Study the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences (PGCertHealSc) in EMDR Therapy
Build advanced EMDR skills through supported clinical practice
Over two years, you’ll build your knowledge and skills from EMDR theory and practice through to more advanced clinical applications. Teaching draws on real-world cases and is led by experienced EMDR trainers, consultants and clinical psychologists.
At compulsory block courses, you’ll practise in pairs within a supportive, carefully facilitated learning environment. Taking both client and therapist roles helps you understand the process from different perspectives, without requiring you to share personal information you would prefer to keep private. This practical, experiential approach helps experienced clinicians confidently integrate EMDR therapy into their existing practice and add a valuable new dimension to their professional toolkit.
Ready to apply?
If this is the qualification for you, get started with your application today.
Programme details
Regulations for the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences (PGCertHealSc)
Admission to the Programme
- Admission to the programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences).
- Every applicant must
- have been awarded a bachelor's degree in a health-related field or possess an appropriate health professional qualification requiring at least three years' full-time tertiary study;
- if enrolling for an endorsed diploma, have experience of or be currently working in the relevant field of health care;
Structure of the Programme
The programme of study shall consist of approved papers, from the schedule of endorsed options, to the value of 60 points.
Duration of the Programme
- A candidate for the certificate shall normally follow a programme of study for one semester of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.
- A candidate shall complete the requirements for the certificate within two years of admission to the programme.
Variations
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences) may in exceptional circumstances approve a course of study which does not comply with these regulations.
Explore more in EMDR Therapy
Learn where this subject can take you and discover the full range of study options, from undergraduate programmes to postgraduate pathways.
Career opportunities
This qualification supports experienced clinicians to extend their practice with assessed EMDR skills, including culturally responsive and ethical application. It provides EMDRNZ-accredited basic training and a recognised pathway towards EMDRNZ Practitioner status. Graduates may apply EMDR therapy across public and private mental health, kaupapa Māori, corrections, health and disability, injury recovery, occupational support, sports performance, and older-person or end-of-life services.
- Mental health services – supporting children and adults in inpatient, outpatient, or community settings
- Private clinical practice – providing EMDR therapy for a range of mental health presentations
- Specialist support services – contributing to corrections, injury recovery, or occupational support
- Kaupapa Māori services – applying culturally responsive EMDR practice with Māori and whānau
- Professional accreditation – progressing towards EMDRNZ Practitioner and Case Consultant accreditation
How is it taught?
The PGCertHealSc endorsed in EMDR Therapy consists of two 30-point papers. Each paper is run over one academic year.
- First year is the PSME 455 Foundational Clinical Practice in EMDR Therapy paper. This qualifies you for EMDRNZ membership.
- Second year is the PSME 456 Advanced Clinical Practice in EMDR Therapy paper. This contributes toward achieving accreditation status with EMDRNZ.
Applicants can only register for one paper each year and must complete that paper in the same year.
PSME 455 and PSME 456 are both clinical-based training courses. Attendance is compulsory for all online lectures, in-person block course teaching, the online supervision sessions, and the final online exam.
EMDR is a complex, structured therapy, and this training is intensive.
Over the duration of the academic year, students must complete:
- 80 hours of logged EMDR clinical therapy practice with clients
- Two 5-week series of weekly online lectures
- Two in-person teaching blocks of 2-and-a-half days at the Wellington campus
- 10 hours of online supervision sessions over various dates
- Two assignments including case conceptualisation and video files
- Two 40hr Clinical Log Forms over the course of the year
- An online open-book final viva exam at the end of the course
Post Graduate EMDR Training – a professional pathway for NZ accreditation
This qualification gives you something that is still hard to find in Aotearoa New Zealand: university-based EMDR training built for local practice.
It combines the credibility of postgraduate study with a clear professional pathway, from foundational learning through to work that contributes towards EMDRNZ accreditation. Because the course is part-time and structured around working clinicians, you can keep building your expertise without stepping away from practice.
You also graduate with training grounded in evidence, cultural responsiveness, and real clinical application, which gives both you and your employer confidence in the depth and quality of your skills.
