Authors
Luca Ostacoli<sup>1

1</sup>Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino


In depressive states persons find themselves within an altered dimension where, like in a nightmare, the love towards oneself, others, life, seems lost. To restore emotional color to life, we can start from their experience, representing it and exploring it together, in its antinomy of being alien and at the same time familiar. We must open our receptivity to the seeds of hidden resources that have remained "covered", waiting for the possibility to flourish again.
The most delicate moment is the contact with the neglected inner child’s pain: profound sadness appears, the feeling of loss and transformation. A hard law of life states that the basic unmet needs of early childhood can no longer be recovered by any attention the person may receive as an adult. Many ruminative schemas arise from this unresolved grief, trying to “get back” what was lost. Paradoxically, many people remain depressed because they never feel sadness fully. We must support them in the mourning process, to cross the hill.
Our inner experience in the EMDR therapy plays a crucial role: the connection through the Loving Presence by Ron Kurtz, with both the adult part and the deprived inner child, is very deep, and we can use it towards the healing process. When transformation takes place, session after session, we feel enriched too, grateful towards the person, and our trust in human value increases.

Aims:
to present new techniques to improve the EMDR treatment of Depression

Methods:

Theory, Clinical examples, and videotapes
Results and Conclusions: EMDR is an effective therapy for Depression.


Learning objectives:
1) Participants will be able to improve the EMDR treatment of depression

2) Participants will be able to comprehend the role of neglect at the core of Depression

3) Participants will understand the key points of the EMDR processing of neglect and of the missing experience