Self-paced online continuing education for psychologists and psychotherapists — eight video modules, with a personal certificate of completion.

Few approaches to trauma treatment enjoy the recognition that EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has achieved: for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it is endorsed by the WHO, the HAS and NICE alike. Yet essential questions remain: how does the method really operate, which mechanisms are thought to drive it, when is it indicated — and where does it reach its limits? This programme tackles those questions with precision and a critical eye.

Conceived as a guided exploration of the clinical logic of EMDR, the course lets you grasp the approach from within: its origins, its theoretical framework (the AIP model), the neurobiological hypotheses proposed to account for it, the sequence of the standard eight-phase protocol, and the complete map of indications and contraindications. The goal is simple: to equip you to judge when the method is relevant and to refer patients wisely.

Please note. This is a theoretical, introductory course. It will help you understand and situate EMDR, but it does not qualify you to practise it. Clinical use of EMDR requires certified training (levels 1 and 2, under supervision) provided by a recognized body such as EMDR France or EMDR Europe.

Who should enrol? Psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists and other mental health professionals who want to:

• grasp the foundations and working mechanisms of EMDR;
• know when — and for which patients — a referral makes sense;
• weigh the strength of the evidence condition by condition;
• talk about the method accurately with patients and colleagues.

Learning objectives. On completing the course, you will be able to:

• Retrace the birth and rise of EMDR, from Francine Shapiro’s initial observation to its endorsement by major institutions (WHO, HAS, NICE).
• Present the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model — and the idea of a memory “stored in dysfunctional form” — to a colleague or a patient.
• Outline the leading neurobiological hypotheses (working-memory taxation, REM sleep, orienting response) and separate what is empirically supported from what is still debated.
• Follow the rationale of the standard eight-phase protocol and appreciate why preparation and stabilization are decisive.
• Situate PTSD as the core indication and tell single-incident trauma apart from complex trauma.
• Judge the value of EMDR outside the trauma field (phobias, grief, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addictions) in the light of the evidence.
• Recognize contraindications and vulnerable groups (dissociation, psychosis, personality disorders, children, medical conditions) and the risk of destabilization.
• Spot the situations that call for referral to a certified EMDR practitioner — and those where waiting is the wiser option.
• Keep a critical, even-handed view of the controversies (what eye movements really contribute, the overlap with exposure therapy) and integrate EMDR without dogmatism.

Programme — 8 modules

1. How EMDR emerged — origins, development and institutional recognition.
2. The AIP model — memory networks, “improperly stored” memories and reprocessing.
3. Neurobiology and candidate mechanisms — bilateral stimulation, working memory, REM sleep: solid ground versus hypothesis.
4. The eight-phase standard protocol — from history-taking through desensitization and installation to re-evaluation.
5. PTSD and trauma, the reference indication — evidence levels, simple versus complex trauma, why stabilization matters.
6. Extensions beyond trauma — phobias, grief, depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addictions.
7. Contraindications and sensitive populations — dissociation, psychosis, children, older adults, medical contexts.
8. Debates, controversies and outlook — the true role of eye movements, integrating the method, referring patients.

Format and practical details

• Format: eight online video modules, followed entirely at your own pace.
• Assessment: a 20-item True/False final quiz covering the whole programme.
• Level: introductory — no previous familiarity with EMDR is needed.