Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing basic training (English) — 2025
The Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families is offering basic training on eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to licensed/registered service providers working in mental health who care for Veterans and Veteran Families in Canada. The cost for this training is covered by the Atlas Institute for eligible service providers who register and are approved (see details in Training fees).
Continue reading to learn more about the training, including how to register.
Learn more about the basic training on EMDR and registration requirements by attending a live drop-in question-and-answer session. Two sessions will be offered prior to registration opening:
Session 1: May 26 at 12 p.m., Eastern time
Session 2: June 2 at 12 p.m., Eastern time
About EMDR
EMDR is a recommended first-line therapy for PTSD in current treatment guidelines worldwide.
EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories1,2. Shapiro3 suggests that EMDR facilitates the accessing and processing of traumatic memories to bring them to a healthy resolution. After successful treatment with EMDR, affective distress is relieved, negative beliefs are reformulated and physiological arousal is reduced. During EMDR the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external bilateral stimulation, e.g. lateral eye movements, hand-tapping and audio stimulation4.
For more information about EMDR, please visit the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)’s website.
Training fees
The Atlas Institute is covering the cost of the EMDR training for approved registrants. There will be no cost to participants, subject to eligibility.
If approved, you will be provided with the EMDR basic training e-manual as well as access to a pre-study course and materials. While Atlas is covering the cost of the training, participants are strongly encouraged to purchase and read the EMDR textbook prior to the training (available for purchase through Guilford Press and other retailers).
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols and Procedures. 3rd ed.
Published December 29, 2017
By Francine Shapiro
ISBN 9781462532766
Training details
Participants will learn to use EMDR appropriately and effectively in a variety of applications. Such use is based on understanding the theoretical basis of EMDR, safety issues, integration with an EMDR treatment plan, and supervised practice by experts in the field.
The course is designed to take place over several sessions to enhance learning and integration. EMDR basic training includes:
- 7-day EMDR clinical pre-study course (approximately 12 hours of coursework)
- EMDRIA-required curriculum content
- 14 hours of consultation with EMDRIA-approved consultants. Consultation over time allows trainees to practise what they have learnt and gain support as questions arise.
- Access to materials the trainer has found vital for new EMDR therapists working with clients experiencing complex trauma. Several other resources to supplement your EMDR and clinical practice will also be provided.
Please note: This training is comprehensive and requires your full participation and attention. It is strongly advised that you do not book clients in the evenings and take time to rest and refresh to optimize your learning. It is also strongly advised by the trainer that you take at least one day off after each session for self-care, rest and to optimize your understanding of the materials covered in the training.
- Pre-study (7 days, approximately 12 hours of coursework): One month prior to the first training session on November 14, 2025
- Introduction:
- November 14 – 15, 2025, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time
- Lectures and practica:
- November 21 – 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 1 and 2)
- January 9 – 10, 2026, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 3 to 6 and special populations)
- January 15 – 16, 2026, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time (special populations)
- January 17, 2026, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Eastern time (special populations)
- Group consultation:
- December 12, 2025, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 1 and 2)
- February 7, 2026, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 3 to 6)
- February 28, 2026, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 3 to 6)
- March 13, 2026, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Eastern time (EMDR phases 3 to 6)
Training participants will be required to attend every training session in its entirety including the two introductory sessions, the lectures and practica and group consultation sessions.
In this training you can expect to:
- Use the basic eight-phase EMDR protocol effectively and safely and adapt it to special situations and populations.
- Understand the research and theoretical positions on EMDR.
- Be familiar with variations on the basic protocol for special populations.
- Understand legal and ethical considerations in the use of EMDR.
This workshop will be delivered virtually. You will receive an invitation with instructions prior to the training.
Please ensure that you have a stable internet connection (broadband wired or wireless — 3G or 4G/LTE), speakers and microphone (built-in or USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth). To ensure connectivity, please ensure your Zoom App is up-to-date. If you have an older version of Zoom, it may not be compatible. You can download the latest version here.
The Atlas Institute is covering the cost for 30 service providers to attend the EMDR basic training.
During the lecture portions of the basic training, you will be with a larger group of service providers who did not register for the training via the Atlas Institute’s website. Group consultation and practica will be held exclusively with the service providers who registered through the Atlas Institute.
This course is approved by EMDRIA. It follows EMDRIA’s currently recommended curriculum. The virtual training takes place over several sessions to enhance your learning and allow you to integrate the content into your practice with clients as you learn.
This course is approved for 124 continuing education credits (CEC) through the Canadian Counselling and Pychotherapy Association (CCPA).
A certificate of completion will be issued to all participants who have licensure and satisfactorily complete the entire training including the required readings, 10 consultation hours, EMDRIA exam (divided into multiple quizzes) and evaluations. The training must be completed in its entirety within one year of the first training session.
EMDRIA requires that all trainees be on camera and present the entire training to receive a certificate of completion. If you are away from any components of the training for more than 15 minutes, you will need to register for a future EMDR training at full cost to complete the course, as you will be taking a spot away from someone else who could have attended the training.
Prestudy (7 days)
The pre-study is an opportunity for you to learn more about trauma-informed practice, EMDR and EMDR research, psychometrics and history-taking techniques and some EMDR information that will help you prepare for the basic training. Depending on your level of familiarity with EMDR, expect the pre-study materials to take 10–15 hours to complete.
Understanding trauma is foundational to work in EMDR. For those who have taken extensive courses in trauma and trauma-informed care, you may only need to skim through pre-study day 1.
The online pre-study materials will be sent to participants on October 15, 2025.
- Pre-study day 1: Trauma-informed care
- Pre-study day 2: EMDR introduction and research
- Pre-study day 3: Psychometrics, history-taking and treatment planning intro
- Pre-study day 4: EMDR resources
- Pre-study day 5: Client self-regulation
- Pre-study day 6: Setting up for virtual training and practica
- Pre-study day 7: EMDR cultural competence and learning about microaggressions
Introduction
Meet the trainer in a casual setting online, meet other trainees and familiarize yourself with the Zoom online meeting platform while also learning EMDR virtual skills necessary for training.
This introductory session will give you an overview of the trainer, training, pre-study, online forum resources, consultation expectations, preparing your clients for EMDR, and trauma.
Lectures and practica
Phases 1, 2, 7 and 8 will cover information necessary for preparing your clients for EMDR trauma processing.
- EMDR history and research
- EMDR basic protocol: History, treatment planning, preparation, closure, re-evaluation
- Adaptive information processing
- Understanding and accessing the associative network
- Resource development and installation, resourcing, self-soothing strategies
Phases 3 – 6: These will cover special populations and information on work with uncomplicated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in most clients.
- EMDR basic protocol: Assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan
- Blocked processing, cognitive interweaves and titration strategies
- Special populations: Recent events and reverse protocols, children, pain, phobia, addiction, illness, grief, couples, self-use
- Practica components 1 – 4
- Overview strategies for dissociation and complex trauma
Group consultation
Includes 14 hours of group consultation with an EMDRIA-approved consultant.
Please take a moment to review the terms and conditions for the basic training in EMDR prior to registering. When you register for this training you acknowledge and agree to all course policies.
Participants must agree to the following:
- You will inform the organizers immediately if you are no longer able to attend the training. Failure to do so may affect eligibility for future trainings offered through the Atlas Institute.
- The deadline to withdraw from the training is October 10, 2025. Failure to do so may affect eligibility for future trainings offered through the Atlas Institute.
- Participation in the training in its entirety is required, including the pre-study materials, introduction, lectures, practica and group consultation. EMDRIA requires that all trainees are on camera for the entire training to receive a certificate of completion. If you are away from any components of the training for more than 15 minutes, you will need to register for a future EMDR training at full cost to complete the course.
- This training must be completed in its entirety by December 14, 2026.
- You must keep your web camera on during training sessions.
- A spirit of cooperation with the trainer and facilitators is required to enhance your learning of the eight phases of EMDR and the application of the standard basic protocol. Anyone who disrupts other trainees or the trainer will be asked to leave the training.
- Every qualified participant is welcome in this training. Discrimination, racism, oppression, harassment or any other forms of unprofessional behaviour will not be tolerated. If you experience any of these situations in the training, please inform the trainer immediately.
- Due to the experiential nature of this training, you will be required to complete a practica consent form and confidentiality agreement.
About the trainer
Sue Genest, BA (Hons), MSc, CCC, RCC is a certified EMDR therapist, EMDRIA-approved consultant and EMDR training provider. She has been working in health care for over 33 years — 18 years in somatic therapy and 19 years in EMDR. She has also worked virtually with clients and consultees for 10 years.
She has specialized in trauma work using EMDR, Hakomi body psychotherapy and various methods to address the whole person [e.g. ego state therapy, advanced EMDR trainings, cognitive processing therapy (CPT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), narrative, solution-focused, sensorimotor, theraplay, Shamanism, Indigenous teachings and mindfulness]. She works with individuals and groups addressing trauma, addictions, grief, anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem, health and relationship issues. She has worked with a wide range of clients including individuals living with various mental health injuries (e.g. PTSD, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia), individuals with varying disabilities, minority groups (e.g. Indigenous Peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants), correctional offenders, cancer patients, student populations and corporate professionals.
She is a Canadian Certified Counsellor and Registered Clinical Counsellor in British Columbia. She attended the University of Calgary where she received her BA (Hons) in Psychology and her MSc in Counselling Psychology. She has won numerous awards for her academic work and taught several university classes including counselling skills, lifespan development, mind/body/spirit medicine, qualitative research and sexuality. She has publications and presentations in the area of counselling, EMDR, pediatrics, qualitative research and sexuality.
Sue teaches both basic and advanced EMDR trainings in Canada and around the world.
Eligibility requirements
This training is intended for licensed/registered service providers working in mental health who care for Veterans or Veteran Families in Canada. Trainees working under a licensed/registered service provider in Canada are also eligible to apply. To be eligible, you must:
- Provide care to Veterans and Veteran Families [Veterans from the Canadian Armed Forces and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members].
- You must have a Veteran in your current caseload.
- The insurance provider your client uses is not a determining factor for eligibility (e.g. Veterans can use their own private insurance or insurance through Veterans Affairs Canada).
- Service providers who only care for active military or RCMP members are not eligible. Clients that are transitioning out of the military but are still currently an active member do not count towards the Veteran eligibility requirement.
- Be a licensed/registered service provider working in mental health or a licensed/registered service provider in supervised practice with liability insurance and working in mental health. Your licence needs to include psychotherapy in your scope of practice.
- Please note that regulatory bodies differ in each province and territory and the scope of practice and authorized client populations for each profession may vary as a result.
- For example: Counsellor, marriage and Family therapist, nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, social worker. If you do not see yourself in this list, please contact us to see if you’re eligible.
- Have a minimum of a master’s level education in a mental health discipline and belong to a professional organization with a code of ethics and that protects the public, OR be a graduate student who has completed their core graduate academic coursework and be in/has completed their practicum/internship portion of their graduate program. Graduate students must be on a licensing track and working under the supervision of a fully licensed mental health clinician.
- Your master’s or higher degree must be in an established mental health discipline from a university that is:
- a member of Universities Canada (formerly the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada – AUCC); or
- from a university in the United States that is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- Your master’s or higher degree must be in an established mental health discipline from a university that is:
- Have a minimum of eight clients or anticipate having eight clients prior to starting the training. Participants will be expected to apply their learning with at least eight clients who do not have complex trauma.
- Participants wil only be able to complete the EMDR training if they are able to practise EMDR with clients throughout the duration of their training. Please be sure you have enough clients who can shift states, self-soothe and have affect acceptance (know how to work with their emotions in positive ways) so you can practise EMDR with them. To complete the training, EMDRIA requires a minimum of 10 hours of consultation based on the integration of your learning with clients.
- Currently live and provide care in Canada.
- Be able to participate in the training in English.
All qualified participants are welcome in this training. Discrimination, racism, oppression, harassment or any other forms of unprofessional behaviour will not be tolerated. If you experience any of these situations in the training, please inform the instructor immediately.
We encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity. The Atlas Institute is attentive to the diversity of our network and invites you to self-identify during registration if you wish. Responses from applicants who self-identify during the registration process will only be shared with training organizers at the Atlas Institute. Groups include:
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, and all other Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities
- Member of a group(s) that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs or place of origin
- Persons who identify as women
- Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions
The Atlas Institute is committed to providing an accessible environment for participants attending trainings. Part of this commitment includes offering supports such as American Sign Language interpreters or captionists during the training.
Registration
Learn more about the EMDR basic training and registration requirements by attending a live drop-in question-and-answer session. Two sessions are being offered prior to registration opening:
Session 1: May 26 at 12 p.m., Eastern time
Session 2: June 2 at 12 p.m., Eastern time
Registration will open on June 3, 2025 at 12 p.m., Eastern time.
This opportunity is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
After you submit your registration form, you will be notified within approximately 10 business days whether your registration has been accepted. Please do not make scheduling or other arrangements until you have received confirmation of your acceptance.
To support an inclusive training that values diversity, six spots are intentionally reserved for service providers who identify as a member of an equity-deserving group. To register for one of these spots, select the “Equity” stream when registering.
Interested service providers must self-identify with one or more of the following groups:
- First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, and all other Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities
- Member of a group(s) that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs or place of origin
- Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions
- Shapiro, F. Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 1989;2(2):199-223.
- Shapiro, F. Eye movement desensitization: A new treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 1989;20(3):211-217.
- Shapiro, F.. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Basic principles, protocols, and procedures.2nd ed. Guilford Press; 2001.
- Shapiro, F. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: From EMD to EMDR/R – A new treatment model for anxiety and related traumata. The Behavior Therapist. 1991;14(5):133-135.
