Treatment of Traumatic Attachment to a Perpetrator Using EMDR Therapy - Part I
Tracks
Studio N
| Saturday, June 6, 2026 |
| 9:00 - 10:30 |
| Studio N |
Overview
Roger Solomon (USA)
Speaker
Roger Solomon
Program Director
Emdr Institute
Treatment of Traumatic Attachment to a Perpetrator Using EMDR Therapy - Part I
9:00 - 10:30Abstract
Authors
Roger M. Solomon, PhD1,
Michael Hase, MD2
1EMDR Institute, PO Box 750, Watsonville, CA, 95077 USA
2EMDR Center, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
Background and aims
Trauma-related dissociation often results from childhood abuse and neglect from caregivers. As terrible as the abuse is, what can be even worse is being alone, with no comfort, deepening the fear, shame, guilt, and disorganization of the personality that characterizes complex trauma and dissociative disorders. What can complicate the clinical picture is the attachment to the abuser. The lack of safety and connection to a caregiver, especially in early childhood, can make the child vulnerable to the attention of a perpetrator. Further complicating the clinical picture is that some victims of abuse experience pleasure, which leads to further shame and guilt. Clients often have conflicting emotions and perceptions about their abusers, with some parts having an idealized view while other parts fearing and/or hating them. Other parts can have a positive attachment to their perpetrator, and not acknowledge the abuse. Other parts will imitate the perpetrator and reenact the abuse with the parts that underwent the original abuse.
Treatment not only has to deal with the trauma of the abuse and neglect by the caregiver, but the traumatic attachment to them. This workshop will focus on core concepts for treating a traumatic attachment to a perpetrator, and how to apply these principles within an EMDR therapy framework. Video clips of actual sessions will be presented. Note: These video segments will show actual sessions of clients who have been sexually abused, including strong emotional reactions to their abuse that are processed to resolution.
Methods
We analyzed records of treatment sessions to determine an effective and safe treatment strategy to address the above mentioned issues.
Results
EMDR therapy can be used to treat traumatic attachment to a perpetrator effectively
and safely with these fragile clients.
Conclusions
The treatment of traumatic attachment to a perpetrator is an issue of utmost importance with these extremely fragile clients, suffering from the sequelae of early sexual abuse and often attachment trauma. EMDR therapy procedures can be used effectively and safely with these fragile clients. Clinicians should be aware of the pitfalls in EMDR therapy with these clients and know how to deal with these. Therefore video demonstration of EMDR therapy sessions will highlight the teaching points. This presentation will give valuable information directing research as well as clinically relevant information for the practitioner.
Learning objective
1) Understanding of the relevance the special needs of clients exposed to early sexual trauma and attachment trauma
2) Being informed on the current status of treatment of traumatic attachment to a perpetrator using EMDR therapy.
3) Learning how to use resourcing procedures and how to apply full memory reprocessing using the EMDR standard reprocessing procedure with these clients.
Roger M. Solomon, PhD1,
Michael Hase, MD2
1EMDR Institute, PO Box 750, Watsonville, CA, 95077 USA
2EMDR Center, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
Background and aims
Trauma-related dissociation often results from childhood abuse and neglect from caregivers. As terrible as the abuse is, what can be even worse is being alone, with no comfort, deepening the fear, shame, guilt, and disorganization of the personality that characterizes complex trauma and dissociative disorders. What can complicate the clinical picture is the attachment to the abuser. The lack of safety and connection to a caregiver, especially in early childhood, can make the child vulnerable to the attention of a perpetrator. Further complicating the clinical picture is that some victims of abuse experience pleasure, which leads to further shame and guilt. Clients often have conflicting emotions and perceptions about their abusers, with some parts having an idealized view while other parts fearing and/or hating them. Other parts can have a positive attachment to their perpetrator, and not acknowledge the abuse. Other parts will imitate the perpetrator and reenact the abuse with the parts that underwent the original abuse.
Treatment not only has to deal with the trauma of the abuse and neglect by the caregiver, but the traumatic attachment to them. This workshop will focus on core concepts for treating a traumatic attachment to a perpetrator, and how to apply these principles within an EMDR therapy framework. Video clips of actual sessions will be presented. Note: These video segments will show actual sessions of clients who have been sexually abused, including strong emotional reactions to their abuse that are processed to resolution.
Methods
We analyzed records of treatment sessions to determine an effective and safe treatment strategy to address the above mentioned issues.
Results
EMDR therapy can be used to treat traumatic attachment to a perpetrator effectively
and safely with these fragile clients.
Conclusions
The treatment of traumatic attachment to a perpetrator is an issue of utmost importance with these extremely fragile clients, suffering from the sequelae of early sexual abuse and often attachment trauma. EMDR therapy procedures can be used effectively and safely with these fragile clients. Clinicians should be aware of the pitfalls in EMDR therapy with these clients and know how to deal with these. Therefore video demonstration of EMDR therapy sessions will highlight the teaching points. This presentation will give valuable information directing research as well as clinically relevant information for the practitioner.
Learning objective
1) Understanding of the relevance the special needs of clients exposed to early sexual trauma and attachment trauma
2) Being informed on the current status of treatment of traumatic attachment to a perpetrator using EMDR therapy.
3) Learning how to use resourcing procedures and how to apply full memory reprocessing using the EMDR standard reprocessing procedure with these clients.
