About EMDR SA

The History of EMDR South Africa

In 2020, a group of eight individuals within the South African EMDR community came together to form a Steering Committee to work towards the establishment of a national EMDR association in South Africa (EMDR SA). The committee met regularly to work on a constitution for the Association. In June 2022, an inaugural meeting was held online with EMDR Practitioners from around South Africa. During the inaugural meeting, the constitution was formally ratified, and the Steering Committee received approval from the meeting attendees to continue developing the Association. EMDR SA held its first AGM in October 2023, and the Executive Committee remains committed to supporting the needs of both the EMDR Therapy community and the public. The EMDR South Africa Association is the official professional Association representing EMDR Therapy in South Africa.

Aims of the EMDR SA Association

Our Aims

To promote EMDR Therapy as a treatment of choice for a wide range of psychological conditions, including but not limited to psycho-trauma.
To provide a national forum within South Africa to establish and uphold the highest standards in practice of, as well as training in, certification of and research in EMDR therapy.
To provide information, education and advocacy about and for EMDR Therapy in South Africa to ensure therapists and clients can access reliable information about EMDR.
To assist the members of EMDR South Africa with maintaining fidelity to the practice of EMDR therapy, to fulfil their responsibilities to and ensure the safety of the public.

In furtherance of these aims, EMDR South Africa intends:

To establish and maintain relationships with EMDR Associations and other relevant professional bodies, both nationally and internationally.
To set standards and provide guidelines for Training and Certification in the practice of EMDR Therapy within South Africa.
To support EMDR Clinicians in the continued professional development of EMDR Therapy.
To disseminate information about and promote EMDR Therapy through our official website and other appropriate means, engaging with other professional bodies.
To promote ethical research on EMDR Therapy in South Africa.
To organise workshops, seminars, courses, educational events and conferences for our membership.
To provide EMDR therapy in response to disasters and critical incidents, offering support for psychological trauma and distress.

Our Affiliations and Partners

We extend our sincere gratitude to the EMDR Africa Association and the EMDR Global Alliance for their ongoing support, collaboration, and commitment to advancing EMDR Therapy in South Africa. Without these partnerships, none of our work would be possible.