Our journey with EMDR therapy as individuals and as an EMDR Association…
Isabel Fernandez
President EMDR Europe Association


The development of EMDR therapy in Europe has been an important journey to all those that have been
involved personally but also as a community. This journey has reached every day many populations and
thousands of clients and clinicians. It has been and continues to be always a process full of challenges and
discovery at the same time. This is what we experience every time we do an EMDR session or an EMDR
training or when we share experiences or research findings in our EMDR community.
The significant growth of EMDR therapy has opened many doors and has taken EMDR to be a well established
treatment, recognized and incorporated at an institutional level in many countries. It has been the result of
big efforts of many people with a great vision over 24 years. This has made us aware that the need for EMDR
therapy is huge, but at the same time National Associations and clinicians have taken the responsibility to
respond to this need.
In the last 8 years this process has been very evident to me, as President of EMDR Europe Association. Since
my first encounter with EMDR in 1997, I have witnessed the fascinating and successful journey of this therapy
that is still bringing endless wonders to our field and to me personally. I firmly believe that our history and
our structure will be the secure base to further growth, innovations and development. Research, advocacy
and networking, new applications that we cannot even foresee now and a high position of EMDR therapy in
the field of mental health is what the future will hold for EMDR. During the presentation I will retrace the
main stages of my experience accompanying the evolution of EMDR Europe Association…..
Keeping in mind that a long journey starts with a single step, as EMDR Europe we have chosen to take one
step at a time, consistently and all together. This is what needs to keep guiding us for our future, as the
journey of EMDR will continue….

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