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A dog solution to a cat phobia
UK. June 2004 Editor’s Note: Dr Campbell-Beattie provides
us with a creative, three session EMDR case utilizing both visual (light)
and auditory bilateral stimulation to resolve a cat phobia. Readers
may especially appreciate his example of the potential value of “opportunistic”
treatment props! - SEB
Janet, a 44 year old housewife, mother and part-time receptionist, had a “fear
of cats”. She had “always been afraid of cats” as far
back as she could remember. She was generally in good health but also suffered
with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for which she was receiving medication from
her GP. The thought of a cat touching her, feeling its fur, the possibility of a cat scratching or jumping up on her resulted in a “pins and needles” sensation in her head, and a feeling of things “closing in”. She felt panicky, with an increased heart and breathing rate and a hot face, and had an irresistible urge to get away. She reported SUD of 7. She recalled being 6 to 8 years old and having to feed the neighbour’s cat (Target 2) when she would throw the food towards the cat but would not go anywhere near it. She was the youngest of three sisters and both her sisters were also frightened of cats. The most recent disturbing event (Target 1) occurred summer of 2003 on a foreign holiday when she and her husband were eating at a bistro and some local cats ran past their table. Her thought was, “I can’t stay here.” She had certain visions of a cat arching its back, and another staring at her, both of which she found ‘terrifying’. “I’m terrified” was her negative cognition. Her positive cognition was very loosely framed as, “I just want to be normal”, which we would refine later in the session. Using the Eyescan 2000 we commenced work on Target 1, the “pins and needles” sensation in her head, the feeling of things closing in, and “I’m terrified”. The first two eye sets of 22 and 16 revealed nothing. I asked her to focus on what frightened her, and she said, “The cat with the arched back”. A set of twenty-two eye movements (em’s) revealed nothing, again. I offered another set and she revealed: “I’m 6-8 yrs old and feeding the cat.”
Another em set and she tucked her hands under her armpits out of the way, “I
don’t want to feel it.”JC-B: “Keep that in mind.” Another set of em’s: “The cat is jumping up and I feel panicky.” JC-B: “Stay with it; I’m here with you.” EM’s: “It’s not so bad, but I felt I wanted to get up and go at one stage” Me “It’s O.K.” EM’s: “I felt as if I want to get up” I reassured her: “just stay with it.” JC-B: “Stay with it.” After the em’s, she said nothing, but clearly felt uncomfortable. I decided to further support and weave in the question “If a cat is on your lap and your hand are tucked away, what does that make you?” and administered a em’s. She said, “cats touching my skin.” After a short set of fifteen em’s she repeated, “ a cat touching my skin makes me feel panicky.” Her breathing had become more shallow and rapid. I asked Janet, “Have you ever felt a cat’s fur”? “No”, she replied. I suggested that she was getting panicky over the anticipation rather than the actual experience, and she agreed. My old Greyhound is a soppy dog but with a coat of velvet soft fur. Janet was not afraid of dogs and welcomed my canine friend when I invited him into the therapy room. While he stood there, his head bowed into Janet’s lap, she stroked his bony head. I suggested that cat’s fur might feel like this, and I simultaneously asked Janet to follow the lights for a set of 28. She commented, “It was not as bad as I thought”, and I used another set of 28 to reinforce this feeling. The session was concluded shortly after this. We agreed on a cognitive anxiety management strategy in between this and the next session whereby her neighbour would assist her in stroking a cat if she felt able. Jane had certainly challenged her fear in the intervening ten days. She had walked past a cat in an alley and had not even looked back. She had ignored the cat and felt good about her achievement. She had sunbathed in her garden knowing that two cats were in the vicinity (a neighbour’s pets) and even left her doors and windows open – something she had not done before. Janet had stroked her neighbour’s cat while the neighbour held it, and had used her anxiety management technique resulting in feelings of increased confidence and control. Janet was very calm and appeared well balanced. I used one of David Grand’s CD’s, the Inner Mirror, and reinforced her achievements having her describe in greater detail what she had outlined and how she had felt. She finished the session saying that she had not believed it possible and that she would like to be able to deal with any cat by not being afraid. A month later, Janet had been playing with a kitten, holding and stroking it. She had given it the freedom of her house and she had not experienced any adverse reactions, including when the animal had rubbed against her. Her SUD for Target 2 was now at 1, and Target 1 at 2/3 (fearing a cat having an arched back and jumping up). We commenced processing using the Eyescan 2000, first with em’s and the image of a cat jumping up - Janet ‘felt fine’. Then, with an arched back, em’s and again she ‘felt fine’. There was, however, something troubling her. “I’m in a place and cats are coming towards me.” The place was representative of the holiday resort where she had seen a lady feeding cats and she had felt her body symptoms ‘attack’ her. I asked her to keep the image and feelings in mind and offered em’s. “It’s a bit scary – sort of non-specific – but they’re all coming towards me at once.” JC-B: “Go with that” and another em set. Nothing changed. I asked Janet to describe the image in detail, including the actions of the woman and the actions of the cats. She concluded that “the cats are only interested in the food” after a set of em’s. “They’re not interested in her and that feels o.k.” Another set of eye movements and she commented, “feels fine” I asked her to “imagine some cats around you” and after an em set she commented, “they’re not coming to me.” We worked on her positive cognition that became, “I can be myself, be relaxed and go where I want”, which measured at VOC 6 and which we tested and installed with another em set. Comment
Janet is free of her 36 year fear of cats. She was determined to beat her
fear, but just didn’t know how. She reports that her husband and
friends “can’t get over how relaxed I am and my ability to deal with
cats when they know how bad I have been. It’s amazing!”
The three sessions using Eyescan 2000, bi-lateral sound stimulation, and a cognitive
anxiety management strategy as an inter-session assignment, demonstrate that different
forms of stimulation and the opportunistic use of sensory material in the form
of a friendly dog are all compatible. A few weeks later, Janet was on holiday
in the cat-ridden resort and she sent a postcard that read “Cats, what cats?
Thanks John.” Background
John Campbell-Beattie is a European accredited EMDR consultant & practitioner,
and psychotherapist practicing in Plymouth, England. He can be contacted at: campbellbeattie@supanet.com
©2004 The EMDR Practitioner - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
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