EMDR Therapy Quarterly

Lillestrøm formed the backdrop for this year’s European conference. Ten minutes from Oslo, Norway, in the vast NOVA Spektrum venue we were treated to a comprehensive mix of presentations, workshops and poster displays focusing on unlocking the power of AIP in our work. After a rather speedy visit to the city centre to soak up the splendour of the Opera House and the vivid emotional art of Norway’s most famous artist Edvard Munch, it was time to get down to the working part of the trip. The European conferences always include a lot of association business. The various committees meet in person (a rare experience) to review their work over the year and build relationships with the other European members. It was a pleasure this year to attend the Child & Adolescent Committee, to welcome the new Chair, Daniella Lampertz, and to honour the hard work of all those on the committee, past and present. I always feel rather humbled at these meetings, which are all conducted in English, and I must admit I feel rather guilty that I have not learned to speak another European language. The passion and dedication to EMDR across Europe is so clear to see and the 50,000 strong membership demonstrates this. 

The opening ceremony on Friday night featured two opera singers who surprised and delighted us with a rendition of Mozart’s Cat Duet. It was a sort bilateral meowing, which was strangely hypnotic. With 42 workshop hours over just two days it was not possible to see everything. Thank goodness for a replay service. I did have the pleasure of chairing on Saturday afternoon and introducing Manuela Spadoni. Manuela, a psychotherapist from Italy, has spent many years training with Jim Knipe and she was tasked by him on his retirement to continue his work. A challenge that she has risen to. Manuela went into detail about the key aspects of parts and defences relating to a client’s difficulties. She then developed her argument further by explaining how the original Knipe tools like CIPOS and LOPA could be integrated into case conceptualisation and, in doing so, demonstrated her Toolbox method. This was a comprehensive review but also a clear outline of how to integrate theory into regular clinical practice, rather than just thinking of the Toolbox as something to dip into occasionally. 

The conference featured many poster presentations of research projects and it was lovely to see the UK represented by Dr Alice Emond and her colleagues, who have conducted a pilot study into EMDR as a routine psychological intervention in a family paediatric oncology psychology service. This work targeted related traumatic memories for 18 young people and their carers, reducing PTSD symptoms and impacting positively on the participants’ quality of life. 

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of meeting up with our colleagues from Ireland as well as making new acquaintances with members from newly emerging associations like Armenia and Lithuania. It was lovely to hear about the growth of EMDR within their countries and how the UK and Ireland associations have contributed to developments, particularly through the dedicated work of Maeve Crowley but also the many consultants who have offered pro bono supervision to colleagues. 

After the conference I also attended the European Board meeting. It was encouraging to see that the UK is ninth in the table for number of practitioners per million inhabitants – for the UK this is a 20% increase. We are third in the table for child and adolescent practitioners, increasing in number by 20 to 86, placing us third behind Germany with 221 and the Netherlands with an amazing total of 920. The increase in accredited members is vitally important for the Association but also for the standing of EMDR within the UK. It ensures fidelity to the approach, increased therapeutic skills and better outcomes for clients. The new EMDR Europe accredited logo is also available, which can endorse your work and communications. Details on how to access it will be sent out to members soon. 

What is still apparent, though, is the need for more UK-based research and larger trials to reinforce the evidence for the work we all do. The conference next June is in Lausanne, Switzerland, and it would be great to see the UK represented with more research-based contributions. 

After five days nonstop, it was a weary trip back at 5am but with a wealth of new information, friends, contacts and hope for the year ahead. As a member of your national association, you are a part of the expanding European and global community working to ensure that the work we do is not only clinically effective but also recognised and valued across the world.