This is something that most individuals looking for EMDR therapy will never hear and it affects who you should call.
Basic EMDR training Three numbers,
- 20 hours lecture
- 20 hours of supervised practice
- 10 hours of consulting
Finish that and a therapist can correctly say they do EMDR . Certification? Different thing. Optional. Most therapists who list EMDR haven't done it.
That's not a controversy. Many outstanding clinicians never go beyond the basics. But if you're ready to share your worst memories with someone, it's worth knowing what the words on their profile mean.
What is EMDR Therapy?
The full name of EMDR is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A psychotherapy developed in the late 1980's Eight stages. Mainly used for trauma and frightening memories.
The difference from talk therapy is what you do with the memories. Talk therapy is about talking about an experience, understanding it better and learning how to deal. EMDR is when you think about the event while doing something else at the same time, usually a moving light or your therapist's hand.
You talk very little. Sometimes sessions don't involve a lot of talking, which can be a shock after years of talk therapy.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
The mechanism is honestly yet controversial.
The best explanation for this is that when you have a terrible memory and your attention is divided, working memory is taxed and the memory is stored again, but less vividly and less emotionally charged. Others say it mimics REM sleep. Studies have shown that it works. Less why.
In practice the therapist wants you to bng back a particular memory, with the visual, the bodily experience and the belief that goes with it. Something like, "I am not safe," or "my fault." Then the bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements, alternating taps or tones in alternate ears. You do sets of this, then pause between each set to report anything comes up.
They don't tell you how to think. Observe. Report. Repeat.
A lot of different things are described throughout sets. Further details are pouring in. Sensations in the body. Suddenly feeling. Sometimes it's a memory of something else.
How Can You Benefit from EMDR Therapy?
For people with single event trauma, there is the best evidence for PTSD. It is the World Health Organization's first-choice treatment for PTSD and is rated "Strong For" in the 2023 VA/DoD clinical practice guideline.
Clinicians use it for PTSD, but also for disturbing memories that don't fulfill PTSD criteria, anxiety, certain phobias, grief, and the aftermath of medical events, accidents, or assault.
This portion most pages don't tell you. The basis of evidence is inconsistent. It is strong for adult PTSD and single incident trauma and considerably more slender for complex developmental trauma and dissociative presentations where it is promising rather than established.
And then 2025 came. The American Psychological Association downgraded EMDR as a treatment. First line to second line.
Who disagrees with the call:
- World Health Organization
- Department of Defense and VA
- The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
All three highly recommend it still. Guidelines are not as constant as we believe.
EMDR has been shown to be effective, but it's not the only show in town, and no one can tell you in advance if it will work for you.
What occurs in an EMDR Therapy session?
No reprocessing. At least, not at first.
Initial sessions are generally devoted to history taking and preparation. Your therapist is mapping out what has happened, what you want to work on and if you can do this safely. You will set up grounding procedures before touching anything challenging. The most typical way EMDR might fail is by skipping that step.
When reprocessing begins, a session may look like this: choose a memory to target, rate how distressing it feels on a scale of 0 to 10, run sets of bilateral stimulation with short check-ins, and continue until that number goes down. Then install the belief you want to be tied to the memory instead. Scan the body for areas of lingering tension.
Sessions would finish with some closure work to get you back to a settled state before you walk out. The processing usually continues past this point. Vivid dreams. New memories. Feeling tired. Your therapist should tell you this in advance.
Finding a Good EMDR Therapist
Three things, first.
Begin with the base license. EMDR is a method, not a profession. They must be licensed to practice psychotherapy in your state, whether they are an LCSW, LPC, LMFT, psychologist or psychiatrist. Check it on your state board site, not their own website.
Ask whether their EMDR training was EMDRIA recognized and if they went through the whole curriculum including the consultation hours. Not a weekend workshop.
Then ask: trained or certified?
EMDRIA Certified Therapist (Higher ranked) What you'll need:
- 2 years post licensure
- 50 EMDR sessions, 25 clients minimum
- 20 hours session with an EMDRIA approved consultant
- EMDR Continuing Education 12 Hours
- Recommendation letters
Usually a year or two after basic training.
Certification is not a need, a skilled therapist can practice EMDR just as well. But if your problem is sophisticated, long-standing or dissociative, those extra consultation hours pay off.
Do they meet your concern after credentials? Can they define the technique in simple terms? Do they have the format you need? And is the pricing and schedule feasible? The last one sinks more therapy than people realize.
And one that is more difficult to measure. Are you close enough to this person to tell them something you haven't told anyone? Otherwise credentials won't help.
EMDRIA can help you find an EMDR therapist
EMDRIA is the EMDR International Association. It sets forth the training criteria. It approves basic training programs in the United States.
EMDRIA Find a Therapist is a public directory at emdria.org. You can filter by geography and whether someone is EMDRIA Certified. The latter is important, because the directory distinguishes between persons who finished basic training and those who have the certification credential.
Before calling anyone from it, think three things: what kind of license, if it's up-to-date in your state, if they are marked trained or certified, and if their listed specialties fit what you want to work on.
Directory listing confirms EMDR training. It doesn't tell you if that therapist is a suitable match for you. Still needs a phone call.
Is EMDR Therapy Available Online?
Yes. And research is better than most people think.
Since 2021, research has shown that remote EMDR is equally effective as in-person EMDR for symptom reduction, with the most evidence for adult PTSD and single-incident trauma.
Video responds to bi-lateral stimuli. Therapists may have you focus on a moving target on a screen, alternating tones in your headphones or self-tap, often crossing your arms and tapping alternate shoulders.
Before you pick an online one, check a few things. A private setting, where you will not be disturbed, you can't do this work with someone in the next room. Reliable connection is vital since losing a session in the middle of a set can be disruptive. Not a consumer video app but HIPAA compliant platform.
And the one people get wrong: the therapist has to be licensed in the state you're sitting in during the session, not the state their office is in.
PSYPACT extends telemedicine across state lines in 42 jurisdictions. But psychologists only. And only E.Passport. Counselors, social workers and marriage and family therapists don't qualify. For most EMDR therapists, the rule is merely a license in your state.
How to Choose an EMDR Therapist That's Right For You
Run this before the second session, not the tenth.
- Do they have a current, independently confirmed license in your state?
- And did they do their consultation hours and was their EMDR training EMDRIA approved?
- Trained or certified? And is your stance worthy of the higher standard?
- Have they worked with your problem before?
- Can they articulate the 8 steps without the jargon?
- Did they take real time to ground versus just running on processing?
- And you think you can say 'this is too much' and you think they'll stop?
If the last one is a no, look elsewhere. EMDR involves your ability to tell the truth about what is going on.
Questions to Ask an EMDR Therapist Before the First Session
- What EMDR training have you completed and was this EMDRIA approved?
- Are you EMDR trained or qualified in EMDR?
- What percentage of your case load is EMDR?
- Do you work with my particular problem?
- When does reprocessing begin and what takes place in the first session?
- Are you licensed in my state and do you provide EMDR therapy online?
- How often would we see each other?
- How do you measure progress?
- What if EMDR is too much in the moment?
That last question tells you the most. A good answer should be clear and name grounding techniques and a stop signal. That's not the same as hazy assurances.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
There isn't a single chronology. Anybody who provides it to you before they examine you is just guessing.
What influences it: one event or years of repeated contacts, how long ago it happened, what other circumstances are there, how much preparation you need to be able to safely start processing, and how often you can show up.
One-time incident trauma in the otherwise stable adult moves faster than compounded trauma carried since childhood. Usually a lot faster. Your therapist should be able to give you a rough frame after evaluation and revise it out loud during session.
EMDR Therapy for Everyone?
No. Any page that states that is trying to sell you something.
EMDR is not a guaranteed outcome, nor is it the only evidence-based trauma treatment, nor is it usually the best place to start. Some people have to conduct stabilization work first. Some people react better to either trauma-focused CBT or prolonged exposure therapy. Some don't find the absence of conversation helpful.
Substance dependence, some dissociative presentations and acute instability often need to be managed before reprocessing can begin. A good therapist will deal with this in assessment, not thereafter.
Bring your genuine history to a trained clinician and let them evaluate it. A blog post is not the choice. It's the conversation.
Why Fresh Breath Therapy for EMDR?
EMDR therapy North Carolina. In-person and virtual.
Fresh Breath Therapy has it in Cary, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Fayetteville and Wilmington.
EMDR is one of a range of services including individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy and co-parenting assistance. This is vital because trauma seldom comes alone and sometimes the work needs to move between forms.
If you're not sure EMDR is a good place to start, that's a normal thing to bring up on a first call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy that has been primarily utilized for trauma and traumatic memories. And as you're doing the bilateral stimulation, like the eye movements or the alternating taps, you hold that recollection in mind and it takes the edge off of the vividness and unpleasantness of the experience.
What is EMDR and how does it work?
You deal with the target memory and its image, bodily sensation and associated belief, then do sets of bilateral stimulation, and then short check ins. The best explanation is that the split attention costs working memory and the memory is stored again with reduced emotional impact. The mechanism is still a matter of contention, the results are better known than the explanation.
How to pick a good EMDR therapist?
Ask if they are EMDR trained or EMDRIA Certified, check that their EMDR training was EMDRIA-approved, and verify their psychotherapy license on your state board's site. Then ensure they are a good fit for your issue and you are comfortable with them.
Are there any EMDRIA-verified or listed therapists?
Yes. EMDRIA has a Find an EMDR Therapist database at emdria.org that you may search by region, and it distinguishes between therapists who have completed basic training and those who hold the EMDRIA Certified Therapist certificate.
Are there online EMDR therapists?
Yes. Research since 2021 has shown that remote EMDR has typically similar outcomes to in-person, with bilateral stimulation delivered utilizing on-screen visual targets, alternating tones or guided self-tapping. Your therapist must be licensed in the state you are in when you have your session.
How Long Does EMDR Take?
Depends on whether you refer to one incidence or years of recurrent scenarios. What else is going on. How much planning you need to perform in the beginning. Complex trauma usually takes longer to heal than single incident trauma. After that an assessment will be made and an estimate given, not before.
Final Thoughts
Real evidence for EMDR. Best for adult PTSD and single incidence trauma. Less stable with complex trauma. And now, judged differently by the APA than by the WHO and VA.
The question you are faced with is not "Does EMDR work?" It is who you let do it.
Confirm your state board license. Ask if the EMDR training was EMDRIA approved. Ask them if they are trained or qualified and hear how they answer, not just what they answer. Check the EMDRIA directory for a short list, then call two or three.
Usually the therapist who tells you straight up that EMDR might not be the ideal place to start is the one to schedule.