Emotional Healing at Warp Speed: The Power of EMDR

Rating:
Summary: The Addition of a Missing Link
Review: David Grand's book is the first of its kind to be written not only for use by professionals (practicing EMDR or not), but also for the general reader interested in understanding the nature and power of EMDR healing. The practice of EMDR is less than 15 years old and in our profession that is very youthful. Many people have never heard of EMDR and those that have would probably find most of the books written about the procedure quite technical. That is what sets this volume apart. It is written from the standpoint of both a clinician, well-versed in the use of EMDR, and the author's own personal journey with the procedure. It is passionately written, extensive in its detail of case examples and provides an array of applications for its use well beyond psychotherapy. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about a cutting-edge procedure, sure to lead to profound changes in the field of psychology and performance enhancement. A must-read if you are practicing EMDR.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable reading about a powerful therapeutic technique
Review: David Grand's book struck just the right balance between information about EMDR - insights for the clinician about when and how to use it - and accounts about using EMDR with real people - information that other "real people" can relate to. As a lay person, I enjoyed learning a little about the development of EMDR and then reading about the different people, including Dr. Grand, himself, who were helped by this new kind of therapy.
Dr. Grand's writing style was also just right - not too technical, but very clear and engaging. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning a little more about how the mind works and how EMDR can be used to help with the variety of problems we all face.

Rating:
Summary: Recommend!
Review: Easy to read and helpful for understanding the process of EMDR. I would have to agree with the previous reviewer Laura M that PEACEFUL HEART : A Woman's Journey to Healing is a must-read. Aimee Jo Martin's story clearly illustrates and details her journey with successful EMDR treatments. Quite powerful if you want to really see how effective EMDR can be.

Rating:
Summary: Recommend!
Review: Easy to read and helpful for understanding the process of EMDR. I would have to agree with the previous reviewer Laura M that PEACEFUL HEART : A Woman's Journey to Healing is a must-read. Aimee Jo Martin's story clearly illustrates and details her journey with successful EMDR treatments. Quite powerful if you want to really see how effective EMDR can be.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Major Trauma
Review: I found Grand exciting and engaging, because in more than eight years of using EMDR, he has gone beyond the original protocol of work with major trauma to work with ordinary people in extraordinary ways. For example, he was engaged by the New Actor's Workshop in New York City to help train actors in deepening the emotional meaning of their roles and to evaporate stage fright.
He describes how our beliefs hold us back from peak performance in many areas, including sports, and how he has worked with sports figures to help them out of periodic "slumps". He shows that EMDR can be used to help people live in the present, not in the past as those who are depressed, nor in the future as those who are anxious. Everyday people like you and me.
This is a book for the therapist who wants to add another sophisticated tool to help others. It is a book for anyone who wants to pursue emotional growth. Those interested in how beliefs support or diminish emotional well-being might find The Spiritual Connection: Values, Faith, and Psychotherapy of interest.
Grand provides an introduction to EMDR, shows with enthusiasm how it can be used in a variety of cases, and discusses the everyday self-use of bilateral stimulation in such ordinary ways as walking. Any reader interested in the discovery of a truly new method of personal emotional growth will be challenged by this book.

Rating:
Summary: OK, if you buy into the theory of EMDR
Review: I had about 10 EMDR sessions from a trained, licensed psychologist, and found them very helpful. And this book does provide some interesting anecdotes of the author's experience first being trained to administer EMDR and then as a practitioner. But I think he is a bit over his head when it comes to really proving anything that it is the specifics of EMDR that are doing the healing. In a repartee with a skeptical therapist who claimed the eye movement part of EMDR may be extraneous, the author claimed he needn't do research studies to see whether EMDR worked by giving the analogy that if you see a man shooting another man, and the other man falls down dead, that is sufficient evidence the man died of the gunshot. Problem here is that there are lots more variables in EMDR. And one of them is whether it works just as well with or without the eye movement business since there is much else going on: visualization, empathic listening, re-experiencing, cognitive restructuring and the like. Thus, the gun analogy is downright idiotic. So, right off, I'm a bit suspicious about Grand's understanding, not merely of research, but of the basics of phenomenology. The other thing that bothers me is his application of EMDR to other uses such as acting training. Using the method in a modified way, he worked with an acting teacher: the results? The actors found it incredibly helpful. Well, first off, I don't think actors or acting teachers are the most reliable people to know what works and doesn't and why. It is also rather insulting to the acting traditions developed by such teachers as Strassberg and Sandy Miesner who spent their lives working in refining acting instruction, and who both were actors themselves. I think Grand is a bit full of himself.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a great read for the public and clinicians
Review: I have read David Grand's book Emotional Healing at Warp Speed: The Power of EMDR, and its wonderful that the general public now has such a valuable resource available for a person who is having difficulty in their life and does not know about EMDR. In addition, the book will be helpful for clients who are beginning the treatment process and want to know more about EMDR and what to expect. Emotional Healing also has chapters for the
clinician that I found useful specifically the areas of

Performance/Creativity as I would like to coach people utilizing EMDR as part of the process. I strongly recommend purchasing this book.

Rating:
Summary: As a former patient of Dr. Grand...
Review: I was pleased to see that he had written a book that explains EMDR and the problems of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients. This is a great public service because so many people suffer trauma and could be treated effectively if only those around them had a better understanding and were better able to offer support. Read this book, if you haven't already, for the sake of those around you who suffer from PTSD. Everyone knows someone who has suffered this kind of trauma.

As much as I enjoyed the well-written descriptions of the treatments, the individual cases, and Dr. Grand's personal experiences, I found the chapters that dealt with the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program most valuable. Trauma in conflict-ridden areas left untreated, can cause more trauma, be handed down from generation to genertaion, and destroy the lives of multitudes. HAP brings training to war-torn areas and those affected by disasters. There cannot be peace in any part of the world if there is no peace in the minds of individuals.

I highly recommend this book. It is an easy read and certainly worth more than the time it takes to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful insight
Review: What a wonderfully honest book! It shares the heartbreak of what rape does to the human soul. I also highly recommend reading Peaceful Heart: A Woman's Journey of Healing, by Aimee Jo Martin....a book that is a true testament to the human spirit.

Rating:
Summary: A Grand Production
Review: What sets this book apart from the many now written on the subject is its immediate accessibility and clarity. Written to assist the ordinary person understand how this therapeutic method can transform the lives of those suffering problems of catastrophic proportion, yet, in contrast it illustrates how extremely capable individuals can be assisted to unlock their potential to fulfil their ambitions and become `grand' in their own right. Although `Warp Speed' is a relative term, gains with this method appear genuinely faster than using any other methods. On a professional level Dr Grand is generous in sharing his information internationally and some of his undoubted charisma shines through these pages. Professionals will also benefit in that the EMDR method is creatively stretched beyond the training given to all practitioners so that we might expand our knowledge and practice. I hope to provide a more detailed review in due course. I highly recommend it to all.