Why Training Matters in EMDR: Supporting Your Healing With the Right Care
Published
June 30, 2023
Author
Christen Mccallum, M.C.P, RCC
But before we jump in, it feels important to acknowledge something first:
First, it’s important we start with kindness and context. In mental health care, and really, any field, access to advanced education and certification isn’t always a level playing field.
Cost of specialized training
Geographic barriers (not everyone has live access to high-level programs)
Discrimination, family circumstances, and time constraints
Language, technology, or licensing hurdles
Many wonderful, ethical, gifted therapists sometimes cannot access as much post-graduate training as they’d wish, or may have learned equally valuable approaches outside “gold standard” credentials. This is not about shaming or questioning their value. In fact, for lots of therapy approaches, lived experience, supervision, and a heart for people can matter more than a certificate.
But when it comes to EMDR, there are some unique safety and technical considerations that make specialized training an especially important topic for clients and providers alike.
EMDR: Therapy That Works Deep in the Brain..
EMDR is unique in that it goes beyond talk therapy and directly targets the brain’s memory processing networks - addressing trauma at its neurological roots. EMDR works through a combination of structured protocols and brain-body techniques (like bilateral stimulation) that require an in-depth understanding of neurobiology, trauma theory, and what to do when things get tricky in the room.
Here’s why formal EMDR training is extra important:
1. Specialized Knowledge of the Brain
EMDR isn’t just guided reflection or regular cognitive therapy. It involves structured memory reconsolidation, dual awareness techniques, and managing implicit (often hidden) trauma responses.
Understanding how trauma changes the brain and nervous system is essential. A solid EMDR training teaches clinicians how to “hold” both your emotional and physiological responses during reprocessing.
2. Recognizing and Managing Risk
EMDR, by its nature, can bring up intense or fragmented memories, trauma reactions, or even flashbacks.
Therapists lacking robust training may struggle to recognize signs of emotional flooding, dissociation, or activation of previously hidden trauma, which can inadvertently destabilize a client.
Thorough preparation, case conceptualization (mapping out your story for targeted work), and stabilization strategies are stressed in formal EMDR education. These steps often protect both client and therapist from potentially overwhelming sessions.
3. Using the Full Protocols (and Knowing When to Adapt)
Official EMDR protocols are developed to be trauma-informed and are carefully researched. These aren’t “cookbook recipes”; they require flexibility, creativity, and lots of clinical judgment.
Unaccredited or short trainings may teach only the “basics,” skipping essential phases like history-taking, assessing for dissociation, resource development, and somatic scanning. Skipping these may seem quicker, but can result in incomplete or even unsafe work - especially for complex trauma or dissociation.
4. Consultation: Learning Doesn’t Stop After the Workshop
Accredited EMDR training includes hours of live, supervised practice, plus mandatory consultation with seasoned EMDR supervisors.
In many “fast track” courses, there’s little to no follow-up support; no feedback on actual sessions; no troubleshooting when things don’t go as planned. Ongoing consultation is a big part of professional growth - especially with a therapy as layered as EMDR.
The Levels of EMDR Training: What Do All These Titles Mean?
If you’re searching for an EMDR therapist, the terms (and acronyms!) can be confusing. Here’s a breakdown to help:
1. Short Courses/Intro Webinars/Online “Masterclasses”
Sometimes called “EMDR-informed” or “EMDR-inspired.”
Good for building curiosity or basic awareness, but almost never enough for hands-on clinical use.
Usually skip supervised clinical hours and do not assess a clinician’s ability to handle actual complex cases.
Not sufficient for independent use with clients, especially trauma cases.
Because these are not accredited trainings, there are restrictions for those with this type of training in accessing more advanced EMDR training.
2. EMDR Basic Training (EMDRIA or other Accredited Body)
50+ hours: Combines lecture, practicum, case conceptualization, and at least 10+ hours of group or individual consultation.
Training must cover the full eight-phase standard protocol, mechanisms of trauma, and safe modification/adaptation for certain needs.
Includes a practicum and direct supervised feedback.
Only after this level can a clinician ethically describe themselves as “EMDR Trained.”
3. Advanced/Population-Specific Training
Specialized workshops for “EMDR Trained” therapists to expand their skills to use EMDR for addictions, dissociation, pain, children/teens, racial trauma, and more.
Build skills for adapting EMDR to complex or nuanced presentations.
Require proof of EMDR Basic training certification to access.
4. Certification & Consultation or Trainer Status
EMDR Certified: Comes after basic training and requires many additional hours of consultation and direct EMDR cases under supervision, plus proof of ongoing advanced EMDR education.
Certification requires additional consultation, advanced practice, and demonstration of mastery.
EMDR Consultant: Senior level - licensed to teach, support, and oversee others in using EMDR, and typically very well-versed in best practices and innovations.
Think of it this way: Would you want heart surgery from someone who once watched a weekend webinar about it, or from a specialist who’s done supervised training, practiced with oversight, and consistently updates their skills? EMDR works with your psychological “heart”- your deepest memories, survival instincts, and emotions. A foundational level of training is crucial.
You deserve to know that:
Your therapist can help you recognize and manage difficult reactions that may arise.
They’ll create treatment plans grounded in best practices and a firm understanding of theory.
If you have complex trauma, dissociation, or another layered issue, your therapist has the tools (and the support network) to skillfully support you; or refer you if needed.
How Can You Ask About Your Therapist’s EMDR Training?
Don’t be shy! It’s perfectly reasonable (and important) to ask some of these questions to make sure you are getting the best fit for your needs in an EMDR therapist:
Where did you receive your EMDR training? Was it EMDRIA, or a recognized national association?
Are you “EMDR trained,” “EMDR certified,” or have you taken advanced specializations? Don't be afraid to ask for clarification. Some Therapists themselves don't know the difference.
How often do you use EMDR with clients, and in what kinds of cases?
Do you have advanced or population-specific EMDR training?
Do you participate in regular EMDR-specific consultation or supervision?
How do you handle cases that get emotionally complex or intense?
So How Do You Find the Best Fit for You?
Training alone doesn’t make a therapist right for you - connection, trust, and attunement are just as important. When it comes to trauma and brain-based healing like EMDR, don’t be shy about asking about credentials, training, and consultation. But remember, EMDR Certified does not necessarily mean better! Even a basic trained therapist who’s still building experience can be a wonderful match if they’re transparent, humble, and willing to seek training and support to serve your unique needs.
Our Approach at Providence Therapy
At Providence Therapy, our EMDR Trained practitioners have completed EMDRIA-approved Basic Training at minimum, and have gone on to pursue advanced certification or specialization. We continually seek consultation and even have an in-house EMDRIA certified consultant. We participate in advanced workshops to refine our skills and stay current with trauma research.
We value transparency - if you have any concerns or questions about your therapist’s background, we’re here to talk. We believe every client has the right to know who’s supporting their healing and what the process will look like.
A Final Note
Training to us is not about gatekeeping or judging - it's about safety, confidence, and trust. It's about making sure that when you take that vulnerable step to heal trauma, you’re in skilled, compassionate, and knowledgeable hands. And if you’re a therapist facing barriers to advanced training, we see you and support ongoing conversations about inclusion and equity in our field.
If you’re curious about EMDR, training, or how it fits your story, reach out anytime. You deserve care that is not just kind - but deeply competent.
Sincerely,
Christen McCallum
Heading
Christen Mccallum, M.C.P, RCC
Christen is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, EMDR Specialist, Certified Mind-Body Practitioner, and LENS Neurofeedback Technician focused on trauma recovery, CPTSD and dissociative disorders, and the neuro-psycho-physiological mind-body relationship. She maintains a holistic, mind-body orientation to therapy grounded in neuroscience, with an emphasis on attachment and relational healing.
Christen is passionate about creating a space where adult clients can feel secure as they explore their stories in an environment of therapeutic connection.
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