Mindful Coaching
EMDR and EFT - A Controlled Comparison
A Controlled Comparison of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Two Psychological Therapies for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing vs. Emotional Freedom Techniques
Thanos Karatzias, PhD, Kevin Power, PhD, Keith Brown, FRCPsych, Theresa McGoldrick, BA, Millia Begum, MRCPsych, Jenny Young, BA, Paul Loughran, MSc, Zoe Chouliara, PhD, and Sally Adams, MScL
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (2011), 199(6), p 372-378.
Abstract
The present study reports on the first ever controlled comparison between eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and emotional freedom techniques (EFT) for post-traumatic stress disorder. A total of 46 participants were randomized to either EMDR (n = 23) or EFT (n = 23). The participants were assessed at baseline and then reassessed after an 8-week waiting period. Two further blind assessments were conducted at post-treatment and 3-months follow-up. Overall, the results indicated that both interventions produced significant therapeutic gains at post-treatment and follow-up in an equal number of sessions. Similar treatment effect sizes were observed in both treatment groups. Regarding clinical significant changes, a slightly higher proportion of patients in the EMDR group produced substantial clinical changes compared with the EFT group. Given the speculative nature of the theoretical basis of EFT, a dismantling study on the active ingredients of EFT should be subject to future research.
