EMDR Certification: Why Basic Training is the Foundation but Consultation is Crucial to Mastering EMDR
- Carolyn Morris, LCSW
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
You've Finished Basic Training. Now What?
So, you've completed EMDR Basic Training. Congratulations! You're officially "fully trained."
But if we're being real...
Can you confidently explain the difference between a Floatback and an Affect Bridge without looking it up?
Do you know exactly how to organize targets for a client with developmental trauma, dissociation, or a history that looks more like a tangled ball of Christmas lights than a neat timeline?
Have you ever found yourself staring at your notes thinking, "I know this was covered in training, but where?"
You're not alone.
One of the biggest surprises after Basic Training is realizing how much of EMDR therapy is learned after the training ends. The Standard Protocol is deceptively simple on paper, but applying it effectively with real clients—especially complex clients—is where consultation becomes invaluable.
Why Pursue EMDR Certification?
Certification isn't just a credential - it's the process of moving from knowing the protocol to truly understanding it.
Through certification consultation, you'll learn how to:
Create clear, strategic case conceptualizations
Organize targets without feeling overwhelmed
Troubleshoot stuck or looping processing
Work more confidently with dissociation and complex trauma
Strengthen your use of the Standard Protocol
Deepen your clinical judgment and flexibility
Feel less like you're "winging it" and more like you know exactly where you're going
Most importantly, you'll become a more effective EMDR therapist and achieve better outcomes for your clients.
EMDR Certification Consultation - Cohort style
There are two ways to get the needed consultation hours for EMDR Certification:
individual consultations and
group consultations.
EMDRIA requires 20 total hours of consultation with at least 10 of those hours being in an individual setting. The remaining 10 hours can be in a group format where you can connect to other therapists honing their EMDR therapy, build your referral network, and gain community so that the work feels much less isolating.
The Certification Package creates a cohort of a limited number of clinicians who are seeking Certification and who move through the consultation hours simultaneously. It offers a small, closed group to allow for clinicians to get more personalized feedback from group members who actually know who they are and what they do - because you work together for the whole Certification process. The group meets for 1-1.5 hours, on a monthly basis. The length of each meeting is determined by how many group members are signed up, as I want to allow enough time for each member to be able to ask the questions they have and get the feedback they need. In my experience, a cohort-style group fosters a much stronger community and builds more confidence in a shorter period of time as the group members get to know each other better.
In addition to the group meetings, the Certification Package also includes 10 individual hours of consultation scheduled between the group meetings. This allows for times when you have more complex cases that need dedicated time and and focused consultation and can be scheduled at a frequency that works for you!
Why Consult With Me?
I bring over 18 years of experience supervising clinicians and 11 years of direct EMDR practice with some of the most challenging and rewarding populations, including military members, first responders, addiction recovery clients, survivors of cult abuse, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and neurodivergent clients.
Complex trauma is my specialty, and I love helping clinicians make sense of presentations that don't fit neatly into textbook examples.
My consultation style is supportive, practical, and refreshingly direct and humorous. I integrate concepts from IFS, Somatic Psychotherapy, and Structural Dissociation Theory while keeping us grounded in the EMDR Standard Protocol.
I don't believe consultation should feel intimidating. It should feel like having an experienced guide sitting beside you saying:
"Yep, that's a thing. Here's what's happening. Here's what I'd consider next."
Why Buy the Certification Package?
Because growth happens through consistency.
The certification package provides a structured path toward certification while saving you money compared to purchasing consultation sessions individually.
Individual EMDR consultation with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant often costs upwards of $200 per consultation. While groups are a less expensive option, even they can get costly as well, often ranging from $75-100 per group. With the Certification Package, you are able to lock in the full consultation hours you need at a discounted price AND gain the relationships in a cohort that make all the difference. For a limited time, the Certification Package is offered at $1600.
In it you'll gain:
✔ A clear roadmap toward EMDR Certification
✔ Consistent support and accountability
✔ A trusted space to ask the questions you don't want to ask in a Facebook group
✔ Ongoing feedback on cases and clinical decision-making
✔ Increased confidence with complex clients
✔ A stronger foundation that will serve you throughout your EMDR career
Most therapists leave Basic Training feeling excited but uncertain.
My goal is to help you become the therapist who walks into session knowing what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how to adapt when things don't go according to plan.
Your clients deserve that level of confidence.
And honestly? So do you.
OK! Where Do I Sign Up?????
The next cycle of EMDR Certification is starting in September 2026 and there are limited spaces available. Click on the contact form below and reserve your space! Have more questions? Click the contact form and let me know what you think!
Comments