It is said for those resilient to distress, that devastation brings with it a plethora of opportunities. And so, while the 2005 earthquake wreaked its havoc upon the lives of thousands of Pakistanis with its unprecedented scale of devastation and trauma, resilience shone through. The very trauma that emotionally jolted the whole nation, also  brought it together to heal. A specialized team of ‘Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy’ (EMDR) trainers and consultants arrived from the UK; Dr. Derek .P. Farrell, Dr. Paul Keenan and Dr. Saleem Tareen started EMDR trainings in Pakistan under the flag of the ‘EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program’ (EMDR Europe HAP).

Launching of EMDR-Pakistan 16^th August 2009:

The next milestone was achieved when NUST’s ‘Centre for Trauma Research and Psychological Intervention’ (CTRPI), took the initiative to provide a launching pad for a national association at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi, resultantly the aptly named EMDR Pakistan was created. The now former Rector of NUST, Engineer Muhammad Asghar, was named the Patron in chief of this association, along with Brigadier Prof Mowadat H Rana as the founding Patron. The Association was then formally registered in Pakistan in accordance to the law of the land, its constitution was authored by its Patron and it was duly endorsed by the Patron in Chief.

The main aims of launching EMDR Pakistan were:

1. To establish, maintain and promote the highest standards of excellence and integrity in EMDR practice, research and education throughout Pakistan.
2. To promote the development and spread of EMDR as a scientific therapeutic intervention in Pakistan
3. To provide trainings to qualified mental health professionals (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and social workers) as EMDR facilitators, consultants and trainers within Pakistan with international recognition.
4. To maintain a register of qualified EMDR clinicians, consultants and trainers within Pakistan.

The Pioneer EMDR Executive Committee of EMDR Pakistan was:

• Patron: Brigadier Professor Mowadat Hussain Rana
• President: Brigadier Rashid Qayum
• Vice President: Brigadier Farrukh Hayat Khan
• General Secretary: Kaukab Khawaja
• Joint Secretary: Dr. Uzma Beg
• Finance Secretary: Afsheen Pervaiz
• Office Secretary: Shamshad Perveen

History of EMDR Trainings in Pakistan;

The first EMDR training workshop was conducted in February 2007 at Ayub Medical College Abbottabad.  It was organized by Prof Aziz ur Rehman. In August 2008 the second EMDR training was held in Rawalpindi, this training was organized by Director Centre for Trauma, Research and Psychosocial interventions Brigadier Mowadat Hussain Rana who was the Head of Department of Psychiatry, Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Subsequent trainings were held in the years to follow by, PNS by Brig Farrukh Hayat Khan at PNS SHIFA in Karachi, Prof Malik Hussain Mubbashar at the University of Health Sciences in Lahore, and Prof .I.K. Tareen in Lahore. The journey continued through trainings organized in Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad and Karachi, in the year 2019. Throughout this journey, Prof Derek Farrell was a constant source of inspiration. He acted not only as a trainer, but also an unfaltering guiding spirit. Despite the lack of any monetary gains, commercial interests, or charges, he alongside Prof Saleem Tareen from Northern Ireland were part and parcel of every training. They were assisted at all times by their local parallels, Brig Rashid Qayyum, Brig Farrukh Hayat, Dr Khadija Tahir, and Dr Malik Wajid Ali. Together they trained more than 200 mental health professionals in EMDR, across the country.

EMDR Pakistan appeared on the international map within a year of its birth when Patron, Prof Mowadat Rana, joined hands with EMDR leaders from China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Palestine, Hongkong, and Australia to form EMDR Asia in 2010. Pakistan became the Secretariat of EMDR Asia, with Prof Rana as its founding Secretary General. Dr Khadija Tahir not only presented papers at all the conferences of EMDR Asia Pakistan but also became the country’s first Accredited EMDR Trainer recognized by EMDR Asia, EMDRIA, and EMDR Europe, and UK. She is now working as member on various technical and academic sub-committees of EMDR Asia.

Over the years, EMDR Pakistan has grown and progressed in stature, membership, impact, and roles. It has participated in several EMDR-Europe and Asia conferences, presenting scientific research papers, and showcasing its role in mitigating psych trauma in Pakistan. It has conducted three national conferences in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi, so far.

The Association has now also collaborated with Pakistan Red Crescent and played a pivotal role in providing psychosocial support to patients of Corona Virus in summer 2020.

Currently led by the President of the Association, Dr Sawera Mansoor, the Association elected its new office bearers in 2023, with the following office bearers:

• President: Dr. Sawera Mansoor
• President Elect: Brig (R) Farrukh Hayat Khan
• Vice President: Ms. Rusham Zahra Rana
• Secretary General: Dr. Nazia Mustafa
• Finance Secretary: Dr. Ayza Yazdani Abid
• Joint Secretary: Dr. Silsila Sherzad

Executive Committee Members:

• Dr. M. Ramzan Mahar
• Dr. Kulsoom Haider
• Dr. Azra Tabassum
• Ms. Maria Mustafa
• Dr. Yasmeen Jogezai
• Dr. Zeb un Nisa Irfan
• Ms. Shamshad Parveen
• Dr. Mubashar Shah