EMDR Therapy Quarterly

In February 2025, EMDR Association UK launched its new membership platform, Coalesce, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of the Association’s digital membership services. Coalesce is the culmination of significant planning and development by the Association’s Board of Trustees and administration team and marks the next big step in digitisation across the Association.

As we began to realise the limitations of our existing set-up, creating a unified system for all our sites and member services became a goal of the Association. Our previous set-up, while functional, was a patchwork of different platforms that didn’t communicate effectively with each other. We relied on separate systems for membership management, event bookings and financial transactions, which ran the risk of leading to data discrepancies and inefficiencies.

Recognising these challenges, we embarked on what has proved to be quite an ambitious project for our small but growing Association, with the goal of creating a more unified digital ecosystem. We wanted to develop a platform that would not only address our current needs but also provide a strong foundation for future growth and innovation – more than any off-the-shelf product would be able to do.

The development of Coalesce has been a collaborative effort and represents more than just a technical upgrade. It embodies our commitment to providing the best possible support to our members. We want, not only to enhance the day-to-day experience of our members, but also to free up resources internally that can be redirected towards supporting our professional community.

With the launch of Coalesce, we’re excited to make things easier and more accessible for our members. The platform will enable us to deliver more value and adapt more quickly to the evolving landscape we find ourselves in.

Key features of Coalesce

Easy membership management

New members can join by completing a simple online form and making a payment for the first year of fees. Don’t forget that some people qualify for a free first year of membership! Once you’re logged in as a new member for the first time, don’t forget to upload documentation to confirm you meet the membership criteria!

If you’re an existing member, you can renew your membership with just a few clicks and set up auto-renewal via direct debit to ensure uninterrupted access to your membership benefits. Existing members should also note that there are new membership numbers and that these replace the previous numbers.

Enhanced profile management

You can now update your own contact information, add a professional photo to your profile and manage your communication preferences (via the cog in the top right-hand corner).

If you need to update your billing address or professional experiences, drop us an email, and we can help you do that.

Document management

You can now safely upload and manage your professional documents within Coalesce. You can access your important files at any time (even via a phone browser) and can securely share your uploaded documents with others.

Events & CPD

We’ve scrapped our separate events website and have streamlined event bookings. Now, if you’d like to attend an event run by the Association*, you can book tickets, access event documents, join online, complete post-event surveys, access your CPD certificate and automatically claim CPD points, all from within the platform.

*This does not apply to commercial events, the annual conference or other events where bookings are made via different systems.

Better financial transparency

You can now see your payment history and access and download invoices for payments made via Coalesce at any time.

Getting started with Coalesce

To access Coalesce, simply visit https://members.emdrassociation.org.uk/

If you’re an existing member of the Association, you will already have an account set up. To access it, click ‘Sign In’ and then ‘Forgot your password.’ Enter the email address you have registered with the Association, and a password reset email will then make its way to you.

If you’re new to the Association, you can join by completing a simple online form and making a payment for the first year of fees. New members need to confirm they meet the membership criteria, so don’t forget to upload your relevant certificates after you sign up. This will allow our membership team to confirm your eligibility.

If you have any issues using the platform, please email us at membership@emdrassociation.org.uk

Please also keep an eye out for our YouTube channel for Coalesce guidance videos which will be coming soon.

Looking ahead

As mentioned already, we see Coalesce as the foundation for the future of the Association, and we are already developing new features that will be launched this year, including integrating the Accreditation application process (farewell PDFs!) and integrating the Forums too, so soon a separate log-in won’t be needed for those. ‘Find a Therapist’ will also be integrated into Coalesce at a later date, allowing accredited members to manage and update their own Find a Therapist page.

We are excited about the possibilities that Coalesce brings and look forward to your feedback as you explore the system. Your input will be invaluable as we continue to refine and improve the system to better meet our members’ needs.