Vermont research plan pairs group EMDR with treatment for shame and self-criticism
A research team working with the Vermont Centre for Responder Wellness has set out a study of group EMDR combined with compassion-focused therapy for first responders. The program addresses PTSD, complex PTSD, and moral injury, including the guilt and shame that can follow difficult events at work.
The protocol, published August 10 in the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, describes an eight-day program. Assessment and preparation occupy the first three days. Group treatment follows, using an EMDR-based approach called the Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol alongside compassion-focused work.
Trained peer supporters will work alongside accredited clinicians. The researchers want to learn whether the approach fits the occupational culture of first responders and whether participants can be recruited, retained, and treated safely. Follow-up assessments are planned through six months.
This paper reports the study plan, with no treatment results. It has no randomized comparison group, and any changes observed would reflect a combined program. It therefore cannot establish the benefit of EMDR alone or show that the combination outperforms existing care. The findings are intended to help design a later randomized trial.
