EMDR Part II Training in Bethlehem

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

Jeff Wright – Palestine

In November, 2005, a team from the Humanitarian Assistance Program of the EMDR International Association consisting of Janet Wright, LCSW, Jim Knipe, PhD, and Peggy Moore, LCSW, from the United States and Emre Konuk, PhD, from Turkey provided a 5-day Part I EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) training to 24 Palestinian therapists working for mental health agencies in the West Bank. The training took place at the East Jerusalem YMCA Rehabilitation Clinic in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. Four Palestinian supervisors were trained to become EMDR trainers so they may provide training in Palestine and the Middle East. In early February, Emre Konuk visited once again from Turkey to provide case consultation to these therapists.

The 5-day Part II training, for 25 participants, took place February 27 – March 3, 2006. The Part II team was Jim Knipe, Janet Wright, and Philip Dodgson, PhD, East Sussex, UK. Janet, who has had repeated contacts with Y staff during the past several years, gave the specialty presentation on EMDR with Children and Families. Philip added expertise in many ways, particularly his use of EMDR with trauma associated with incarceration. We all felt that the Part II was successful in assisting the Palestinians in learning new ways of applying EMDR to the types of complex, multiple-traumatized client populations that unfortunately are the norm in the West Bank. Even though the West Bank conditions made travel difficult for many of the Palestinian therapists, most of the original groups were able to get to Bethlehem to participate for the full 5 days of the Part II. It was evident from the start that these therapists had been using EMDR effectively and extensively since the Part I in November.

A questionnaire was distributed to the group, and the results indicated a very positive evaluation of the training. On a 5-point scale, mean evaluation scores for the Part II were 4.41 for overall quality, 4.41 for quality of content, and 4.45 for quality of training team. Participants also reported that their confidence in using EMDR increased as a result of the Part II, from a mean of 3.18 before the training to 4.45 after. We also asked about use of EMDR since November, and found that the 21 participants had treated, on average, 7.34 clients (range: 2- 42), and had provided these clients with an average of 3.67 sessions (range: 1 – 10) each.

In the months ahead, we hope a member of the training team will be able to return to Beit Sahour for case consultation and advanced specialty training. In addition, there is a strong possibility that, within the next 6 months, a Part I will occur in Ramallah. Also, the four Palestinian supervisors will begin planning for an EMDR Palestine organization. It is well-known that the needs for effective trauma treatment are great in this part of the world and, with this in mind, these therapists aim to ultimately form an Arabic-fluent EMDR training team, which would then have the capacity to bring training and direct service to other areas of the Arabic-speaking world.

Jeff Wright
In February and March 2006, Janet, Jeff and Nathan Wright served as mission volunteers for the Common Board of Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Janet, a mental health therapist, and two colleagues offered Part II training in EMDR to twenty-six therapists at the East Jerusalem YMCA Rehabilitation Program in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour. EMDR is a treatment for trauma, especially Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.