Pastoral Counselors and the Implementation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

The problem is that since EMDR is not practiced at CCC, it decreases the quality of care and extends the number of counseling sessions. If Christian Counseling Center’s counselors use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing psychotherapy for trauma clients, then an increase in counseling quality will be demonstrated by decreased sessions. The study also sought to reveal EMDR's value to clients’ counseling sessions, given that CBT is the standard therapeutic approach in pastoral counseling settings. Qualitative methods included journaling, questionnaires, and focus groups. Two pastoral counselors completed the necessary training and adhered to EMDR procedures while treating eleven clients using only the EMDR technique. The results indicated that EMDR was beneficial for clients with one-channel trauma. One client required fewer than six sessions, two required more than six sessions, and eight required six sessions. The counselors acknowledged that using EMDR was advantageous not only for the clients but also for themselves. The sessions were fewer, which allowed the clients a faster healing time. By implementing the treatment, the clients could expeditiously eliminate the traumatic effects. Pastoral counselors and their clients would benefit significantly from training and applying the knowledge.