How to Choose an EMDR Consultant (And What I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Hours)
You finished your EMDR basic training. You’re excited, maybe a little overwhelmed, and suddenly you’re realizing that you need more support through consultation. But the next step in getting your consultation hours is a whole thing in itself and can sometimes keep therapists from continuing to use EMDR. Who do you call? How do you find someone? What even makes a good consultant?
If you’ve been sitting with those questions, you’re in good company! Most therapists finish their training feeling energized and then immediately hit a wall when it comes to the logistics of actually becoming certified…and I’ve been there too. I completed my basic training in 2019, right before COVID turned everything upside down. Suddenly I was adapting everything to virtual EMDR with little guidance and even less community. The path to EMDR certification requires consultation hours (both individual and group) and finding the right consultant to guide you through that process is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as an EMDR therapist.
That experience is exactly why I wrote this. Whether you’re brand new to EMDR or you’ve been practicing for a while and are finally getting serious about certification, here’s what I wish someone had told me before I started my hours.
What actually is EMDR Consultation Actually is and Why Does it Matter?
EMDR consultation is a structured process where an EMDRIA Approved Consultant or Consultant in Training helps you develop your skills, process your clinical questions, and work toward certification. It’s not supervision in the traditional sense. It’s less about case management and more about deepening your understanding of the protocol, troubleshooting what’s happening in session, and building your confidence as an EMDR clinician.
To become EMDRIA Certified, you’ll need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of EMDR consultation - at least 10 of which must be individual consultation and 5 from an EMDR certified consultant. The rest of your hours can be from group consultation. Your consultant must be an EMDRIA Approved Consultant (or a Consultant in Training under the supervision of one).
The difference between a Consultant in Training (CIT) and an Approved Consultant is an important distinction. A CIT is actively working toward their own consultant credential and they’re trained, experienced, and supervised themselves. An Approved Consultant has completed that full credentialing process. Both can provide the hours you need, and working with a CIT often comes with more availability, a smaller practice feel, and rates that are easier on a therapist’s budget.
What Should I Look for in an EMDR Consultant?
Not every consultant is going to be the right fit for you, and that’s okay Here’s what actually matters when you’re evaluating your options:
Specialty alignment. A consultant who primarily works with phobias may not be the best fit if your caseload is full of complex trauma and attachment wounds. Look for someone whose clinical specialty overlaps with the populations you serve. You’ll get so much more out of consultation when the cases you bring actually resonate with your consultant’s experience.
Their own EMDR journey. A consultant who has done their own EMDR work and gone through the certification process themselves brings something irreplaceable to the table. They know what it feels like to sit with a client who is stuck in a loop, to second-guess your targeting, to wonder if you’re “doing it right.” Lived experience creates empathy.
Consultation style. Some consultants teach. Some observe. Some process alongside you. Think about how you learn best. Do you need someone to walk you through case conceptualization step by step? Do you want space to think out loud and be redirected when needed? Ask potential consultants how they structure their sessions before you commit.
Psychological safety. This one is non-negotiable. You need to be able to show up to consultation and say “I have no idea what happened in that session” without bracing for judgment. If you’re performing competence in consultation, you’re not getting the full benefit. The right consultant makes it safe to not know.
Individual vs. Group EMDR Consultation: Which Is Right for You?
Both count toward your certification hours, and both offer something different.
Individual consultation is one-on-one time with your consultant focused entirely on your cases, your questions, and your growth. It’s the most personalized form of consultation and allows for deeper dives into specific clinical challenges. If you’re working through a particularly complex case or a stuck point in your own skill development, individual time is invaluable.
Group consultation brings together a small cohort of EMDR therapists to learn alongside each other. One of the things therapists often don’t expect is how much they gain from hearing other people’s cases. Watching a peer work through a challenging target, hearing questions you didn’t know you had, and building community with others on the same path. Peer learning is genuinely irreplaceable, in my opinion.
Most therapists benefit from a combination of both. A cohort model that includes regular group sessions with built-in individual sessions gives you structure, accountability, peer support, and personalized guidance all in one place.
Questions to Ask Before You Commit
Before you sign on with any consultant, here are five questions worth asking:
What is your own EMDR training and certification background?
What populations and presentations do you specialize in?
How do you structure your individual and group consultation sessions?
How do you handle it when a consultee is stuck or struggling?
What does your availability look like over the next 10–12 months?
A consultant who answers these questions openly and without defensiveness is already telling you something important about how they show up. Transparency and directness in a consultation relationship are everything.
Ready to Find Your People?
Finding the right EMDR consultant is bigger than just something on your to-do list or a logistical checkbox. Finding someone who will walk alongside you through the messiest, most uncertain parts of learning this work and help you come out the other side a more confident, grounded EMDR therapist is crucial.
I offer both individual EMDR consultation and a 10-month cohort experience that combines monthly group hours with individual consultation sessions woven in. My style is collaborative and direct, you are the expert on your client, and I’m here to think alongside you, not hand down answers. I’ll push you when you need it, back you up when you’re closer than you think, and do my best to make sure you never feel judged for where you are in your practice.
If that sounds like what you’ve been looking for, I’d love to connect!
