Board News and Updates

Restrictive membership policies from other EMDR organizations leave those living outside North America and completing EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Training without any membership options in their home countries.

EMDRIA has long had reciprocal membership, so those trained by recognized trainers of other regional EMDR organizations would be eligible for EMDRIA membership. Our colleagues in other regional associations do not reciprocate or honor this idea.

Current EGA policies are that these policies be honored in respect of territorial boundaries. The result is that certain trainers effectively control access to membership in professional EMDR organizations in some countries. Individuals who are legitimately trained in EMDR by trainers approved by an official, recognized EMDR association are denied membership and the ability to participate with colleagues in their countries.

EMDRIA remains open to collaboration and partnership with our colleagues, and we want to work together to advance EMDR globally. We believe we are stronger together than we are alone, and there are more significant issues at stake for EMDR than reflected in a conflict over membership policies. We have expressed a desire to discuss the proliferation of unapproved trainings and how we can find a path forward that recognizes training and trainers from all our traditional colleague organizations. At the same time, rather than continue to participate in the EGA and violate the existing EGA policies, EMDRIA felt the only appropriate action was to withdraw.

This decision came only after sincere and open attempts to discuss the challenges and concerns were rebuffed in brief responses. Further, EMDR Europe leadership stated that unless EMDRIA limited trainer activities in ways that EMDRIA has no authority to do, EMDR Europe might take punitive action against the Council of Scholars or the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research. We hope that this escalation of membership issues into activities that benefit the EMDR community globally will not occur.

As our name indicates, the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) was established as an international organization with a global footprint. At previous times in our history, EMDRIA has considered policy changes to its bylaws and name to define it as North American only. Those changes did not occur.

Since its founding, EMDRIA has always had an international membership. Today, 65 countries are represented in our membership, and 27 nations are represented in the group of EMDRIA Certified Therapists.

Throughout its history, other affiliate organizations have asked EMDRIA if they could join with EMDRIA. EMDRIA chose largely to support the development of other associations and regions worldwide. However, as defined above, restrictive membership policies made continuing on a path of supporting exclusive practices untenable. EMDRIA recognized that too many individuals who wanted to learn and advance in EMDR were being left out of membership or thwarted in their desire to develop their leadership and contributions in EMDR therapy, despite being trained by recognized trainers from other regions. This problem became increasingly serious through the pandemic and the growth in virtual training in EMDR.

EMDRIA continues to be supportive of our international colleagues and organizations. It is not our desire to create competing organizations in countries where organizations already exist. However, we do not believe it is appropriate to leave individuals who are trained by EMDRIA Approved Trainers (or other recognized regions) with no opportunity for membership in their own national organizations. EMDR-trained clinicians, who have been trained by an approved trainer, should have the opportunity to affiliate and belong to an organization that will support them. In instances where trained clinicians have no options for membership or affiliation, we will consider standards and processes so they might affiliate with EMDRIA. This is not intended to dismantle or harm existing organizations or structures but to provide a home for EMDR clinicians who have not been given other options. In instances where existing organizations desire to affiliate with EMDRIA, we will have a mechanism so they may do so without requiring exclusivity or restrictions, where they can also affiliate with other entities.

EMDRIA has always invested in activities to support EMDR globally. In 2007, EMDRIA created and funded the Journal of EMDR Practice and Research (JEMDR). Since its inception, EMDRIA has invested over $1 million (U.S.) to support the JEMDR. While others subscribe at low rates, EMDRIA is the only organization that provides editorial and publishing financial support to make publication possible.

EMDRIA continues to support the JEMDR, and as fitting with any scientific journal, consistent with academic freedom, the editor(s) have complete autonomy in the editorial process. The Founding Editor, Louise Maxfield, is from Canada. The two current co-editors, Jenny Rydberg and Derek Farrell are in France and the U.K., respectively. The Editorial Board is international, and the editors make all determinations regarding content. EMDRIA underwrites the JEMDR to support and represent the EMDR community and EMDR globally.

In 2018, EMDRIA began supporting the EMDR Council of Scholars under the auspices of the JEMDR. This body of approximately 40 independent scholars and leaders in EMDR is international in scope and is working on significant projects to advance EMDR therapy. While EMDRIA has been the sole financial support of the Council financially (approximately $250,000 U.S. to date), all other EMDR regional organizations, as well as the EMDR Research Foundation, have been invited to be represented in meetings of the Council. The work of the Council continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most recent symposium in 2022 in Valencia, Spain.

As was written in our letter withdrawing from the EGA, the EMDRIA Board stated, “EMDRIA values its relationships with our international colleague organizations.  We want to avoid, as much as we can, creating or aligning with international affiliates in a manner that negatively impacts countries where successful associations already exist…We want to continue to exchange ideas and strategies to expand EMDR and meet the desire of many around the world to be connected to our organization.”

At the same time, EMDRIA remains concerned that, at present, there are some globally who are legitimately trained in EMDR by recognized trainers who cannot find a home in other EMDR associations because of restrictive membership policies that EMDRIA does not have and cannot support. Because some legitimately trained clinicians are excluded, we believe that individuals and organizations who wish to be affiliated with EMDRIA should have the right and a means to do so.

Membership policies vary significantly regionally. For example, in Europe, individuals who have completed Part I of EMDR training are allowed to join their national associations. EMDRIA does not divide the training into different parts. Someone is not considered to be trained until they have completed full training with hours of consultation also included. Only then is someone eligible to be a full member of EMDRIA.

There is no objective reason to allow individuals who have completed part of a training to join their organization while excluding others who have completed a full training from membership or participation. Because these individuals have no place else to go, based on the policies that exist, EMDRIA believes they should be able to affiliate with the EMDR organizations they choose rather than have no opportunity to belong to an EMDR professional community.

EMDRIA continues to be supportive of our international colleagues and organizations. It is not our desire to create competing organizations in countries where organizations already exist. However, we do not believe it is appropriate to leave individuals who are trained by EMDRIA Approved Trainers (or other recognized regions) with no opportunity for membership in their own national organizations. EMDR trained clinicians, who have been trained by an approved trainer, should have the opportunity to affiliate and belong to an organization that will support them. In instances where trained clinicians have no options for membership or affiliation, we will consider standards and processes so they might affiliate with EMDRIA. This is not intended to dismantle or harm existing organizations or structures, but to provide a home for EMDR clinicians who have not been given other options. In instances where existing organizations desire to affiliate with EMDRIA, we will have a mechanism so they may do so, without requiring exclusivity or restrictions whether they can also affiliate with other entities.