What EMDR Consultation Actually Is (And Who It's For)
If you've completed EMDR Basic Training, you've probably heard that you need consultation hours before you can apply for EMDRIA certification. You may have a vague sense of what that means. You may also have some confusion about what it actually involves — and who you need to get it from.
Let's clear that up.
What EMDR consultation is
EMDR consultation is a professional service for EMDR-trained clinicians. You bring your cases. We talk about what's happening clinically; what's working, what isn't, what you're uncertain about, what you might try differently. The goal is to deepen your EMDR practice and help you develop the clinical confidence and competence that EMDR certification is meant to represent.
It is not therapy. It is not supervision in the licensure sense. It is not peer consultation with a colleague, though peer consultation has its place.
It is a structured professional relationship with someone who has met the specific requirements EMDRIA has established to guide other clinicians in their EMDR work.
What "EMDRIA Approved Consultant" means
Not every EMDR therapist can provide consultation that counts toward EMDRIA certification. Not every EMDR-certified therapist can either.
An EMDRIA Approved Consultant and/or someone in the Consultant-in-Training process, has completed additional training, accumulated significant clinical and consultation hours, and passed a peer review process through EMDRIA. If you're working toward certification, your consultation hours need to be with someone who holds this credential specifically. Hours with someone who is simply EMDR-certified do not count.
This matters. I see clinicians occasionally show up at the certification application stage having accumulated consultation hours with someone who wasn't an Approved Consultant, or a Consultant-In-Training, which means those hours don't count toward the requirement. Verify before you start.
How many hours do you need
EMDRIA certification currently requires 20 hours of consultation with an Approved Consultant and/or Consultant-in-Training (up to 15 can be with a CIT), in addition to clinical hours and other requirements. Check EMDRIA's website for current requirements — they can change.
What formats are available
Individual consultation is one-on-one case consultation. Group consultation involves a cohort of EMDR clinicians bringing cases and learning from each other's presentations. Both count toward certification hours. Packages are available for clinicians who want to complete a set number of hours on a defined timeline.
How to find the right consultant
The EMDRIA website has a consultant directory. Beyond credentials, you want someone whose clinical orientation is compatible with yours, who will give you honest feedback rather than just positive reinforcement, and who has experience with the kinds of clients and presentations you're working with.
Good consultation challenges you. It's not just validation.
If you're interested in working together, the EMDR consultation page has current availability and rates.