EMDR Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the EMDR exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 EMDR Exam Format at a Glance
📚 EMDR Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample EMDR Questions & Answers
1. The ICD-11 requires which two components to be present alongside PTSD symptoms for a diagnosis of Complex PTSD?
ICD-11 CPTSD = standard PTSD criteria PLUS the Disturbances in Self-Organization (DSO) triad: affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, and relational disturbances.
2. In EMDR, the 'Affect Bridge' is used primarily to:
The Affect Bridge asks the client to hold a current emotional state and trace it back to an earlier memory, helping identify earlier related targets in the memory network.
3. Which DSM-5 change regarding PTSD moved it out of the anxiety disorders chapter?
In DSM-5, PTSD was moved from the anxiety disorders chapter to its own new chapter titled 'Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders.'
4. Which EMDR protocol is specifically designed to address phobias by including future-template work with imagined exposure to the feared situation?
The EMDR Phobia Protocol systematically targets past conditioning events, current triggers, and future anticipated encounters with the phobic stimulus.
5. When developing a treatment plan for EMDR, the 'three-pronged protocol' refers to targeting:
The EMDR three-pronged protocol systematically addresses past memories that established dysfunction, present triggers that activate it, and future templates that rehearse adaptive responding.
6. What is the primary ethical obligation of a EMDR professional when a conflict of interest arises during emdr with children & adolescents activities?
The primary ethical obligation when a conflict of interest arises in emdr with children & adolescents is to disclose it to all relevant parties and, if necessary, recuse from the decision. This maintains professional integrity and stakeholder trust.