My thoughts on referrals for trauma work
EMDR is great. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is great. Progressive Exposure therapy (PE) is great. Stress Innoculation Therapy (SIT) is great. Narrative Therapy is great.
Though you may be looking to refer a client to a therapist who uses a specific protocol, it might be helpful to consult with someone versed in more than one treatment method. It could save you peace of mind, and the client months of effort and frustration.
I think sometimes we get hooked on a method and try to apply that to everyone irrespective of individual differences. Some people can’t handle or benefit from certain methods and it helps to identify and choose the most appropriate one near the start of trauma treatment.
I think what therapists do is similar to what prescribers do in choosing medications. If we just go off of symptoms and our habitual prescribing preferences, without taking into consideration other factors, we can easily miss the boat.
“If we just go off of symptoms and our habitual prescribing preferences… we can easily miss the boat.”