Imagery Rescripting (ImR) for individuals with psychosis
Tracks
Track 7
| Sunday, May 17, 2020 |
| 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
Presenter(s)
Dr Luigi Medoro
DClinPsy (UEL), BA (UQ), PGDipPsych (UQ)
Sunshine Coast Hospital And Health Service, University Of The Sunshine Coast
Imagery Rescripting (ImR) for individuals with psychosis
10:30 AM - 2:30 PMAssumed knowledge of attendee
Intermediate (working knowledge of topic area e.g., treated a few cases)
Level of learning
Advanced
Outline
People who experience psychosis symptoms (i.e. voices and/or unusual beliefs) have also been found to experience negative intrusive images associated with their symptoms. Those who experience such mental images often also experience an associated distressing memory. This replicates what has been found in a range of other disorders, including PTSD, social phobia and depression. It has been proposed that a psychotic individual’s ascribed meaning to such images and memories often reflects their underlying beliefs about the self, the world and others. Such beliefs in turn impacts on how the individual interprets and responds to present day events and to their psychosis symptoms. It is therefore hypothesised that modifying an individual’s interpretation of an image or memory may, in turn, modify the negative appraisals and beliefs about the content of their psychosis symptoms.
There is good evidence that Imagery Rescripting (ImR) is a powerful method for changing an individual’s interpretation of an image or memory in a range of disorders (i.e. PTSD, specific phobias, social phobia, depression and eating disorders). This change in interpretation has, in turn, been shown to have a positive impact on the way in which an individual responds to a triggering event. This approach has also been found to be a more acceptable treatment to clients and clinicians than prolonged exposure alone. While still an emerging area for psychosis, ImR has been found to be a viable method of working with this client group; reducing distress and negative affect and increasing perceived control over psychosis symptoms through modifying the beliefs regarding the associated memory.
In this workshop, the presenter will outline the nature of negative intrusive images and associated memories often experienced by individuals with psychosis, and how ImR can be applied to this client group.
There is good evidence that Imagery Rescripting (ImR) is a powerful method for changing an individual’s interpretation of an image or memory in a range of disorders (i.e. PTSD, specific phobias, social phobia, depression and eating disorders). This change in interpretation has, in turn, been shown to have a positive impact on the way in which an individual responds to a triggering event. This approach has also been found to be a more acceptable treatment to clients and clinicians than prolonged exposure alone. While still an emerging area for psychosis, ImR has been found to be a viable method of working with this client group; reducing distress and negative affect and increasing perceived control over psychosis symptoms through modifying the beliefs regarding the associated memory.
In this workshop, the presenter will outline the nature of negative intrusive images and associated memories often experienced by individuals with psychosis, and how ImR can be applied to this client group.
Learning outcomes
At the conclusion of this workshop, participants should be able to:
• Identify intrusive images and memories associated with an individual’s psychosis experience
• Identify the belief/s associated with the traumatic memory and conduct ImR to modify the maladaptive belief/s associated with the traumatic memory.
• Identify intrusive images and memories associated with an individual’s psychosis experience
• Identify the belief/s associated with the traumatic memory and conduct ImR to modify the maladaptive belief/s associated with the traumatic memory.
Biography
Gino is a registered clinical psychologist who has experience working with adults and adolescents with a range of complex psychological difficulties. He is currently the interim Director of Psychology at the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service and Adjunct Fellow in the School of Social Sciences at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Gino completed his Bachelor and Postgraduate Diploma degrees at the University of Queensland and his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. He was Honorary Research Associate at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, where he undertook research in the use of imagery rescripting for individuals with psychosis. Gino studied CBT for psychosis at the Institute of Psychiatry and, while working at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, was supervised by Prof. Elizabeth Kuipers, who has published widely on CBT for psychosis and Family Interventions for psychosis.
