Dr Sarah Dominguez1, Mr Anthony Hurst2
1The Wattle Centre; EMDR Association of Australia , , Australia, 2Systemic Psychology; University of Melbourne; EMDR Association of Australia, , Australia
Biography:
Sarah is a clinical psychologist and director of The Wattle Centre, a private psychology practice in NSW, Australia. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and has presented as an invited keynote speaker at international conferences. Sarah is an EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA) accredited consultant and trainer. She serves on the EMDRAA board, chairs the EMDRAA Scientific Committee, and sits on several international committees and workgroups. She delivers training in trauma-focused interventions, including EMDR therapy and imagery rescripting, to therapists across Australia, and offers on-demand courses including EMDR Refresher and Using EMDR and Schema Therapy.
Abstract:
This presentation turns from the problem to the way forward, considering how the justice system can respond to genuine evidentiary questions without discouraging effective care for trauma survivors. Its purpose is to open a constructive, practical discussion of reform. We begin with how prosecution guidance is already evolving across jurisdictions, including movement to remove references to EMDR from prosecution guidelines, and consider what distinguishes jurisdictions that have amended their guidance from those that have not. The talk's specific contribution is to set out several concrete directions for change, including the case for a model jury direction addressing trauma therapy and memory, and a proposed approach to educating police, prosecutors and the judiciary on the nature of evidence-based trauma treatment. We consider what each would require, who would need to lead it, and how psychologists can contribute. The issue under consideration is how to protect both fair process and access to care at the same time, rather than treating them as opposed. We conclude by identifying priorities for policy, practice and cross-disciplinary education, offered as a clinician-led contribution to an evolving and shared conversation rather than as settled conclusions. This forward-looking account completes the symposium's movement from the facts, through the fiction and the friction, to the future.