Choosing an EMDR therapist
EMDR-Trained vs. EMDRIA Certified
Two credentials that sound alike, and what the difference means for your care
If you've started looking for an EMDR therapist, you've probably noticed that a lot of profiles mention it. "EMDR-trained." "Certified in EMDR." "Uses EMDR." The words sound almost the same, and a profile rarely tells you how much experience sits behind them.
When you're trusting someone with the hardest parts of your story, that difference matters. Here's what each credential actually requires, why it can matter to you as a client, and how to check, whoever you end up working with.
The short answer
An EMDR-trained therapist has completed a basic EMDR training: at least 50 hours of instruction, supervised practice, and consultation.
An EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ has completed that training and then gone on to use EMDR with at least 25 different clients over at least 50 sessions, receive 20 more hours of consultation from an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™, earn recommendations from that consultant and two professional peers, and complete continuing education in EMDR. EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association, reviews every application, and the credential has to be renewed every two years.
Side by side
Both paths start in the same place. Certification is everything that comes after.
| Requirement | EMDR-trained | EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ |
|---|---|---|
| Basic EMDR training | Completed (at least 50 hours) | Completed, through an EMDRIA-approved training |
| License | Can be licensed, pre-licensed under supervision, or a graduate student in practicum | Fully licensed for independent practice, with at least 2 years of experience in their field |
| Hands-on EMDR experience | No minimum beyond training | At least 50 EMDR sessions with at least 25 different clients |
| Expert review of real cases | 10 hours, as part of training | 20 more hours with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™, at least 10 of them one-on-one |
| Recommendations | None required | From their consultant, plus two peers who speak to their EMDR work, ethics, and character |
| Continuing education in EMDR | Not required | 12 EMDRIA credits before applying, and 12 more every two years |
| Who signs off | The training provider issues a certificate of completion | EMDRIA reviews the full application |
| Does it expire? | No | Yes, it must be renewed every two years |
A "certificate of completion" from a training is not the same as being certified. It's one of the most common sources of confusion.
What "EMDR-trained" means
EMDR-trained is a real and meaningful step. An EMDRIA-approved basic training includes at least 20 hours of teaching, 20 hours of supervised practice, and 10 hours of consultation on real cases. It covers the model behind EMDR and all eight phases of treatment.
It's also the beginning. Graduate students, pre-licensed clinicians, and licensed therapists can all take the training, and when it ends the therapist receives a certificate of completion from the training provider. From that point, they're considered EMDR-trained, whether they've used EMDR with two clients or two hundred.
What "EMDRIA Certified Therapist™" means
Certification is EMDRIA's credential for therapists who have gone well beyond training. To earn it, a therapist must be fully licensed, have at least two years of experience, document at least 50 EMDR sessions with 25 or more clients, and complete 20 hours of consultation with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™. They also need letters of recommendation, 12 hours of continuing education in EMDR, and an agreement to follow EMDRIA's professional policies.
EMDRIA reviews the application. The credential lasts two years, and keeping it means more EMDR education every renewal.
Why this matters from your side of the room
Credentials can feel like alphabet soup. Here's what the extra requirements actually mean for you as the person in the chair.
They've done this many times, with many people.
No two people move through EMDR the same way. A memory leads somewhere unexpected. Processing stalls. Feelings rise faster than either of you expected. A therapist who has guided at least 25 different people through at least 50 sessions has met a lot of those moments before.
An expert has watched their work.
During certification, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ reviews the therapist's real cases and gives feedback. EMDRIA describes consultation as a way to reduce the formation of bad habits and the risk of problematic use of EMDR. That consultant then has to recommend them.
Judgment about pacing.
With trauma, especially childhood and complex trauma, some of the most important skill is knowing when not to go deeper yet: building enough steadiness first and adjusting when things feel like too much. That judgment grows with practice and feedback. Certification doesn't guarantee it, but it means the therapist has practiced those calls with an expert reviewing them.
Others vouch for their ethics.
Two professional peers write letters about the therapist's EMDR work, ethics, and character, and the therapist agrees to follow EMDRIA's policies. When you're sharing something painful, knowing others have spoken to how this person practices can be reassuring.
They're still learning.
EMDR keeps developing, especially for complex trauma, dissociation, and attachment wounds. Certified therapists complete EMDR-specific continuing education to earn the credential and again every two years to keep it.
You can check it.
Certification is issued by EMDRIA, so it can be looked up. A training certificate usually lives in the therapist's own files, so you have to take their word for it.
What certification doesn't tell you
I want to be honest about this part. Certification is voluntary, and you don't need it to practice EMDR. Many skilled, caring therapists are EMDR-trained and working toward certification right now. EMDRIA itself says it doesn't vouch for the competence of individual therapists in its directory. No credential can promise a particular result.
No credential can tell you whether you'll feel safe with someone, either. Decades of research point to the relationship between you and your therapist as one of the most consistent predictors of how therapy goes.
So think of certification as a meaningful starting point. It's evidence of supervised experience and an ongoing commitment, not a guarantee. Then notice how it feels to talk with the person.
The right credentials help you start. The right fit helps you stay.
Questions to ask any EMDR therapist
Whether you work with me or someone else, these questions can help you understand what you'd be getting. A good EMDR therapist will be glad you asked.
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Did you complete an EMDRIA-approved basic training?
EMDRIA approves trainings that meet its standards. Certification requires one of them.
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Are you an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™?
If not, it's fine to ask whether they're working toward it and who their consultant is.
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How often do you use EMDR, and with what?
Ask whether it's a regular part of their work and whether they use it with concerns like yours.
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How do you decide when I'm ready to process memories?
Listen for a clear preparation phase rather than jumping straight in.
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What happens if a session feels like too much?
You want to hear how they'd help you settle and what they'd adjust next time.
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How do you work with childhood or complex trauma?
If your history has many layers, ask whether they've had additional training for it.
How to check a therapist's credential
- EMDRIA's Find an EMDR Therapist® directory. Search by location and look at a therapist's profile. Keep in mind the directory lists EMDRIA members, and membership on its own isn't the same as certification.
- The EMDRIA digital badge. Certified therapists receive a digital badge through Accredible, a credential service. You can open the badge's link to confirm it's real and current without signing in.
- Their professional license. Every therapist's license can be looked up on their state licensing board's website.
My EMDR training
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist and an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™. I completed my certification consultation with Susie Morgan, LMFT, an EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant, and have completed advanced training in EMDR for complex developmental trauma, including attachment-related blocks.
You can see my EMDRIA directory listing, read more about EMDR therapy with me, or see how we'll prepare before any memory work.
Common questions
Do you have to be certified to practice EMDR?
No. EMDRIA certification is voluntary. A licensed therapist who has completed EMDR training can use EMDR within the scope of their license. Certification shows they've met additional standards for experience, consultation, and continuing education.
Is a certificate from an EMDR training the same as being certified?
No. A certificate of completion means the therapist finished a basic training. EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ is a separate credential, applied for after training and reviewed by EMDRIA.
What's an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™?
It's the next step after certification. Approved Consultants are certified therapists who have met further requirements so they can provide EMDR consultation to other clinicians, including therapists in basic training and those working toward certification.
Can I do EMDR online with a certified therapist?
Yes. I offer EMDR in person in San Diego and online anywhere in California and Hawai'i.
Sources
- EMDRIA: Training vs. Certification
- EMDRIA: EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ requirements
- EMDRIA: EMDR Basic Training standards
- EMDRIA: Eligibility for EMDR training
- EMDRIA: Certification FAQs
- EMDRIA: What certification means to clients
- EMDRIA: Digital badges
- EMDRIA: Find an EMDR Therapist®
- Flückiger et al. (2018), The alliance in adult psychotherapy: a meta-analytic synthesis, Psychotherapy 55(4)
- EMDR Center of the Rockies: EMDR trained vs. certified
Requirements checked against EMDRIA's website on October 5, 2026.
Wondering if we'd be a good fit?
The best way to find out is a free 15-minute phone consultation. Ask me anything about my EMDR training, how I work, or whether EMDR makes sense for you.