Treatment of Attachment Trauma: Effects of an Online EMDR Couple Protocol on Trauma Symptoms, Conflict Resolution, and Forgiveness

IF 1.3 Q3 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Counselling & Psychotherapy Research Pub Date : 2025-09-04 DOI:10.1002/capr.70042

Rebecca Suganthi Davidar, Divya Ballal, Santhosh Kareepadath Rajan

{"title":"Treatment of Attachment Trauma: Effects of an Online EMDR Couple Protocol on Trauma Symptoms, Conflict Resolution, and Forgiveness","authors":"Rebecca Suganthi Davidar, Divya Ballal, Santhosh Kareepadath Rajan","doi":"10.1002/capr.70042","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background</h3>\n \n <p>Incidents characterised by betrayal, abandonment, or emotional neglect within a romantic relationship can profoundly impact relational functioning and lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms in both partners. Although in-person therapies, such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), have shown promise, the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering EMDR online to address attachment trauma remain underexplored.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Aims</h3>\n \n <p>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an online EMDR couple protocol in reducing trauma-related symptoms, improving conflict resolution strategies, and increasing willingness to forgive among couples with a history of attachment trauma. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on gender, partner roles (offending and injured), and types of conflict (single incident and complex). A secondary aim was to determine if gains were sustained at a one-month follow-up.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Participants were 34 individuals (17 couples) presenting with attachment trauma, with a subjective unit of disturbance score over 5. Couples received a two-phase online EMDR intervention comprising individual and conjoint sessions. Pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up measures of post-traumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale), conflict behaviours (Romantic Partner Conflict Scale), and offence-specific forgiveness (Marriage Offence–Specific Forgiveness Scale) were collected. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyse changes over time, with follow-up <i>t</i>-tests examining gender and role differences.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Participants demonstrated significant reductions in intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal, and overall trauma impact, with improvements largely maintained at 1-month follow-up. Conflict styles, notably compromise and submission, showed statistically significant positive shifts. Forgiveness scores improved through reductions in resentment avoidance. No significant gender, partner role, or type of conflict differences emerged, indicating uniform benefits across subgroups.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusion</h3>\n \n <p>Findings suggest that an online EMDR couple protocol can effectively alleviate trauma-related distress, enhance constructive conflict resolution, and facilitate forgiveness in couples with attachment trauma. EMDR is equally beneficial for both offending and injured partners, as well as complex and single-incident conflicts.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Trial Registration</h3>\n \n <p>Trial registered by the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). Registration Number: CTRI/2023/07/055625, registered on July 25, 2023. https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid=87803&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2023/07/055625</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":46997,"journal":{"name":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","volume":"25 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Counselling & Psychotherapy Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.70042","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Incidents characterised by betrayal, abandonment, or emotional neglect within a romantic relationship can profoundly impact relational functioning and lead to post-traumatic stress symptoms in both partners. Although in-person therapies, such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), have shown promise, the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering EMDR online to address attachment trauma remain underexplored.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an online EMDR couple protocol in reducing trauma-related symptoms, improving conflict resolution strategies, and increasing willingness to forgive among couples with a history of attachment trauma. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on gender, partner roles (offending and injured), and types of conflict (single incident and complex). A secondary aim was to determine if gains were sustained at a one-month follow-up.

Methods

Participants were 34 individuals (17 couples) presenting with attachment trauma, with a subjective unit of disturbance score over 5. Couples received a two-phase online EMDR intervention comprising individual and conjoint sessions. Pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up measures of post-traumatic stress (Impact of Events Scale), conflict behaviours (Romantic Partner Conflict Scale), and offence-specific forgiveness (Marriage Offence–Specific Forgiveness Scale) were collected. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyse changes over time, with follow-up t-tests examining gender and role differences.

Results

Participants demonstrated significant reductions in intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal, and overall trauma impact, with improvements largely maintained at 1-month follow-up. Conflict styles, notably compromise and submission, showed statistically significant positive shifts. Forgiveness scores improved through reductions in resentment avoidance. No significant gender, partner role, or type of conflict differences emerged, indicating uniform benefits across subgroups.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that an online EMDR couple protocol can effectively alleviate trauma-related distress, enhance constructive conflict resolution, and facilitate forgiveness in couples with attachment trauma. EMDR is equally beneficial for both offending and injured partners, as well as complex and single-incident conflicts.

Trial Registration

Trial registered by the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). Registration Number: CTRI/2023/07/055625, registered on July 25, 2023. https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid=87803&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2023/07/055625

查看原文本刊更多论文

依恋创伤的治疗：在线EMDR夫妻协议对创伤症状、冲突解决和宽恕的影响

在一段浪漫关系中，以背叛、遗弃或情感忽视为特征的事件会深刻地影响关系功能，并导致双方的创伤后应激症状。虽然面对面的治疗，如情感聚焦夫妻治疗和眼动脱敏和再处理（EMDR），已经显示出希望，但通过在线提供EMDR来解决依恋创伤的可行性和有效性仍未得到充分探索。目的本研究旨在评估在线EMDR夫妻协议在减少创伤相关症状、改善冲突解决策略和增加有依恋创伤史的夫妻原谅意愿方面的效果。根据性别、伴侣角色（冒犯和受伤）和冲突类型（单一事件和复杂事件）进行亚组分析。第二个目的是确定在一个月的随访中是否能持续获益。方法选取主观干扰单位得分在5分以上的34例依恋创伤患者（17对夫妇）。夫妇们接受了两个阶段的在线EMDR干预，包括个人和联合疗程。收集了干预前、干预后和1个月随访的创伤后应激（事件影响量表）、冲突行为（浪漫伴侣冲突量表）和特定冒犯宽恕（婚姻冒犯宽恕量表）的测量结果。重复测量方差分析用于分析随时间的变化，后续t检验检查性别和角色差异。结果参与者表现出入侵、逃避、过度觉醒和整体创伤影响的显著减少，并在1个月的随访中基本保持改善。冲突类型，尤其是妥协和屈服，在统计上显示出显著的积极变化。通过减少怨恨回避，宽恕得分提高了。没有出现明显的性别、伴侣角色或冲突类型差异，表明亚组之间的益处是一致的。结论在线EMDR协议可以有效缓解依恋创伤夫妻的创伤相关痛苦，促进建设性冲突解决，促进宽恕。EMDR对冒犯和受伤的伴侣，以及复杂和单一事件的冲突都同样有益。试验注册由印度临床试验注册中心（CTRI）注册的试验。注册号：CTRI/2023/07/055625，于2023年7月25日注册。https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid=87803&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2023/07/055625

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Counselling & Psychotherapy Research PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

4.40

自引率

12.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： Counselling and Psychotherapy Research is an innovative international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to linking research with practice. Pluralist in orientation, the journal recognises the value of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods strategies of inquiry and aims to promote high-quality, ethical research that informs and develops counselling and psychotherapy practice. CPR is a journal of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, promoting reflexive research strongly linked to practice. The journal has its own website: www.cprjournal.com. The aim of this site is to further develop links between counselling and psychotherapy research and practice by offering accessible information about both the specific contents of each issue of CPR, as well as wider developments in counselling and psychotherapy research. The aims are to ensure that research remains relevant to practice, and for practice to continue to inform research development.