Winter 2016

It has not been that long since talk therapy was the only option for therapeutic intervention in mental health issues. In the late eighties, early nineties, some other methods were discovered, that anecdotally seemed to show great promise, and now scientific studies have validated their efficacy. One of those is EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Discovered by Francine Shapiro, EMDR technique relies on bilateral stimulation, while the patient/client is focusing on the traumatic event. There has also been a major growth in understanding the brain and how it works, which in turn has helped explain the relevant aspects of these new methods.

children, was becoming uninterested in any intimate relations with her husband. In explaining her problem, she casually mentioned this date rape. We started looking at this more closely, and then used EMDR to process it. Annette was amazed at how much she had repressed of the experience, and equally amazed at how easily it came up when we were doing the eye movement stimulation. Her feelings of disgust and revulsion were prominent, as were the feelings that it must have been her fault, and she should have been more proactive in trying to stop it. During the process Annette realized that she had protected herself and made her own safety a priority. After just one session, she felt ‘lighter’ and more like laughing. At her next session she said she felt closer to her husband and that they were ‘getting along better than ever’. Working through her feelings of disgust and guilt, was all it took to get her back on track. Another client came seeking help after hitting a deer. He was driving at dusk, and saw a deer come out of the trees and slowed down, but not enough to avoid hitting the third one! No-one in the car was injured, but the deer was killed. There was also considerable damage to the car. The police took 45 minutes to come, by which time he had determined that he could drive the car home, and take it to a collision repair place in the morning. He said the policeman was very comforting and efficient, and the one thing that stuck in his mind was that he was asked if he would like the carcass of the deer. Somewhat horrified, he said no, at which point the policeman told him that was OK and it would be gone in the morning as someone would come and take it. He had suffered whiplash, but recovered within a few months with physio and exercises, but now, 12 months later, he was having nightmares, and images of the deer kept intruding into his every activity. We used EMDR to process the memory of the accident, and it turned out that the part of the trauma that he was having most trouble with was his guilt over killing the deer. It took us two sessions to clear this, and he was very relieved. EMDR is a very powerful method for working with traumatic events. Multiple traumas take time as there is so much to process, but even so, it is dramatically faster that simply ‘talk’ therapy. Most clients need at least an hour and a half to process one image of an event, and a course of treatment over one complicated issue takes eight to fifteen sessions. It does not suit all clients, but for those who find it works for them, it becomes a soothing and peaceful practice.

Patsy De Courcy-Ireland, M.S.W is a Registered Social Worker and a Member of the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists. She has been trained in EMDR, Thought Field Therapy, and Traumatic Incident Reduction. Patsy works with individuals of all ages in the areas of trauma, crisis intervention, stress management, and other issues, and provides therapy services through the EAP.

“A state of discord caused by actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together” — Wikipedia

It has been estimated that managers spend at least 25% of their time resolving workplace conflicts. A recent study done among 9 countries found that on the average staff spend 2.1 hours per week dealing with workplace conflict. That is 1 day per month and a total of 12 days per year! The top causes of workplace conflict are; personality clashes; stress; workload pressures; poor leadership from the top; lack of openness and honesty; poor line management; and lack of clarity or role and accountabilities. Conflict is unavoidable and is a regular part of doing business. Conflict rarely resolves itself, in fact, conflict normally escalates if not dealt with promptly and properly. Unresolved conflict results in lost productivity, increased absenteeism/presenteeism, loss of creativity and barriers to collaboration.

“The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel and misrepresentation” — C. Northcote Parkinson

Handling and resolving workplace conflicts that arise in the workplace is one of the biggest challenges managers and employees face. There are typically two responses to conflict; run away (most often chosen) or battle it out. These responses are rarely if ever effective in resolving the conflict to the satisfaction of all parties involved. There are a number of approaches that can be taken to effectively resolve workplace conflict. Communication, style and approach are dependent on the specifics of the situation and the people involved in the conflict.