About Us

EMDR Training Australia and New Zealand provides EMDR training for psychologists in Australasia, teaching the therapies Dr Francine Shapiro first identified in 1987 and developed into an acclaimed psychotherapy treatment to ease distress caused by traumatic memories.

Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.

Francine Shapiro, Ph.D, is the originator and developer of the EMDR approach to psychotherapy. Dr. Shapiro first published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress in 1989. Since that time there has been rigorous research to establish the efficacy of EMDR as a front line treatment for PTSD and trauma. Research has now extended well beyond the trauma field with supportive studies in the areas of phobias, panic disorder, grief, sexual dysfunction, chemical dependency, sexual addiction, pathological gambling, dissociative disorders, performance enhancement, somatic problems, and a wide variety of PTSD and other diagnoses. It is recommended by the American Psychiatric Association, the Departments of Defence and Veteran Affairs and is listed as an empirically supported treatment of choice in many countries, including Australia.

Dr Shapiro, is an eminent researcher and teacher. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, California, USA; Executive Director of the EMDR Institute in Watsonville California, and founder and President Emeritus of the EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Programs, a non profit organization that coordinates disaster responses.

Dr. Shapiro is a recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement in Psychology Award presented by the California Psychological Association and the International Sigmund Freud Award for Psychotherapy presented by the City of Vienna in conjunction with the World Council for Psychotherapy.

The American Psychological Association, Division 56 (Trauma Psychology), has chosen Dr Francine Shapiro as the Division's 2009 recipient of the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Practice in Trauma Psychology. This award recognises distinguished contributions to psychological practice. It may be given for the development of a highly effective intervention, for contributions to practice theory,or for a sustained body of work in the field of trauma psychology practice. This Division of the American Psychological Association recognises EMDR as a highly effective intervention.

Please see the EMDR Institute website for a full listing of her qualifications and many publications.