You’re eligible if you meet three basic requirements:

• You are a licensed mental health professional.

• You are in good standing with your licensing board.

• You have completed trauma-specific or trauma-focused training, either during graduate study or through continuing education.

We keep this requirement intentionally broad, as we trust clinicians to use their professional judgment in determining what constitutes sufficient trauma training. The key point is that both experience treating trauma and formal training in it are essential foundations for effective EMDR work.

Core and Advanced EMDR Training Requirement
To qualify for certification, applicants must complete at least 30 continuing education (CE) hours in EMDR training, consisting of both core training and advanced coursework.

• Core Training must cover the Original 8-Phase EMDR model, with an emphasis on the practical how-tos and step-by-step procedures clinicians need to implement EMDR effectively in practice.

• Advanced Coursework should build on this foundation and be relevant to the clinician’s specific goals and client populations. Examples of acceptable advanced topics include:

  • Child and adolescent EMDR adaptations

  • Working with TBI, ADHD, or anxiety disorders

  • Interweaves and other advanced EMDR techniques

  • Approaches for developmental or complex trauma

  • Training in EMDR intensives

We’re flexible in what “counts” toward the advanced portion of this requirement, so clinicians can tailor their learning to what’s most useful in their work.

Accepted Trainings
Our own Advanced EMDR Therapy Skills Certificate fully meets these requirements. We also accept EMDR trainings offered by the Zur Institute, PESI, and the Parnell Institute. In many cases, EMDRIA-approved trainings also qualify, though acceptance depends on the trainer’s credentials and is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

If you’ve trained with another provider not listed here, please contact us. Most trainings are accepted, and if for any reason yours is not, we’ll refund your certification processing fee in full.

To ensure a solid foundation in EMDR theory and practice, certification candidates must complete a reading requirement of two EMDR-related books. At least one book must focus on the practical “how-tos” of EMDR, guiding you step-by-step through the 8-phase model.

The choice of books is yours, but we strongly recommend including at least one title by Francine Shapiro, the founder of EMDR therapy.

Recommended Titles (choose any two):

• The EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSD: Skills to Manage Triggers, Move Beyond Traumatic Memories, and Take Back Your Life – Megan Salar

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Scripted Protocols: Special Populations – Dr. Marilyn Luber

• The EMDR Therapist’s Handbook: Everything You Need to Guide Clients Through All 8 EMDR Phases – Jerry Head

• EMDR Made Simple: 4 Approaches to Using EMDR with Every Client – Jamie Marich

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures – Francine Shapiro

As part of the certification process, candidates must complete a set of knowledge exams to demonstrate understanding of EMDR principles and skills.

• If you complete your EMDR coursework through Online CE Credits, no additional steps are required — the certificate program already includes five knowledge exams that you’ll take as you progress.

• If you complete EMDR training through another provider and those courses do not include exams, just let us know. We’ll provide an alternative assignment or a make-up exam to ensure the requirement is met.

We recognize that licensed clinicians are in the best position to determine what they need in order to achieve competency in EMDR. Ultimately, ongoing practice and consultation are professional responsibilities guided by your licensing board and your clinical judgment. Our goal is not to overload you with front-end requirements, but to emphasize quality over quantity and encourage a lifelong commitment to consultation and practice.

For certification purposes, the minimum requirements are:

• 30 EMDR Practice Sessions

  • These may be completed with peers, clients, or role-played cases.

• 10 Consultation Sessions

  • Options include: live sessions with OCEC consultants, independent supervisors, or recorded/on-demand consultation modules.

  • At least 5 hours must be live interaction.

We strongly recommend that consultation becomes an ongoing, career-spanning activity, not something limited to the certification process.

Effective EMDR practice requires more than mastering protocols and techniques — it also requires a commitment to practicing with cultural humility. Trauma is experienced, expressed, and healed within cultural contexts, and clinicians must be mindful of how their own perspectives, biases, and blind spots can affect the therapeutic process.

As part of certification, we ask candidates to engage in the following continuing education on cultural humility and culturally responsive EMDR care. These resources are designed to help you reflect, expand your awareness, and integrate more inclusive practices into your EMDR work.

Required education includes:

• EMDR, Cultural Humility, and Doing Your Own Work(Podcast, 1 hour)

• Getting to the Core of Culturally Competent Therapy (Video, 30 min)

• Affirming Care for the LGBTQ Community: A Training on Cultural Humility(Video, 1.5 hours)

By engaging with these resources, you demonstrate your commitment to delivering EMDR in a way that is respectful, inclusive, and attuned to the diverse identities and lived experiences of the clients you serve.

As part of your EMDR certification, you will submit two de-identified client vignettes demonstrating your ability to complete an EMDR case formulation and apply core EMDR therapy skills.

⚠️ Important: All vignettes must be fully de-identified (no names, initials, or other identifying information).

Vignette Outline

1. Client Background (1–2 paragraphs)

• Presenting concerns and symptoms

• Relevant history (trauma exposure, developmental or medical history, current stressors)

• Diagnosis (if applicable)

• Client strengths and resources

2. Case Conceptualization (2–3 paragraphs)

• Identified target memory/memories for EMDR

• Rationale for target selection

• Negative cognition (NC) and Positive cognition (PC)

• SUDs (Subjective Units of Distress) rating

• VOC (Validity of Cognition) rating

• Identified body sensations

3. Preparation and Treatment Planning

• Preparation/stabilization strategies used

• Resourcing techniques (if applicable)

• Treatment plan: anticipated challenges, cultural/contextual considerations

4. Application of EMDR Protocol (8 Phases)

For each relevant phase, briefly describe:

• Phase 1: History taking & case formulation

• Phase 2: Preparation & stabilization

• Phase 3: Assessment (“Access and Activate”)

• Phase 4: Desensitization (BLS method used, client’s responses)

• Phase 5: Installation (PC strengthening)

• Phase 6: Body scan (observed changes)

• Phase 7: Closure (how session ended)

• Phase 8: Re-evaluation (follow-up observations if available)

5. Outcomes & Reflections

• Client progress (symptom reduction, improved functioning, shifts in beliefs)

• Challenges encountered (e.g., blocking beliefs, dissociation, abreactions)

• How you addressed these challenges

• Your reflections on what you learned from the case and what you might do differently next time

6. Summary Statement

• Key takeaways about your competency in applying EMDR

• Overall outcome for the client

Formatting Guidelines

• Length: 2–4 pages per vignette (typed, double-spaced)

• Confidentiality: All identifying details removed or altered

• Style: Clear, professional, reflective of clinical reasoning

By following this outline, your case vignettes will demonstrate your ability to think critically, apply EMDR systematically, and reflect on your clinical practice.

As part of the certification process, you will provide evidence of your clinical strengths and professional reputation. Please choose one of the following options:

Option A: Client Feedback Forms (5 Required)

Submit five anonymized client feedback forms reflecting client perceptions of your EMDR work.

• Confidentiality: Remove all identifying client information. Feedback must remain fully anonymous.

• Format: Feedback can be written (short form, survey-style, likert scale, or narrative - whatever you prefer).

• Content: Ask clients to briefly comment on their experiences of:

  • Safety (Did you feel safe and supported during EMDR sessions?)

  • Empathy (Did you feel understood and respected by your therapist?)

  • Effectiveness (Did EMDR help you with the concerns you were hoping to address?)

  • Other Aspects of the Experience (Any additional feedback about comfort, professionalism, or outcomes that feels important to share)

Purpose: These forms provide client-centered evidence of your ability to create a safe, effective, and compassionate therapeutic environment — all critical to EMDR practice.

Option B: Letters of Recommendation (2 Required)

Submit two letters of recommendation from professional colleagues or supervisors.

• One letter must be from a supervisor, consultant, or senior colleague who has observed your clinical work.

• One letter may be from another professional colleague familiar with your practice.

• Letters should comment on:

  • Your professional reputation

  • Your compassion, empathy, and clinical integrity

  • Your ability to provide safe and effective trauma therapy (if the recommender is a supervisor)

  • Any other qualities that reflect your competence as an EMDR therapist

Purpose: These letters provide professional perspectives on your character, reputation, and clinical skill, reinforcing the personal qualities essential for effective EMDR work.

Whether you choose client feedback or letters of recommendation, the goal of this requirement is to demonstrate that you consistently provide safe, compassionate, and effective care in your EMDR practice.

To complete certification, applicants must demonstrate integration, creativity, and professional contribution by completing one of the capstone project paths below. The Capstone is your opportunity to apply EMDR skills beyond the training room and show your readiness to practice EMDR responsibly, innovatively, and with professional depth.

General Standards for All Capstones

• Length/Format: Written projects should be approximately 4–8 pages (double-spaced) unless otherwise specified; presentations/workshops should be approximately 1 hour long.

• Professional Quality: Submissions should be organized, clearly written or presented, and appropriate for sharing with a professional audience.

• Confidentiality: Any case material must be fully de-identified.

Capstone Pathways

1. Clinical Demonstration Path

• Mini Case Series:

  • Write up 3–4 de-identified cases demonstrating the application of all 8 EMDR phases.

  • Each case should include: case conceptualization, target selection, use of EMDR protocols, observed outcomes, and challenges encountered.

  • Include a reflection on clinical decision-making and lessons learned across cases.

  • Standard: Shows mastery of protocol, flexibility in clinical reasoning, and sensitivity to client needs.

2. Educational / Teaching Path

• Workshop Design:

  • Create a 1-hour professional training (with slides, objectives, and outline) for peers or a professional audience.

  • Should include learning goals, interactive elements, and references to EMDR literature.

  • Standard: Content is accurate, engaging, and appropriate for professional CE-style delivery.

• Psychoeducation Resource:

  • Develop a client-friendly tool such as an infographic, handout, booklet, or video.

  • Must explain trauma processing with EMDR in accessible, non-technical language.

  • Standard: Clear, visually engaging, and useful for client understanding.

3. Community / Outreach Path

• Humanitarian Service Project:

  • Volunteer your EMDR-informed skills in a community clinic, disaster relief setting, or underserved population.

  • Submit a 3–4 page reflection describing the context, work performed, challenges, and impact.

  • Standard: Demonstrates cultural humility, adaptability, and contribution to social good.

• EMDR Adaptation Project:

  • Design an adapted EMDR protocol or approach tailored for a specific underserved community (e.g., refugees, rural populations, BIPOC communities).

  • Submit a 4–6 page write-up detailing rationale, modifications, and potential impact.

  • Standard: Innovative, sensitive to community needs, and theoretically grounded.

4. Research & Innovation Path

• Literature Review:

  • Write a 5–8 page critical review of EMDR research in a specialized area (e.g., EMDR with veterans, complex trauma, children, addictions).

  • Include implications for clinical practice and areas for further study.

  • Standard: Clear, analytical, and demonstrates integration of research into practice.

• Innovation Project:

  • Propose or pilot a new EMDR-informed method or tool (e.g., interweaves, EMDR intensives, tech-based applications).

  • Submit a written report with rationale, design, and potential clinical use.

  • Standard: Creative, evidence-informed, and professionally presented.

5. Personal / Professional Integration Path

• Reflective Paper:

  • Write a 4–6 page reflection on how EMDR training has influenced your clinical identity, ethics, and trauma-informed practice.

  • Include insights about challenges, growth, and future professional goals.

  • Standard: Thoughtful, honest, and demonstrates meaningful integration of EMDR into practice.

• Therapist Self-Care Plan:

  • Create a structured, evidence-based plan for maintaining resilience while delivering trauma therapy.

  • Should include strategies for self-monitoring, supervision/consultation, and personal well-being.

  • Standard: Practical, personalized, and realistic for sustaining long-term clinical work.

Submission Guidance:
Choose the path that best fits your professional goals and context. The Capstone is an opportunity to show how EMDR becomes part of your unique contribution to the field!

Your EMDR Certification through our program is valid for four years, rather than the two years required by many other organizations. This policy was carefully chosen based on our knowledge of the pace of scientific progress in psychotherapy.

• Why 4 Years?
  Psychotherapy research evolves gradually. In most cases, there are no major shifts in best practices within a two-year period. A four-year cycle better reflects the true pace of innovation in the field while still ensuring that clinicians remain aligned with current standards of care.

• No Cost, No Redundancy
  We do not believe in charging renewal fees or requiring clinicians to go through re-testing or re-evaluation once certified. In fact, we do not even frame this process as “recertification.” Instead, we use a Maintenance of Certification model.

• Our Philosophy
  We assume that if you are actively practicing EMDR, you are becoming more knowledgeable, not less over time. Requiring you to “re-prove” your competence every few years does not reflect the reality of clinical growth and practice.

Maintenance of Certification (Every 4 Years)

To maintain your certification, you will simply need to attest that you:

• Are still a licensed mental health professional in good standing with your board.

• Are regularly practicing EMDR in your clinical work.

• Remain engaged in consultation activities, consistent with best practices in trauma therapy.

That’s it. There are no hidden costs, no mandatory courses, and no re-examinations.

Why This Approach Works

• Scientifically Grounded: Aligned with the pace of psychotherapy research and innovation.

• Clinician-Friendly: Respects your time, expertise, and ongoing clinical experience.

• Ethically Responsible: Ensures ongoing licensure, good standing, and consultation are maintained without unnecessary financial or administrative burdens.

• Accessible: Maintenance of certification is always free.

Bottom Line: Certification lasts 4 years, and continuing your certification is simple, free, and based on trust in your growth as a practicing clinician.