Depression is one of the major causes of disability in the world according to the WHO, with enormous social and human costs. Psychotherapy is recognized as a very important tool for treatment, combined with the promotion of healthy lifestyles, in severe cases with drugs, but it is demanding for therapists. The relationship with self and others is compromised, the window of tolerance can be very narrow, with limited space for contact with the emotional experience.

The EMDR Depression European Network (EDEN), founded in 2010, focused the role of painful events and structures of maladaptively stored memories connected to them. These memories usually are not life-threatening and often do not meet the criteria to define a post-traumatic criterion, but they play a crucial role in the development of Depression. The EDEN group developed an EMDR protocol to address these pathogenic memories and the depressive states associated to them. It proved to be effective in several clinical researches, showing a high rate of remissions and decreases in relapses. The therapeutical relationship also plays a crucial role: the connection may be improved, by resource enhancement.

The existing data suggests, that EMDR Therapy can be an effective therapy for Depression. The online course will bring participants up to date and will facilitate the transfer of knowledge into clinical practice.