Eligibility Requirements and Expectations

A mental health clinical background is an essential prerequisite for the effective application of EMDR treatment. You will need to provide evidence that you are accredited with one of the professional associations deemed acceptable by EMDR Europe.

Eligibility criteria to undertake EMDR training is strictly governed by EMDR Europe and not individual trainers. The following is taken from the UK EMDR Association

Accredited

EMDR therapy training

is strictly limited to
Mental health professionals
  • Clinical Psychologists (Registered with HCPC or Psychological Society Ireland)
  • Counselling Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
  • Educational Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
  • Forensic Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
  • Psychiatrists (MRCPsych, SpR)

— MRCPsych or equivalent (including Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in any psychiatric speciality)
— Alternatively:
a) Complete both long and short psychotherapy cases (and)
b) Equivalent of three years full time psychiatric experience (and)
c) Letter confirming above from line manager and sent to EMDR Training Provider

  • Registered Mental Health Nurses (NMC) and Registered Social Workers who:
    — Have mental health training, can recognize and assess common mental health problems and have experience of working in a mental health setting, and
    — Have training and a minimum of two years experience of providing one-to-one psychotherapy, either as part of their professional training or in addition to it, and
    — Have provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the above.
Counsellors/Psychotherapists

MUST hold accreditation by one of the following professional bodies:

  • Association of Christian Counsellors (Accredited Counsellor – AC)
  • BABCP, BACP, UKCP
  • British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
  • Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP)
  • Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP)
  • National Counselling Society Accredited Professional (MNCS Accred Prof) grade
  • Federation of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners (FDAP) who are NCAC accredited
  • Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
  • COSCA
  • COSRT
General Practitioners

Registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) who are experienced in psychotherapy and psychological trauma and are accredited counsellors or psychotherapists or working towards a psychotherapy accreditation.

Clinical & Counselling Psychologists

In their final year of training are acceptable with a letter of recommendation from their clinical supervisor.

All Arts Psychotherapists & Occupational Therapists who are
  • Registered with HCPC
  • Have mental health training, can recognise and assess common mental health problems and have experience of working in a mental health setting
  • Have training and a minimum of two years’ experience of providing one-to-one psychotherapy, either as part of their professional training or in addition to it
  • Have provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the above
Mental Health professionals who are resident in a country outside of the UK and practice within that country:
  • Are requested to submit a letter from their national EMDR Association agreeing to them undertaking their training in the UK and stating that they fulfil the eligibility to train in EMDR criteria for their country of origin.

Expectations

for the duration of the course

As part of the full EMDR basic training there is a requirement to see a minimum of 3 clients over the course of the training and to receive 10 hours of supervision. Supervision is built into the three parts of the training but in order to meet the 10 hours requirement, additional supervision groups (2 hours) will be offered between parts 1 & 2 and between parts 2 & 3.

In order to receive the final CPD certificate attendance at all training days and supervision groups is required together with using EMDR Therapy with a minimum of three clients.