The Decision to Use Eye Movement Integration Therapy: Exploring Clinicians' Experiences Through A Narrative Inquiry

Evidence based practice (EBP) suggests that the best source of evidence to guide clinical decisions comes from randomized control trials; however, many practicing clinicians view client outcomes, clinical experience and their feelings of confidence using an intervention as the best sources to make clinical decisions. In the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) there are interventions that have been deemed to be EBP however, what has been found is many clinicians do not use EBP to treat trauma. Eye Movement Integration Therapy (EMI) is an example of an intervention used to treat PTSD that is not deemed an EBP. Current research also suggests that when treating trauma related symptoms clinicians need to, at times, go beyond traditional talk therapy approaches and consider approaches that incorporate the neurobiological aspects of trauma. This narrative inquiry sought to depict the experiences of four clinicians who use EMI in their clinical practice and to understand these clinician’s decision-making process for their continued use of EMI. Six themes emerged from this study: (a) dissatisfaction with talk therapy for clients with trauma related symptoms; (b) clinicians’ feelings; (c) the importance of what the client wants; (d) client outcomes; (e) client selfreport and clinician observation, and (f) trauma memories are stored in the body.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Social Work

Grantor dc:publisher

Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Dekowny, Patricia Joy

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Fletcher, Kara

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Johner, Randy
• Novotna, Gabriela

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.82465/4285

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/9035