EMDR Therapists who choose to pursue the credential of EMDR Certified Therapist™ from EMDRIA demonstrate a commitment to advanced knowledge and ethical practice of EMDR therapy.
To become an EMDR Certified Therapist™, EMDRIA has a set of requirements that must be met. (To ensure up-to-date information, please review the Certification Application requirements from EMDRIA directly.)
This spreadsheet can help you keep track of your requirements.
- EMDR International Association Approved EMDR Training;
- License/Certification for independent practice from your state/province;
- Notarized Statement of Practice and EMDR Experience:
- Do you have at least two years of experience in your field of license?
- Have you conducted at least 50 EMDR sessions with at least 25 clients?
- 20 Hours of Consultation by an EMDR Consultant™ in EMDR.
- The 20 hours of consultation must have been completed within the last 5 years.
- If you have received consultation from more than one EMDR Consultant™, you will need documentation from each one.
- At least 10 of the hours must be obtained through individual, EMDR-focused consultation. The remaining 10 hours may be obtained through small group consultation. Consultation groups cannot exceed more than eight participants at a time.
- EMDR Consultants-in-Training can provide up to 15 hours of consultation. The remaining five hours must be provided by an EMDR Consultant™.
- Only consultation hours received after completion of an EMDRIA Approved EMDR Training program can be applied towards this requirement.
- EMDR Consultant™ Letter(s) of Recommendation for EMDR Certification.
- Letters from EMDR Consultants-in-Training do not meet this requirement. Letters must be from an EMDR Consultant™.
- Two Letters of Recommendation Regarding Professional Practice
- Provide two letters of recommendation regarding your professional utilization of EMDR, ethics in practice, and professional character. These letters may be from colleagues or peers.
- Letters from your EMDR Consultant™ or EMDR Consultant-in-Training do not count as peer letters.
- 12 Hours of EMDRIA Credits (continuing education in EMDR).
- EMDR International Association Policies Agreement
- Application fee ($150 if you are a member of EMDRIA, $350 for non-members)
The Role of Consultation in the Certification Process
EMDRIA requires Consultants to vouch for your mastery of the 8 phases and 3 prongs of the standard protocol in order to recommend you for certification. If there are concerns about any areas of performance, the Consultant will need to see growth and evidence of proficiency prior to providing a letter. For these reasons, at least 4 hours of consultation are required prior to writing a letter of recommendation.
The Consultant will document and track consultation hours and will retain documentation for a 5-year period from the last consultation date. The Consultant will write a letter of recommendation if you have acquired and demonstrated the skills and knowledge base to be Certified. If the skills and knowledge have not been demonstrated, the Consultant can provide written documentation of the time spent in consultation, the skills and knowledge acquired, and the areas still needing improvement. We will discuss any issues as they arise, especially if you are having difficulty.
The Consultant will keep up to date with current trends and changes happening with EMDR and trauma treatment and will provide Consultees with new information and accommodate your needs as long as it stays within the scope of the Consultant’s knowledge. The Consultant will refer to other consultants if your needs are beyond their scope.
Examples of clinical work are essential to the consultation process. The Consultee will need to provide samples (near-verbatim transcripts, videos, or audio recordings) of client sessions and obtain the necessary releases from clients. The verbatim/video/audio must include the Consultee’s words and interventions. When recordings or transcripts are not available, the Consultee may use the case presentation template to discuss a case and client progress.
The Consultee will need to demonstrate proficiency and fidelity to the standard EMDR therapy protocol and also an awareness of situations in which modifications to standard EMDR therapy are necessary in order to safely and effectively treat the client. This may include reading and training outside of consultation. Should concerns become evident in foundational psychotherapy skills, I may require that these concerns be remedied prior to writing a recommendation for Certification.
A separate document outlines the expectations EMDRIA provides for Certified Therapists (“Certification Consultee Evaluation Form”), below.
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