Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy

Recent innovations in EMDR have focused on resource development and installation, and repair of developmental deficits. An approach called Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DMNS) teaches a new method for correcting developmental deficits. This approach assumes that the degree to which childhood needs were not adequately met at a given developmental stage is the same degree to which the client is stuck in that stage.

DNMS involves meeting those developmental and attachment needs now, to help clients get unstuck from the past. "Needs meeting work" begins with the development of three internal "Resources" that can be called "Nurturing Adult Self," "Protective Adult self," and "Spiritual Core Self." These states of self are installed first individually and as a group, a "Healing Circle." (See DNMS Glossary of Terms.)

The client is asked to invite into the Healing Circle of resources a child part of self (reactive child ego state) that is stuck in the past. Once safely inside the Circle, the Resources can meet the child's unmet developmental needs within the process of the awareness of internal strength. The ego state can process any strong emotions (e.g. fear, anger, grief), and attach securely to the Resources. Processing is enhanced with alternating bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or tones).

As developmental needs are met, client's unwanted beliefs, behaviors, and urges dissipate.

In the process of meeting developmental needs, negative emotional attachment to developmental-stage traumas often desensitize simultaneously.

While there is no controlled research to substantiate the results of this process, clinical experience indicates that this is a very powerful process. See an in press article for a case example.

Trainings by the developer of this method are available around the country.