Become an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™

Mental health clinicians who are fully licensed to engage in private, independent practice and have completed an EMDRIA™ Approved EMDR Basic Training in its entirety are eligible to become an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™.

To help better understand the requirements for the EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ application, we created the Guide to EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Requirements below. The full list of requirements is listed below under EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Criteria. We also recommend reading the EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ FAQ before you begin the application. All application materials, including the letters of recommendation, must be submitted in English.

EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Application

Ready to submit your application? All applications must be submitted through our online portal below. You will upload all requirements and pay the application fee online. The approval process is typically 3-5 weeks. We will reach out via email with any questions regarding your application as well as when your application has been processed.

Apply Online

Application Fees

EMDRIA™ Full Member | $150 US Dollars (non-refundable)

    • Certification fees are separate from EMDRIA™ membership dues. If you're not a current member, Join Now to receive the discounted rate.

 

    • Associate Members are not eligible to become certified in EMDR. If you're an Associate Member, you will need to upgrade to Full membership before applying for certification.

 

Non-EMDRIA™ Member | $350 US Dollars (non-refundable)

Non-Members do not appear in the Find an EMDR Therapist® directory. A listing in our directory is a benefit of EMDRIA™ membership only.

 

    • Member discounts are not applied retroactively. If you apply for certification as a Non-Member and join EMDRIA™ at a later date, you will not receive a partial refund of your application fee. Be sure to join before you apply for certification.

 

EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Period

If your certification application is approved, your EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ credential will be granted for a two-year period. To keep this credential, you will need to renew it every two years. Learn more about EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Renewal

EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ Criteria

1. EMDR International Association Approved EMDR Basic Training

Provide a copy of your final certificate of completion of an EMDRIA™ Approved EMDR Basic Training program.

2. License/Certification

Provide a copy of your current license to practice independently as a mental health professional in the state or province where you practice. The license must include the current expiration date.

3. 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? 

Both statements may be included in one single notarized document. Applicants can simply state, "I have at least 2 years experience in my field of license and I have conducted at least 50 EMDR therapy sessions with at least 25 clients" or similar wording and then have it notarized.

4. 20 Hours of Consultation by an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ in EMDR

Provide documentation from the EMDRIA Approved Consultant(s)™ who provided EMDR consultation to you. It must specify the start date of your consultation hours, the exact number of consultation hours you received and designate how many of those hours were individual consultation and how many were group consultation. Find an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™

  • Be sure to review the Consultation Packet and become familiar with the consultation process. 
  • The 20 hours of consultation must have been completed within the last 5 years. If you continue to receive consultation hours for over a 5 year period, then as long as the EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ is able to explain in the letter of documentation when the consultation started and ended (e.g. 2013-2022) and if/when long breaks in consultation occurred that will be acceptable. We understand that clinicians may stop consultation and then restart again but we cannot accept consultation hours that concluded 5 or more years ago.
  • If you have received consultation from more than one EMDRIA Approved 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.
  • EMDRIA Approved Consultants in Training™ can provide up to 15 hours of consultation. The remaining five hours must be provided by an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™.
  • Only consultation hours received after completion of an EMDRIA™ Approved EMDR Basic Training program can be applied towards this requirement.

5. EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ Letter(s) of Recommendation for EMDR Certification

Provide letter(s) from one or more EMDRIA Approved Consultant(s)™ addressing your utilization of EMDR with clients and recommending you to be certified in EMDR.

  • Letters may include documentation of consultation hours as required in #4 above. If that's the case, upload the same document for both requirements on the application.
  • Letters from EMDRIA Approved Consultants in Training™ do not meet this requirement. Letters must be from an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™.

6. 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 EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ or EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Training™ do not count as peer letters.
  • Two letters of recommendation from colleagues or peers are required.

7. 12 Hours of EMDRIA™ Credits

Provide certificates of completion for at least 12 hours of EMDRIA™ Credits (continuing education in EMDR). Find EMDRIA™ Credit workshops and programs.

  • Only EMDRIA™ Credit Programs in EMDR obtained after the completion of EMDR basic training may be used towards this requirement. Initial EMDR basic trainings are not awarded EMDRIA™ Credits.
  • Certificates of completion of EMDRIA™ Credits hours should include the EMDRIA™ program approval number and the number of credits earned.

8. EMDR International Association Policies Agreement

By submitting the EMDR Certification application, applicants attest that they agree to adhere to EMDRIA™ Policies.