EMDR Therapy Training Course

Lesson 1 • Ethical and Professional Standards

Outlines competency requirements, scope of practice, and ethical obligations. Grounds all subsequent skill-building in professional accountability.

Lesson 2 • History and Development of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing

Traces EMDR's origins from Shapiro's 1987 discovery to current practice. Provides context for understanding why the protocol is structured as it is.

Lesson 3 • Adaptive Information Processing Model

Explains the AIP model as EMDR's theoretical backbone. Connects dysfunctional memory storage to symptom formation and treatment targets.

Lesson 1 • Treatment Planning and Goal Setting

Translates case conceptualisation into a sequenced treatment plan. Ensures clients and clinicians share clear, measurable therapeutic goals.

Lesson 2 • Trauma History and Symptom Assessment

Covers structured and unstructured methods for gathering trauma history. Accurate history-taking directly informs target selection in later phases.

Lesson 3 • Client Suitability and Contraindications

Identifies factors that support or limit EMDR readiness. Prevents harm by ensuring clinicians screen for contraindications before proceeding.

Lesson 1 • Resource Development and Installation

Introduces RDI to strengthen positive memory networks before targeting trauma. Builds ego strength needed for clients with complex presentations.

Lesson 2 • Psychoeducation on Bilateral Stimulation

Explains the role and mechanics of bilateral stimulation to clients. Informed clients engage more actively and tolerate processing better.

Lesson 3 • Affect Regulation Skills Training

Teaches grounding, breathing, and containment techniques clients use between sessions. Directly reduces risk of destabilisation during active processing.

Lesson 1 • Phase 3: Assessment of the Target

Teaches structured elicitation of the SUDS, VoC, emotions, and body location. Accurate baseline measures guide desensitisation and track progress.

Lesson 2 • Phase 4: Desensitisation Procedures

Guides clinicians through sets of bilateral stimulation and free association. Builds competence in sustaining processing while monitoring client state.

Lesson 3 • Phase 1: History-Taking in Session

Applies assessment skills within the formal Phase 1 structure. Connects earlier conceptualisation work to the active protocol sequence.

Lesson 1 • Phase 5: Installation of Positive Cognition

Teaches linking the positive cognition to the target memory using BLS. Strengthens adaptive beliefs and consolidates processing gains.

Lesson 2 • Phase 6: Body Scan

Guides systematic scanning for residual somatic disturbance after installation. Ensures complete processing at the physiological level.

Lesson 3 • Phase 7: Closure Procedures

Covers techniques for closing complete and incomplete sessions safely. Protects client stability between sessions and maintains therapeutic alliance.

Lesson 1 • Adjusting Bilateral Stimulation Parameters

Covers modifications to BLS speed, duration, and modality to shift processing. Provides practical tools when standard sets are insufficient.

Lesson 2 • Recognising Blocked Processing

Defines looping, plateau, and avoidance patterns that indicate blocked processing. Early recognition prevents prolonged distress and session failure.

Lesson 3 • Working with Feeder Memories

Identifies earlier memories that block current target processing. Redirecting to feeder memories resolves root-level blocks efficiently.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive Interweave Strategies

Teaches therapist-initiated statements that jumpstart stalled processing. Interweaves are used sparingly and strategically to restore momentum.

Lesson 1 • Understanding Complex Trauma Presentations

Distinguishes single-incident PTSD from complex developmental trauma profiles. Sets the clinical rationale for protocol modifications in subsequent sections.

Lesson 2 • Structural Dissociation Theory

Introduces the theory of structural dissociation as a framework for complex cases. Guides clinicians in identifying and working with dissociative parts.

Lesson 3 • EMDR Modifications for Dissociation

Covers specific protocol adaptations including EMD, fractionated processing, and parts work. Enables safe trauma processing without overwhelming dissociative clients.

Lesson 4 • Safety Planning for Complex Cases

Establishes crisis protocols and between-session support structures for high-risk clients. Ensures clinicians can manage destabilisation outside the therapy room.

Lesson 1 • EMDR for Grief and Loss

Addresses complicated grief using EMDR to process traumatic loss memories. Distinguishes normal grief from trauma-complicated bereavement requiring EMDR.

Lesson 2 • Measuring Outcomes and Treatment Fidelity

Establishes systematic outcome tracking and fidelity monitoring practices. Ensures clinicians maintain protocol integrity and demonstrate treatment effectiveness.

Lesson 3 • EMDR in Group and Intensive Formats

Introduces group EMDR protocols and intensive outpatient delivery models. Prepares clinicians for settings requiring efficient, high-volume trauma treatment.

Lesson 4 • EMDR for Anxiety and Phobias

Applies the three-pronged protocol to anxiety disorders and specific phobias. Expands EMDR utility beyond trauma into common anxiety presentations.