10 Reasons to Get Your EMDR Certification

I have a confession to make. I walked around for years following my EMDRIA EMDRtraining telling people I was “certified.” I had been through years of continuing education and each time I received a pretty little certificate at the end certifying my completion. So the word “certified” flowed freely from my lips without another thought.

But I was wrong.​ Going through an ​EMDRIA approved EMDR Training program does not make you certified in anything. It makes you “trained.” And let me be the first to congratulate you! Completing your training is a big accomplishment. You likely went through two weekends of intensive study and practicum plus 10 hours of consultation. That is far more than is required of most continuing education and many don’t make it to completion.

So now that we are clear on your language (I mean, no one wants to engage in false advertising, am I right?) let’s talk about EMDRIA Certification. Certification is a process of completing 50 hours of EMDR therapy with 25 different clients and obtaining consultation while you do so.

Does that sound like a lot of work? Let me be clear, if you are going to be doing EMDRtherapy in your office you might as well make those hours count for you right? It would be a shame to get 6 months down the line and realize you could have been halfway to certification by now. But there is more to it than that.

Here are my top 10 signs EMDRIA Certification is your next step:

1. You know the information but feel you lack the confidence to move away from ‘talk therapy’.
2. You’re afraid to screw it up.
3. You lose direction in the first 3 phases and can’t get to the eye movements.
4. You get past the first 6 phases but feel like things just kinda hang… after that.
5. You value professionalism and don’t want to be a “weekend warrior” with your training.
6. You desire community and know trauma-informed work is safer and more effective with consultation/supervision.
7. Your clients have so much trauma and story that it’s not clear where to start.
8. You feel burned out and can’t keep doing what you’re doing.
9. You know that better outcomes for your clients mean more referrals and more income for your practice
10. You want to make the most of the time and money you’ve invested in basic training.
11. BONUS REASON:​ You’re following the basic protocol to a T but your clients just aren’t moving forward or feeling better.

Do any of these sound like you? You’re not alone. The next step is finding a consultant and scheduling your first appointment. At Guided Wellness Counseling I offer both consultation groups and individual consultation meetings to work you steadily towards your EMDRIA Certification.

Your next step is to set up a free 15-minute consultation. We’ll explore your history with EMDR, your goals for the future and the resources that best fit your vision and needs. Ready to get started? I can’t wait to see you making fresh moves in your therapy sessions