What is VSDT?
What is VSDT®?
Visual Schema Displacement Therapy (VSDT®) is a therapy developed by British psychotherapists Nik & Eva Speakman as a treatment for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). VSDT®
is novel in its speed and effectiveness, as The Speakmans propose that trauma-inducing events which become embedded in a matter of minutes, can thus be resolved in a similar time frame. The therapy works by targeting specific problem memories from the trauma, neutralising the negative recall by reducing the emotionality and vividness of these memories.
In 2018, Professor Ad De Jongh & Dr Suzy Matthijssen of University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University respectively, began studies to examine the effectiveness of VSDT®. The first research paper published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry (Matthijssen et al., 2018¹) presented research which found VSDT® to be superior to an abbreviated version of EMDR, in reducing the emotional disturbance of disturbing memories. This effect was further observed in a replication study, in which again the superior effects of VSDT®
persisted. As a result of its success, further research into VSDT® is ongoing, as the studies have now progressed to clinical patient trials. It is the creators’ hope that this therapy will one day soon become widely available to all victims of trauma.
It is important to state that no individual has been trained by The Speakmans to deliver VSDT®,
aside from those involved in the aforementioned research studies. Anyone reporting to practice VSDT®
or anyone who claims to have been trained in this therapy are making false claims. Caution is therefore advised to avoid potential psychological harm. Once the psychological studies are complete, it is the intention of The Speakmans in conjunction with Professor De Jongh & Dr Matthijssen, to train others in this therapy to ensure its widespread accessibility.
Dr Suzy Matthijssen, Nik Speakman, Eva Speakman & Professor Ad De
Jongh