EMDR Fidelity Scale
Because research involves testing a
specific protocol, therapists do not have the freedom to move outside
the box. Therapists are required to maintain fidelity to the protocol,
even if they feel that the client might benefit from adding an
additional approach. This can be difficult for those of us who are
creative in our treatment application; however, the standardized
protocol has generally been found to be effective. If the protocol is
modified during the research, it is not possible to determine how
effective the treatment is. In an analysis of methodological factors,
Louise Maxfield and Lee Hyer found that EMDR studies that had good
treatment fidelity were the studies that tended to achieve larger
effects. Fidelity is assessed by having tapes of your sessions viewed by
an assessor who uses a fidelity checklist to measure your adherence to
the protocol. Ideally, the assessor should not know the purpose or
outcomes of your study.