EMDR is an integrated method of psychotherapy that draws from behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, body-based, and systems therapies. Although EMDR was initially developed as a treatment for adult-onset posttraumatic stress disorder, it is increasingly being used to treat clients with other diagnoses. It consists of an eight-phase treatment that includes the use of eye movements or other left-right stimulation. Neuroimaging studies are consistent with the clinical observation that traumatic memories are encoded as vivid sensations and images rather than in a verbal or narrative form. EMDR is viewed as a method for accessing and integrating traumatic memory. It apparently stimulates interhemispheric brain activity, making it possible for clients to recall painful memories and continue to process them adaptively. The current assessment of the use of EMDR involved a woman in her early 50's who was diagnosed with dysthymic disorder (chronic feelings of depression). She sought EMDR treatment to deal with a persistent conflict with "black and white," or dichotomous, thinking, which is a hallmark of trauma. She was particularly troubled by self-esteem issues of feeling disposable and lacking in value. Before beginning EMDR, the woman completed a series of psychological tests to establish a baseline for measuring the efficacy of EMDR. During EMDR treatment, the client explored the dichotomous thinking that had plagued her since childhood, along with the role of childhood physical and emotional abuse in her chronic feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. The client experienced significant improvement in her levels of anxiety and problems with self-esteem, both at the termination of treatment and at a 1-year follow-up. 7 tables and 25 references