Much has been written about trauma and neglect and the damage they cause to the developing brain. However, little has been written or researched about the possibility of healing these attachment wounds and addressing the damage suffered from neglect or poor parenting in early childhood. This book presents a treatment that focuses precisely on these issues. Laurel Parnell, a leader and innovator in the field of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), offers an approach that combines two often separate worlds of knowledge: the science of early attachment relationships and the practice of therapy within the context of EMDR.

The book combines attachment theory, one of the most dynamic theoretical areas in psychotherapy today, with EMDR to teach therapists a new method of treating clients with trauma relationships and attachment deficits. Readers will find scientifically evidenced ideas about how our early relationships shape the development of the mind and brain from our youthful years to adulthood. Our connections with caregivers activate neural circuits that persist throughout our lives, shaping how we think, feel, remember, and behave.

EMDR is a powerful tool for enhancing integration in a person across many dimensions, including memory, narrative, state, and vertical and horizontal integration. In the attachment-based modifications of Laurel Parnell's EMDR approach, the structural foundations of this integrated framework are adapted to further enhance the integration of individuals who have experienced insecure attachment and developmental trauma.

The book is divided into four parts. Part I lays the foundation and describes the five basic principles that guide and define the work. Part II provides information on attachment repair resources available to clinicians, and this section can be used by therapists who are not trained in EMDR. Part III teaches therapists how to use EMDR specifically directed at attachment repair, including client preparation, goal development, modifications of the standard EMDR protocol, desensitization, and the use of intermediate variations.

Part IV includes the presentation of three cases by different EMDR therapists who used attachment-focused EMDR with their clients. These cases illustrate what was discussed in the previous chapters and allow the reader to follow the theoretical concepts in clinical practice—providing the client's history and background, actual EMDR sessions, attachment repair interventions during these sessions and their rationale, as well as information on the interventions' impact and the course of therapy.

Pages: 432, Year of Publication: 1108, Dimensions: 16.5x16.5cm