
Question 5: When the SUD does not drop below a 1 or 0 after repeated sets of BLS, this is referred to as a/an:
- Cognitive interweave
- Ecological validity check
- Blocked processing or 'looping' (Correct answer)
- Incomplete installation
Correct answer: Blocked processing or 'looping'
Blocked or looping processing occurs when the SUD remains stuck and the trauma memory does not continue to resolve.
Question 6: The 'cognitive interweave' technique is used in EMDR when:
- The client's SUD reaches zero
- Processing becomes blocked or the client is highly dissociated (Correct answer)
- The therapist is installing the positive cognition
- The client reports no disturbance at the start of a session
Correct answer: Processing becomes blocked or the client is highly dissociated
A cognitive interweave is a therapist-directed prompt used strategically to jumpstart blocked processing.
Question 7: During the Body Scan phase (Phase 6), if the client notices residual tension or discomfort, the therapist should:
- End the session and schedule a follow-up
- Return to the Preparation phase
- Process the body sensation with additional sets of BLS (Correct answer)
- Ask the client to ignore the sensation
Correct answer: Process the body sensation with additional sets of BLS
Any residual body sensation identified during the Body Scan is targeted with additional BLS until it resolves.
EMDR Therapy Protocols & Techniques 2
During the Desensitization phase of EMDR, the therapist asks the client to report their Subjective Units of Disturbance (SUD) on a scale of: