eligibility criteria…
TRAINING: BECOMING AN EMDR SPECIALIST
EMDR is an advanced psychotherapy requiring a high level of skill. A mental health clinical background is an essential prerequisite for the effective application of EMDR treatment. All training providers will also expect you to provide evidence that you are “Accredited” with one of the professional associations deemed acceptable by EMDR Europe and EMDR UK.
Booking is easy …
Step 1
Check out our earliest availability and what dates you could possibly book on
Step 2
Fill in our eligibility checker to ensure you are eligible, we will review this and approve your application
Step 3
Once approved … Look out for your email invitation to book onto your desired dates
You’re Done!
By clicking book now, you will be able to check if you would be eligible to book based on the strict criteria below.
Accredited EMDR therapy training is strictly limited to the following:
NHS ENGLAND APPLICANTS
- ONLY FOR THOSE IN IAPT, ADULT COMMUNITY HEALTH & PERINATAL SERVICES
For those working in NHS England IAPT services, adult community mental health services and perinatal mental health services, there is a requirement for you to arrange ongoing clinical supervision following the course, please see Section 2 of the below NHS document.
Please note: NHS England now has additional supervision, eligibility and competence requirements for EMDR therapists working in their service. Please read the below before applying for training.
- NHS ENGLAND Clinician (ONLY FOR THOSE IN IAPT, ADULT COMMUNITY HEALTH & PERINATAL SERVICES) that will complete your training before 31 Dec 2023 then you must aim to adhere to
View Eligibility List of NHS England IAPT, Secondary Care and Perinatal Therapists
- NHS ENGLAND Clinician (ONLY FOR THOSE IN IAPT, ADULT COMMUNITY HEALTH & PERINATAL SERVICES) that will complete your training after 31 Dec 2023, from Jan 24 onwards must aim to adhere to Schedule 3 of which being that it is not impossible for RMN's or SW to train but you must on completion be aiming to achieve the status set out of eligibility in the curriculum. For example, you should be aiming to become an accredited CBT therapist to meet BABCP guidance.
View FAQs - EMDR national curriculumand NHS-funded training
View Eligibility List of NHS England IAPT, Secondary Care and Perinatal Therapists
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Clinical Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Counselling Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Educational Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Forensic Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Psychiatrists (MRCPsych)
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 & Learning Disability Nurses (NMC)
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.
For example courses/training in a recognised form of ’talking therapy’ (e.g., CBT, IPT, DBT, CAT, REBT, MBCT, Humanistic, Gestalt, TA, Art therapy, Psychodynamic, etc) and 2 years experience in delivering such model-informed approaches on a one-to-one basis in clinical practice.
and;
Have provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the training and two years experience of providing one-to-one psychotherapy, either as part of their professional training or in addition to it. In addition, the clinical supervisor must confirm the applicant will have access to suitable training cases for the duration of the course
Registered Mental Health Social Workers with experience of working clinically in a mental health setting
Have mental health training, can recognise 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....
For example courses/training in a recognised form of ’talking therapy’ (e.g., CBT, IPT, DBT, CAT, REBT, MBCT, Humanistic, Gestalt, TA, Art therapy, Psychodynamic, etc) and 2 years experience in delivering such model-informed approaches on a one-to-one basis in clinical practice.
The training does cover a broad spectrum but ideally at a post-graduate level which teaches one-to-one psychotherapy.
and;
Have provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the training and two years experience of providing one-to-one psychotherapy, either as part of their professional training or in addition to it. In addition, the clinical supervisor must confirm the applicant will have access to suitable training cases for the duration of the course.
COUNSELLORS &
PSYCHOTHERAPISTS (MUST BE ACCREDITED) - Note: We can no longer accept provisional accreditation for any Members. All members MUST BE FULLY ACCREDITED to apply.
· BABCP, BACP, UKCP
· British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
· National Counselling Society Accredited Professional (MNCS Accred Prof) grade. Must be listed as “Accredited Prof” and not just Accredited.
· Federation of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners (FDAP) who are NCAC accredited
· Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
· COSCA
· COSRT
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS
In their final year of training, are acceptable with a letter of recommendation from their supervisor
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY TRAINEES
To be eligible to begin the Standard EMDR Europe course, candidates must be in Stage 2 (supervised practice) of the BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology and have completed at least 450 hours of supervised practice. You will also need a letter of recommendation from your clinical supervisor to confirm this. However, candidates cannot complete their EMDR training until their registration with HCPC is confirmed.
ALL ART PSYCHOTHERAPISTS &
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS & SOCIAL WORKERS
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....
For example courses/training in a recognised form of ’talking therapy’ (e.g., CBT, IPT, DBT, CAT, REBT, MBCT, Humanistic, Gestalt, TA, Art therapy, Psychodynamic, etc) and 2 years experience in delivering such model-informed approaches on a one-to-one basis in clinical practice.
Have provided their CV
Have provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the training and two years experience of providing one-to-one psychotherapy, either as part of their professional training or in addition to it. In addition, the clinical supervisor must confirm the applicant will have access to suitable training cases for the duration of the course.
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.
Applicants from countries with no national EMDR Association are scrutinised on a case-by-case basis. They need to follow EMDR Association UK eligibility criteria broadly, ie they should be a mental health professional who is accredited/registered with a governing body in their own country.
In either case, external applicants who are resident in the UK are not eligible to train in EMDR or practice EMDR in the UK unless they also meet the UK eligibility criteria above.
By clicking book now, you will be able to check if you would be eligible to book.
Applicants from countries with no national EMDR Association are scrutinised on a case-by-case basis and need to broadly follow our own eligibility criteria, i.e. a mental health professional accredited/registered with a governing body in their own country. In either case, external applicants will not be eligible to practice in the UK unless they also meet the UK eligibility criteria above.