EMDR Therapy Training 2025
EMDR Therapy training designed to meet the needs of New Zealand’s mental health practitioners. This comprehensive training is aligned with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tailored to New Zealand’s unique culture and environment.
We are proud to be offering Aotearoa New Zealand’s first University-based postgraduate training in EMDR Therapy: Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences endorsed in EMDR. It comprises:
In 2025 – EMDR Therapy Basic Training. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (PSME455)
PSME455 is a 30-point paper studied part-time over one year. It covers the internationally recognised EMDR Therapy Basic Training curriculum (Parts 1 & 2), with some expansion of the topics and with increased contact time for the lectures and practicums. Taught through flexible distance learning, the recorded live interactive lectures can be watched repeatedly as and when suits you. The PSME455 course will include online lectures plus two block courses of 2 and a half days each, held in Wellington. It will use a cyclical teaching approach with theory informing practice and practice informing theory.
PSME455 paper information page
EMDR Block Course dates 2025 – Block One: 24-26 March 2025 & Block Two 28-30 July 2025
In 2026 – PSME456: Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. Advanced EMDR Therapy
PSME 456 is is a 30-point paper studied part-time over one year. It covers advanced EMDR Therapy including its application in complex PTSD and additional conditions including EMDR 2.0, addictions, attachment trauma, depression, chronic pain, dissociation, recent traumatic events such as earthquakes, group EMDR Therapy and advanced EMDR Therapy for children. It builds on the EMDR Therapy PSME455 training to ensure mental health practitioners are upskilled in EMDR Therapy for an array of complex problems and to work towards Accredited Practitioner status in EMDR Therapy.
ELIGIBILITY for Special Topic 2. PSME455 or completion of an EMDR Therapy Basic Training accredited by EMDRNZ are pre-requisites for Special Topic 2.
Note that the stand-alone Special topic papers can be credited to a qualification at a later stage.
Why study EMDR Therapy through Otago?
Our comprehensive EMDR Therapy training is designed to meet the needs of New Zealand’s mental health practitioners. It is aligned with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tailored to New Zealand’s unique culture and environment.
It has practical application and enable practitioners from a range of health disciplines to achieve more meaningful clinical outcomes for users of mental health services in our society.
The comprehensive training carries the strength of a university-accredited programme, including an assessed measure of competence through practical assignments, block course attendance and passing of an examination.
The course is both practical and applied, so participants develop skills that enable them to use EMDR Therapy in their workplace. Initially establishing a firm theoretical knowledge base, it shows how EMDR Therapy is used as a framework for assessing and gaining understanding of a patient’s psychological distress, and then formulating and implementing an intervention based on that conceptualisation.
Who is it taught by?
This training is taught by experienced EMDR educator, MaryAnn Stevens, a Senior Clinical Psychologist and EMDR Therapy trainer and Dr Tom Flewett, a Wellington-based psychiatrist with 40 years of clinical and teaching expertise.
In their practices, MaryAnn Stevens and Dr Flewett use EMDR therapy widely, with patients presenting with a broad range of mental health conditions including anxiety, addictions and psychotic disorders in which a trauma component is common. Having found EMDR Therapy to be so helpful for their patients, MaryAnn Stevens and Dr Flewett are keen to train as many clinicians as possible to become skilled EMDR Therapists.
PSME 456 in 2026 will be taught by MaryAnn Stevens, and Dr Allister Bush
How is it taught?
The PSME455 and PSME 456 courses will include online lectures plus two block courses of 2 and a half days each, held in Wellington. It will use a cyclical teaching approach with theory informing practice and practice informing theory.
Taught through flexible distance learning, the recorded live interactive lectures can be watched repeatedly as and when suits you.
Students will be expected to complete 80 hours of EMDR therapy with clients by the end of the year. Each block course will be followed up with supervision and consultation.
Who can apply?
This course is open to mental health practitioners including:
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Psychotherapists
- Nurses
- Social Workers
- Occupational Therapists
- Counsellors
- Art Therapists
EMDR therapy is a complex, structured therapy. The training is intensive, and for acceptance into this programme you may be asked to provide a CV and transcripts of your relevant academic study.
What does it cost?
The 2025 course fees for PSME 455 are likely to be similar to the 2024 fees of $2,500. This covers all lectures, block course and 10 hours of group supervision.
The 2026 course fees for PSME 456 are likely to be similar to the 2024 fees of $2,500. This covers all lectures, block course and 10 hours of group supervision.
How to apply?
Applications for these 2 papers are now open . Please contact emdr.uow@otago.ac.nz for more information on applying.
To apply to study PSME455 in 2025 or PSME 456 in 2026 , you will need to complete the following steps:
- Go to the Postgraduate Certificate of Proficiency (COP) qualifications page.
- In the "Ready to enrol?" box, choose 'Postgraduate Certificate of Proficiency (COP), Wellington, 2025'.
- Log in or create an account.
- Complete and submit your application. The University may contact you if further information is required.
- You will be made an offer of a place in the COP. You need to accept this to be able to select the paper.
- When you do accept, please email emdr.uow@otago.ac.nz for information on how to select the paper.
- Once you have selected the paper, the department will then handle any verification required.
- You will then be approved for the paper and will need to complete the usual university enrolment processes.
Contact details
Email emdr.uow@otago.ac.nz
EMDR Course Director
Dr Tom Flewett
Department of Psychological Medicine
University of Otago, Wellington