M.A. / Since 1994, there have been various changes in social work in South Africa, changes that reflect developments in international social work. Social workers are described as generalist practitioners, who must be able to address their clients’ problems on different levels of service delivery and drawing on an eclectic range of theories and intervention models. Trauma is a definite reality in South Africa and only one of many problems that social workers face. Eye Movement Integration Therapy (EMI) is a therapy that has its roots in neurolinguistic programming (NLP). Steve and Connirae Andreas researched the possible link between eye movements and therapeutic growth. Subsequently EMI was developed to facilitate the reduction of trauma symptoms. Danie Beaulieu studied under the Andreas’s and developed the technique further. According to contemporary research, the amygdala is responsible for storing trauma memories. These memories are fragmented, as they are stored in the sensory modalities and have no narrative. The precise mechanisms of EMI are still unknown. It appears, however, that EMI, with its 22 eye movements, assists with the integration of fragmented trauma memories. The effectiveness of EMI with the adult population has been studied, but not its usefulness with children. The goal of this study was therefore to explore the usefulness of EMI in overcoming childhood trauma. A sample of 12 children, aged 14-16 years, who had experienced trauma, underwent a single session of EMI with the researcher. A multi-method approach was utilised as both qualitative and quantitative methods were implemented. The quantitative component took the form of the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) administered before and after the single EMI session. The qualitative component of this study had two parts, namely a semi-structured interview with the parents/caregivers of the children conducted after the EMI session, and a journal that the researcher kept throughout the data collection process. The study found that EMI effectively and significantly reduced the trauma symptoms of the respondents. The successful clinical application of the intervention with children also showed that EMI is a useful technique in the recovery from childhood trauma.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:6845 |
| Date | 27 May 2010 |
| Creators | Struwig, Elsabet |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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