The Nation of EMDR: A Professional Reflection from 2025
Greetings from 2025! I hope this message finds you well, and that you’ve had the chance to cherish time with your loved ones. For those who spent the season alone, I hope solitude didn’t bring loneliness. My wish for all of us is that this year ends on a higher note than it began.
As I often reflect, my life and identity are shaped by two profound halves: one rooted in Bulgaria, with its socialist youth and post-socialist adulthood, and the other in Aotearoa New Zealand, a nation navigating the challenges of its own youth yet holding its own in the larger scheme of things.
My work spans continents and connects me with people from an extraordinary variety of ethnic, cultural, religious, and sexual identities. These interactions extend beyond clients to include supervisees, consultees, organisations, and individuals I educate and support. Despite our differences, shared purpose forms a foundation for profound connections.
Recently, I revisited an influential piece of scholarship: Ernest Renan's seminal 1882 essay, “What is a Nation?” Delivered at the Sorbonne, Renan's lecture dissects the origins, evolution, and nuances of nationhood. His insights resonate deeply with the work we do as EMDR therapists, underscoring the timeless relevance of shared human principles.
Renan examines the fusion of populations into cohesive nations, the societal hierarchies that emerge, and the historical convergence that dynasties often represent. He notes, however, that nations can exist without dynastic influence. He challenges the importance of race, emphasising its diminishing significance over time, and observes that while language fosters unity, it doesn’t define nationhood. In fact, multilingual nations often display stronger cohesion than their monolingual counterparts.
Renan also explores the weakened role of religion in defining modern nations, arguing that diverse spiritual affiliations can coexist within a single society. Geography, on the other hand, still holds a more enduring influence, shaping the historical contours of nationhood.
Ultimately, Renan concludes that race, language, religion, geography, or military necessity alone cannot create a nation. Instead, he defines a nation as a “soul” composed of two key elements:
A shared legacy of memories, uniting people through their collective past.
A present, conscious commitment to live together, to invest in a shared heritage, and to continue a common life.
Renan describes a nation as “a great solidarity,” forged by sacrifices made in the past and the ongoing willingness to make sacrifices in the present. Nations, he writes, are instruments of civilization, each contributing a unique voice to the broader symphony of humanity.
This profound vision of nationhood mirrors our work as EMDR therapists. We are not united by religion, language, territory, or hierarchy. Instead, we are bound by a common goal: to help clients process the past and live more fully in the present. This shared mission transcends borders, fostering solidarity and mutual growth within our profession.
We walk in the footsteps of those who pioneered EMDR therapy and, in turn, guide those who follow. This shared dedication to healing and humanity makes us part of something extraordinary.
In this light, I propose a metaphor: the Nation of EMDR. We are a global community united by compassion, a shared commitment to human well-being, and the collective pursuit of excellence. Regardless of where we live, the languages we speak, the faiths we follow, or the lives we lead, we are one in our purpose: EMDR therapists dedicated to making a difference.
So, let us say it proudly: Long live the Nation of EMDR! Together, we strive for a better world—one client, one step, one shared purpose at a time.
