President’s Message (2020-2024)

A warm hello to all our members and guests. In recent years, EMDR Singapore has weathered the impact of Covid and organised Basic Training even with restrictions in place. Whilst the trainers delivered the lectures and theory via Zoom, our Senior Consultants were on-site to provide the necessary coaching and guidance for the practicum portion albeit to smaller numbers of clinicians. We are now back to enjoying fully in-person trainings for Basic Training and Masterclass (Structural Dissociation and the Art and Dance of EMDR).

The Association would like to extend gratefulness and warm appreciation to all who contributed tirelessly: our valued trainers, the executive committee members, our senior consultants, our registrar, auditors and accountant, certification and community development subcommittee members, and other members who have contributed in one way or another such as conducting peer learning sessions, giving an Introduction to EMDR presentations, and EMDR Asia conference presentations.

In these four years, the executive committees of 2020 and 2022 have been tasked with issues of governance. One of which has been upholding the standards and fidelity to approved EMDR Basic Training as developed by Francine Shapiro. Currently, other forms of Basic Training have been developed by practitioners who are trained in EMDR and applied the theory to their own practices. These forms of Basic Training do not utilise the EMDR Institute manuals and are therefore considered applied EMDR training or advanced training. In order for practitioners to consider application of EMDR practices, it is necessary that they first attain the proper foundation and are schooled using the EMDR Institute manuals. The association therefore encourages clinicians to invest in acquiring the right foundation for EMDR practice.

In addition, the certification committee along with exco members have worked diligently to review and finetune the certification process for EMDR Singapore practitioners. This has been a necessary effort to ensure credibility of certified practitioners who will then have the opportunity to embark on training to be approved facilitators/consultants and trainers in the longer term. In tandem, the training development subcommittee has invested time and energy for capacity building. The team has established the criteria and process for the training pathway for approved trainees.

Another important development these recent years has been deepening the relationship with member countries of EMDR Asia. The members support the credibility of EMDR in the region. In the area of building capacity, the EMDR Asia Training Standards and Accreditation Panel, along with Sigmund Burzynski, Senior EMDR Institute trainer, generously and kindly mentor our consultants and facilitators in training.

On behalf of the 2022 executive committee, I extend a warm welcome to the incoming executive committee. Already, the EMDR Singapore community is meeting more regularly and I look forward to further opportunities where all can learn and contribute; provide support to each other; and grow professionally. I know that this exco will put their best foot forward in furthering the growth of the association in terms of vision, capacity building, and infrastructure.

Kelvyanne Teoh
EMDR President
(2020-2024)