Eligibility criteria for EMDR
training in the UK
ALL applicants must have a
significant proportion of their current primary role delivering 1-1
psychotherapy.
ALL applicants must have the
full support of their clinical supervisor to attend the training.
All applicants must have access
to training cases for the duration of the course.
Please note: NHS England now has
additional supervision, eligibility and competence requirements for EMDR
therapists working in their service. Please see further information which can
be accessed from the EMDR Association website: Training – EMDR
Association UK – Overcoming trauma with expert help
Mental health professionals
Clinical Psychologists (HCPC)
Counselling Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Educational Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Forensic Psychologists (Registered with HCPC)
Psychiatrists
- 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), Registered
Learning Disability Nurses (NMC), Arts Psychotherapists (HCPC), Occupational
Therapists (HCPC) and Registered Social Workers who:
- 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, in addition to their professional training.
- Have
provided a reference from their clinical supervisor confirming the above.
MUST hold FULL accreditation by one of the
following professional bodies:
·
BABCP
·
BACP
·
UKCP
·
British
Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
·
National
Counselling & Psychotherapy Society Accredited Professional (NCPS
Accredited Professional) grade
·
Federation
of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners (FDAP) who are NCAC accredited.
·
Association
of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
·
COSCA
·
COSRT
Clinical Psychology Trainees
In their final year of training with a letter of
recommendation from their clinical supervisor are eligible to begin the Standard
EMDR Europe course but cannot fully complete it until their registration with
HCPC is confirmed.
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. They will also need a letter of recommendation from their clinical
supervisor to confirm this. However, candidates cannot complete their EMDR
training until their registration with HCPC is confirmed.
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.
Ratified by the EMDR Association UK, June 2023
(amendment re Forensic Psychologists, March 2024)