EMDR Training Eligibility

Who can undertake EMDR Accredited Training?

EMDR therapy training requires advanced practice skills.

Experience in assessment and treatment of mental health difficulties is essential as it provides the foundational understanding of clinical presentations, case formulation and treatment planning.

Therapists and clinicians require two years direct clinical experience in a counselling role, which is different to an educational or case management role.

The following professions and experience are required before being accepted for EMDR basic training.

Medical Practitioners

Medical practitioners seeking EMDR Accredited Training must meet registration and experience requirements to ensure appropriate clinical competence.

Psychiatrists or Psychiatry Registrars

Psychiatrists and psychiatry registrars must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or the Medical Council of New Zealand.

They are required to have a minimum of two years of clinical experience working in the mental health field before commencing EMDR training.

General Practitioners

Australian General Practitioners must be registered with AHPRA and complete accredited training by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC), including Mental Health Skills and Focused Psychological Strategies Skills Training.

NZ GPs are required to be registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand and undertake vocational (specialist) training in mental health intervention and counselling work.

Mental Health Nurses

Australian Mental Health Nurses are required to be credentialed by the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and/or demonstrate how they meet credentialing standards of the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses and be registered with AHPRA.

NZ Mental Health Nurses must be registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

Allied Health Professionals

Allied health professionals seeking EMDR Accredited Training must hold appropriate registration and demonstrate advanced mental health experience and qualifications.

Psychologists

Psychologists must must hold registration (provisional registration is not accepted) with AHPRA or the NZ Psychology Board.

Occupational Therapists

OTs must be registered with AHPRA with a minimum of two additional post-graduate years' experience (FTE) and training in mental health (OTA Mental Health Endorsement program) or registered with the New Zealand Occupational Therapy Board and have two additional post-graduate years’ experience and training in mental health.

Social Workers

Social Workers are normally required to be registered as a Mental Health Social Worker with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) or, in New Zealand, with the Social Workers Registration Board. This would require two additional postgraduate years’ experience and specialist training in mental health. Other social workers may be suitable if they meet the following criteria:
  • Eligibility for AASW membership
  • A minimum of two years’ counselling experience in a mental health setting or a publicly funded trauma service
  • Current (or within the previous two years) employment in a specialist counselling service

Counsellors and Psychotherapists

Counsellors and Psychotherapists must be registered with one of the following:
  • The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) — as a Clinical Member; or
  • The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) — as a Level 3 or Level 4 Member.
In New Zealand, Psychotherapists must be registered with the Psychotherapists Board, and Counsellors must be registered with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. 

Creative Arts Therapists

Creative Arts Therapists must be Senior Members of ANZACATA (the Australian, New Zealand & Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association).

They must have completed:
  • An approved mental health degree,
  • An approved Master’s degree in Arts Therapy, and
  • 750 hours of supervised clinical placement.
  • The Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) — as a Clinical Member; or
  • The Australian Counselling Association (ACA) — as a Level 3 or Level 4 Member.
Only Senior Members with this professional status may use the post-nominals AThR.
The EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA) is committed to fostering inclusive, safe, and supportive spaces for all individuals. We respect and welcome people of all identities regardless of their chosen gender, cultural identity, abilities, neurodivergence, religion and lived experience; we value the voices of First Nations peoples, whose cultural heritage is vital to shaping inclusive and culturally safe practices.
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 EMDRAA