Accreditation Process for Certifying IEMT Practitioners

Version: 2.0

Effective date: 3 August 2026

Policy owners: The British Board for Integral Eye Movement Therapy and The Association for IEMT Practitioners

Status: Current web policy

The British Board for Integral Eye Movement Therapy and The Association for IEMT Practitioners are committed to consistent training, fair assessment and responsible professional practice. Certification is awarded only when a candidate has completed approved live training and demonstrated the required competence through the prescribed assessment process.

Attendance at a course and receipt of a training attendance certificate do not, by themselves, make a person a Certified IEMT Practitioner. Certification is optional and must be earned. It also does not confer a statutory licence, protected healthcare title or competence outside IEMT. A practitioner’s lawful scope depends on their wider qualifications, competence, insurance, supervision and the requirements of the jurisdiction in which they work.

Definitions

• IEMT: Integral Eye Movement Technique, formerly known as Integral Eye Movement Therapy.
• The Board: The British Board for Integral Eye Movement Therapy, which retains its established organisational name and sets IEMT training and certification standards.
• The Association: The Association for IEMT Practitioners, which administers membership, practitioner support, professional standards and the certification process.
• Candidate: A person undertaking approved training or assessment toward certification.
• Certified IEMT Practitioner: A person who has successfully completed the approved Practitioner training and assessment requirements and whose certification remains in good standing.
• Associate Member: A member who has not yet completed, or is not claiming, Certified Practitioner status.
• Full Member: A certified practitioner admitted to Full Membership and eligible for the benefits attached to that membership category.
• CPD: Continuing professional development undertaken to maintain and extend relevant knowledge and competence.

Organisational roles and responsibilities

The British Board for Integral Eye Movement Therapy

• Sets the core training, technical and assessment standards that define approved IEMT practice.
• Approves trainers and training programmes and may review their continuing compliance.
• Maintains certification standards and supports consistent interpretation of the IEMT model.
• Encourages research, critical examination and evidence-aware development of the method.
• Works with the Association on matters affecting professional standards and certification integrity.

The Association for IEMT Practitioners

• Administers assessment, membership applications, certification records and practitioner-directory eligibility.
• Publishes the current Standards of Competence, Scope of Practice and other professional policies.
• Provides member resources, CPD opportunities, networking and professional support.
• Receives complaints and adverse-event reports and administers fair professional-conduct processes.
• May verify continued compliance with membership, CPD, insurance and professional standards.

Approved trainers and assessors

• Deliver the complete approved syllabus through live online or in-person teaching.
• Explain assessment requirements, submission arrangements, fees and any trainer-specific deadlines before booking.
• Assess candidates consistently against the published Standards of Competence, not personal preference or commercial considerations.
• Protect confidential assessment material and identify any conflict of interest.
• Give clear feedback where further evidence, correction, reassessment or retraining is required.

Certification requirements

1. Completion of approved live training

• The candidate must complete a Practitioner programme approved by the Board and delivered by an approved trainer.
• All required theoretical and practical components must be completed with full participation.
• Live training may be delivered in person or online. Pre-recorded material may support learning but cannot replace the required live teaching and observed practice.
• The candidate must satisfy any clearly stated entry requirements and comply with reasonable participation, conduct and safeguarding expectations.

2. Assessment of competence

Assessment verifies whether the candidate can apply the Practitioner-level IEMT model safely, accurately and professionally. It is not a claim that the candidate is qualified to diagnose or treat every condition, nor that IEMT is suitable for every client.

• Two written case studies: Each must show appropriate contracting, elicitation, technical application, reflection, outcome recording and recognition of limitations or non-response. Cases must not be selected or written only to portray success.
• One recorded demonstration: Normally approximately 20 minutes, showing live work with a consenting adult demonstration subject and sufficient material to assess the candidate’s understanding and technical delivery.
• Additional evidence: A trainer or assessor may request clarification, correction or a further video where the first submission does not provide enough reliable evidence.
• Standards applied: Submissions are judged against the current Standards of Competence, Scope of Practice Policy, safeguarding requirements and relevant technical guidance.

3. Consent, confidentiality and data protection

• Every person appearing in a recording must give explicit, informed permission for the recording, confidential assessment use, storage and sharing with authorised assessors or an appeal panel.
• Consent must be freely given and may not be assumed from an existing therapeutic, training or employment relationship.
• Written case material must be sufficiently anonymised, altered, blended or generalised. Unnecessary identifying details must be omitted.
• Case studies and recordings must not be used for publicity, teaching, social media or any purpose beyond the consent obtained.
• Materials must be transferred and stored securely and retained only for a documented, necessary period under the current Data Protection and Online Privacy Policy.
• If consent is withdrawn, the trainer or Association will consider what can lawfully and practically be deleted while preserving necessary records of decisions already made.

4. Ethical and professional commitment

Candidates must agree to follow the current online policy index, including the Standards of Competence, Scope of Practice, safeguarding, confidentiality, advertising, complaints and adverse-event requirements. The online versions are authoritative and may be updated.

5. Membership

Candidates ordinarily join as Associate Members while completing certification. After all certification requirements are met, an eligible Associate Member may upgrade to Full Membership without an additional upgrade fee. Membership and certification are related but distinct: the Association may verify eligibility and professional declarations before admitting or renewing a member.

Submission period and extensions

• Standard period: Assessment material should normally be submitted within three months of completing the initial training.
• Extension: A trainer may allow up to nine months where illness, disability, caring responsibilities, deployment, bereavement or other material circumstances justify additional time.
• Shorter period: A trainer may set a shorter submission period only when it is stated explicitly before the candidate books.
• Expired submissions: Where a long delay may have affected competence or currency, refresher practice, updated learning, additional evidence or retraining may reasonably be required.
• Adjustments: Reasonable adjustments may be agreed where they preserve the competence being assessed and do not reduce the required standard.

Accreditation procedure

Step 1: Enrol with an approved trainer

The candidate selects a trainer from the Association’s current approved-trainer list, checks prerequisites, training format, assessment arrangements, fees and deadlines, and completes the live programme.

Step 2: Prepare and submit assessment evidence

The candidate submits the two case studies, recorded demonstration and any supporting declarations through the route specified by the trainer or Association. Materials must be complete, legible, secure and submitted within the applicable period.

Step 3: Competence assessment

An authorised assessor reviews the evidence against the published standards. Outcomes may include pass, correction or clarification required, further demonstration required, reassessment required, or not yet competent. Assessment does not depend upon every case producing improvement; honest recognition of uncertainty, non-response, adverse effects and referral needs is part of competent practice.

Step 4: Result and feedback

Candidates should normally receive an outcome within 15 days after a complete submission reaches the assessor. Where this is not practicable, the candidate should be told the reason and given a revised timescale. An unsuccessful or incomplete outcome must include enough information for the candidate to understand the decision and the available next step.

Step 5: Certification and Full Membership

After a successful assessment, the Association verifies training completion, identity, membership information and required professional declarations. Once approved, the candidate receives Certified IEMT Practitioner status and may access Full Member benefits, including directory eligibility subject to the current membership conditions.

Maintaining certification

• Continuing competence: Practitioners must work within their actual competence and update their knowledge when standards or technical guidance change.
• CPD: The current requirement is 30 hours each year. Relevant activities may include IEMT workshops, advanced training, supervision, mentoring, research, publication, conferences and other learning that supports the practitioner’s lawful scope.
• Evidence: Practitioners should maintain a dated CPD log and retain proportionate evidence such as certificates, confirmations, reflective notes or supervision records.
• Professional standards: Certification holders must comply with the current Association policies, declare material restrictions when required and cooperate with fair complaints, safeguarding and disciplinary procedures.
• Insurance and legal requirements: Practitioners are responsible for maintaining appropriate insurance and complying with the law and regulatory requirements of every jurisdiction in which they work.
• Renewal and status: Directory listing, membership and permission to describe oneself as a current Association member depend on current eligibility. Certificate status may be suspended or withdrawn only through the applicable published procedure.

Appeals

A candidate may appeal an assessment decision on grounds such as procedural error, material evidence not reasonably considered, bias or conflict of interest, or a decision that could not reasonably follow from the published criteria. Disagreement with professional judgment, without supporting grounds, is not by itself sufficient.

• Time limit: A written appeal should be submitted within 15 days of the decision. A late appeal may be accepted where there is a reasonable explanation.
• Submission: The candidate must identify the decision, grounds and desired outcome and submit the IEMT Practitioner Appeal Form. An email may be sent to alert the Association that the form has been submitted.
• Fee: The current appeal fee is £45 and is payable before substantive review. The Association may waive or refund it where fairness requires, including where the appeal is upheld because of Association or assessor error.
• Supporting material: The Association will request case studies, recordings or other evidence when required. The candidate must ensure that consent permits confidential review by the appeal panel.
• Panel: The appeal will be reviewed by people not responsible for the original assessment decision wherever reasonably practicable. Conflicts of interest must be declared and managed.
• Timescale: The Association aims to give a reasoned written decision within 60 days after receiving the complete appeal and fee. Any material delay will be explained.
• Outcomes: The panel may uphold the appeal, confirm the original decision, require fresh assessment by another assessor, require additional evidence, or recommend further learning or retraining.
• Effective date: If an appeal establishes that certification should originally have been awarded, the panel may use the original assessment date and the certificate will not record the appeal.
• Final review: The panel’s decision is normally final within the certification process. A member grievance remains available only for separate maladministration, discrimination or procedural treatment not already determined by the appeal.

Retraining, reassessment and fees

A candidate may retrain with the same approved trainer or another approved trainer. Training contracts, assessment fees and discounts are agreed with the relevant provider and are not automatically transferable. All material charges and conditions should be made clear before the candidate commits to further work.

Acknowledgement: By pursuing certification, candidates agree to the current assessment requirements and professional policies. Certification recognises demonstrated competence in the approved Practitioner-level IEMT syllabus. It is not a guarantee of outcomes, a statutory registration or a substitute for other qualifications required for a person’s wider professional role.