Trauma Resolution Treatment as an Adjunct to Standard Treatment for Child Molesters A Qualitative Study

Abstract

A literature review of current treatment models for child molesters and contemporary theories of etiology suggests a gap between theory and practice. Despite emerging recognition of the importance of addressing etiological issues in sexual offender treatment, many programs resist addressing the trauma sequelae of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in those sex offenders where it is present. Adding trauma treatment to standard sexual offender treatment was identifi ed as a means to closing some of that gap. Ten child molesters with reported histories of CSA were treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Subsequent to adding this trauma resolution component, there was improvement on all six subscales of the Sex Offender Treatment Rating Scale as well as decreased idiosyncratic deviant arousal as measured by the penile plethysmograph. The current study reviews qualitative data collected during treatment and at posttreatment interviews.

Treating Cognitive Distortions with EMDR: A Case Study of a Sex Offender

“…In general, the results of this case study correspond with the findings of the quantitative study by Ricci and colleagues (2006) and the qualitative analysis by Ricci and Clayton (2008) which indicate that the EMDR process can lead to a recognition in the sex offender of the contributors to distorted beliefs, a higher level of accountability, an increase of the offender's participation in group therapy, increased empathy, and an increased clarity in the perception of the offender's own victimization. Other studies using EMDR as an additive to sex offender treatment (Datta & Wallace, 1994;Finley, 2002) also showed an enhancement of victim empathy and a reduction in justifications for offender behavior.…”

“…These distorted cognitions can emerge during the course of the EMDR treatment (Ricci & Clayton, 2008) and may not be apparent at the start of treatment. Because of this, determining beforehand what type of cognitive distortions will be eligible for EMDR treatment can be difficult.…”

“…After EMDR treatment, participants are reported to take on appropriate levels of responsibility for events that have occurred. There is preliminary, though growing evidence from three small-scale quantitative studies (Datta & Wallace, 1994;Finley, 2002;Ricci et al, 2006), a qualitative analysis (Ricci & Clayton, 2008), and a case study (Ricci, 2006), that combining EMDR with standard cognitive-behavioral therapyrelapse prevention (CBT-RP) group treatment, increases the offender's treatment motivation, enhances his empathic Downloaded by [University of Auckland Library] at 19:50 13 October 2014 capacity, increases his internal locus of control, and increases his tolerance for emotions that could trigger the sexual offending cycle.…”

What Makes a Good EMDR Therapist? Exploratory Findings From Client-Centered Inquiry

“…Guided by the work of McCracken (1998) and a qualitative study on the use of EMDR with sex offenders (Ricci & Clayton, 2008) in composing the instrument, further refinement of the instrument occurred following a field-test interview (Marich, 2009). The field test case was not included in the parent study because the case was the author's former client.…”

“…Although many case studies and field reports of real-world EMDR clients appear in the literature, the therapist's third-person view serves as the primary voice. Recent pilot research by Stewart- Grey (2008) and qualitative research by Edmond, Sloan, and McCarty (2004) and Ricci and Clayton (2008) began giving direct voice to the client experience by using open-ended, experiential methods.…”