This course presents the history of Multichannel Eye Movement Integration (MEMI) from its roots in Neuro-Linguistic Programming’s (NLP’s) Eye Movement Integration procedure to its current form as an effective multi-use therapy for PTSD and lesser traumas. Unlike other eye movement therapies, MEMI’s origins are clear, its procedures are uncomplicated and the therapy is easy to learn and use.
The course begins with a review of DSM-5’s diagnostic criteria and is followed by descriptions of MEMI’s theoretical model, presuppositions undergirding the model, and the therapy’s hypothesis. The course also reviews recent brain research concerning the role of eye movements in deactivating the limbic system during the stress response and relates these findings to MEMI’s theoretical underpinnings. The importance of autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation in treating trauma is also explored in the context of both traditional ANS theory and the more recent Polyvagal Theory.
Participants receive practical instruction in the use of MEMI’s: 1.) theoretical model and expanded 10-step protocol; 2.) step-by-step procedures; 3.) scripts and tips for therapists; 4.) basic eye movements 5.) eye movement sets; 6.) worksheet for recording session results; 7.) strategies for interrupting client abreactions; 8.) assessment techniques (Intensity Scale, SUD Scale and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5); 9.) a rubric for scoring the PCL-5; and 10.) tips for treating phobias, substance abuse and personal failures.
Captioned videotapes of an actual MEMI treatment session with a complex trauma client amplify the instruction provided. Additionally, a video demonstration of MEMI being used with a volunteer depicts how MEMI therapy can be used with a subject who is distressed by an annoying habit. Case studies of MEMI’s use with several clients are also featured, along with multiple vignettes of actual client work.
One important note: In this newly revised Level I MEMI course the steps in the protocol are reordered and slightly different than they appear in the MEMI book published in 2021. But they do represent current practice, so please make a note of that.