No. Once you have completed an EMDR Training, you are considered an EMDR trained clinician. EMDRIA Certification in EMDR requires additional levels of continuing education and consultation in EMDR and is a separate process. View the Certification criteria here.
Certification is a voluntary process. It is a pathway through which individual therapists may wish to pursue further training. Certification is not required in order for a clinician to practice EMDR therapy. If you are trained, then you can use EMDR therapy under your license. Certification in EMDR is an option that many therapists have wanted because of Managed Care concerns and hospital privileges. The EMDR Certification model is patterned after the certification models of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAFMT) Approved Supervisor training.
No. You must be fully licensed by your state licensing board for independent, private practice (e.g. LMFT, LPC, LICSW, Psychologist, M.D., APRN)
There is no required minimum amount of time to completed the Certification Application process. Every clinician has a different pace and attitude they take toward becoming EMDRIA Certified. The process can take anywhere between a few months to a few years. The most important thing to remember is to apply for certification when you feel you are qualified and effective in utilizing EMDR in your practice. Clinicians are eligible to begin working toward certification once they have completed the EMDR Training.
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Incorrect EMDR Training certificate of completion. Please contact your EMDR Training Provider to make sure you have the correct certificate of completion for a minimum of 50 hours of credit.
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Internship or Associate level license designations. You must be fully, independently licensed to practice in your state or country of residence.
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Lack of notarization.
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Lack of clear designation of individual vs. group attained consultation. Remember 10 of the 20 required hours for certification must be individual consultation.
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Lack of clear recommendation from an Approved Consultant.
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Incorrect fee.
Your application may take up to 3-4 weeks to be processed once we have all of the required documents. If you submit an incomplete application, it may take longer. Please plan accordingly.
You will receive an email as well as a Certificate in the mail to the mailing address you provide on the application form.
Yes. You will need to renew your EMDRIA Certification every two years.
Yes. You should receive your renewal email notice approximately 60-90 days prior to the expiration date of your Certified Therapist term.
If you wish to pursue becoming an EMDRIA Approved Consultant, please view the Approved Consultant requirements. EMDRIA Approved Consultants provide consultation to other clinicians choosing to become Certified.
No. Contact your EMDR Training Provider to obtain your certificate of completion if you do not have one.
The certificate of completion issued to you directly from your EMDR Training Provider is accepted as proof of EMDR Training completion for the EMDR Certification Application. This certificate attests to your completion of EMDRIA's minimum EMDR Training guidelines.
The date of completion listed on your EMDR Training certificate indicates when you finished the course (20 hours lecture, 20 hours small group practice and 10 hours of consultation). This certificate is issued directly to you from your EMDR Training Provider.
Yes. You must be fully licensed by your state licensing board for independent, private practice (e.g. LMFT, LPC, LICSW, Psychologist, M.D., APRN)
The photocopy of your license to practice independently as a mental health professional should include a date of expiration to show that it’s current. If it does not include a date, please use the verification website for your licensure to look up your license and print the page showing the expiration date.
Two years experience is defined as: At least the equivalent of 2 years full-time post-graduate clinical experience in your mental health field of licensure.
You can write or type out the statement “I have at least 2 years experience in my field of license as a mental health professional and have conducted at least 50 EMDR sessions with at least 25 clients” on a piece of paper, sign that piece of paper and have it notarized. The notary is verification that you have attested this statement to be true.
No. Please do not provide any confidential records or case information.
No. Only consultation hours received AFTER completion of an EMDRIA Approved Training program can be applied toward Certification. This date of completion is on your EMDR Training completion certificate.
Consultation does not hold the same legal liability as supervision. In supervisory relationships, a clinical supervisor can be held liable for the clinical actions of their supervisee. In a consultant relationship, a consultant does not bear legal liability for the consultee. A consultee may enter into a contractual agreement with a consultant in which professional feedback is given to the consultee in an area agreed upon by both parties (ie: EMDR).
Applicants that live in rural areas and have no Approved Consultant accessible for face-to-face consultation may obtain consultation via phone or real-time web-based communication. Phone and real-time web-based consultation would not need to be approved through EMDRIA in advance.
Yes.
If you received consultation from more than one Approved Consultant, we want to see documentation of the consultation hours and the consultant should be able to address your use of EMDR with clients. We would like to see a recommendation from each consultant you worked with, but if that's not possible then at least one AC must be able to recommend you for Certification.
- The letter should include an evaluation statement from the Approved Consultant recommending approval of your Certification application.
- The letter should include the exact number of hours of consultation toward certification that you received from the Approved Consultant.
- The letter should explicitly state whether the hours were individual or group hours and state how many of each if you received both.
It is preferred that you find a professional that can speak to your use of EMDR, however if this is not possible, you may use other mental health professionals that can speak to your ethics in practice as well as your professional character in your mental health field.
To find continuing education opportunities, you can view the Education tab on our website. Please visit our EMDRIA Events calendar, EMDRIA OnDemand courses and Distance Learning options to see what is available.
No. EMDRIA Credits (continuing education in EMDR) are designed to build upon the EMDR Training.