You’ve heard about EMDR therapy, or maybe you’ve done extensive research about it, and now you’re ready to find an EMDR therapist. It shouldn’t be so hard to find someone who can help – just do some quick googling and you should find a list of local therapists pretty quickly, right?
Then the confusion sets in. These therapists all sound the same, so how do I know who’s “good” and who can help me? Are all these EMDR therapists equally trained? What difference is there between them anyway?
As a local Cincinnati therapist that specializes in using EMDR, trains other therapists in how to use EMDR, and has one of the largest EMDR practices in the area, this is a topic very close to my heart. We’re passionate about people getting the help they need to start living a better quality of life. People often hear about EMDR, but don’t know how to find someone they can trust who is competent in EMDR. In this blog, we’ll peel back the curtain about EMDR training and how you can make sure you are finding a qualified EMDR therapist.
What’s The Problem?
Let’s start with a question people often have: If someone is EMDR trained that means they can help me by providing EMDR therapy, right? Not so fast. The truth is that not every EMDR therapist has the same level of expertise, and the quality of EMDR therapy varies widely depending on the skill of the therapist. EMDR is an intricate technique that requires more than just a weekend training or a certificate to be truly effective.
Part of my motivation in writing this blog is the amount people over the years who have come to us after having had a negative experience with a previous EMDR therapist. After talking to these clients, it becomes clear that the “EMDR therapy” that they did was not in fact EMDR, or it was a very distorted version of EMDR. Let’s understand why there’s such a wide range of skill among EMDR therapists, and to do that we have to better understand how therapists are trained in EMDR and how that training is done.
How EMDR Therapists Are Trained
Let’s start with how therapists magically transform into EMDR therapists 😊 A therapist signs up with a local organization that is running an EMDR training, usually in Cincinnati, but it can be anywhere. These organizations have trainers whose job it is to train therapists in how to properly do EMDR. Over 5 days of training, the therapist learns how to do EMDR therapy, and is then able to begin using EMDR therapy with their clients.
A Gap in EMDR Training
One of the reasons for the variation in skill among EMDR therapists is that there is no standardized requirement for EMDR training. While the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA), is the recognized source of EMDR training in the field, they do not hold a trademark over the term “EMDR”. That means that virtually anyone can offer an EMDR training.
Taking this to the extreme, technically speaking someone who has no knowledge at all about EMDR can offer an EMDR training to whomever wants to take it. Those therapists could then call themselves EMDR therapists. I want to highlight that I have never heard of this happening, but that fact that it’s technically possible shows some of the weak links in how easy it is for a therapist to call themselves an “EMDR therapist”.
No Knowledge Test to Assess Competency
A surprising fact about EMDR training is that there’s no knowledge test to determine if a therapist has truly mastered the skill. Imagine going to a doctor who has read about a surgery technique but has never been tested on it – that’s a little unsettling, right? The same concept applies to EMDR. While the training can offer information and practice, and people who want to learn how to do EMDR will gain a tremendous amount from the training, therapists are not tested on the material they learned and how well they know it.
Again, technically speaking, you could have a therapist who attends an EMDR training, and they spend the entire time on their phone playing games and watching Tik Tok’s. This therapist would receive the exact same certificate for attending the EMDR training as the therapist next to them who truly put in the effort to learn how to do EMDR. Not only that, these 2 hypothetical therapists would be considered equally trained, and they can both call themselves EMDR trained therapists.
Again, I want to stress that the majority of therapists who go for training in EMDR are truly serious about learning how to do EMDR, but the lack of testing for knowledge means that there’s no way to easily know if someone took the EMDR training seriously and is in fact a qualified EMDR therapist.
EMDR Skill Isn’t “Black and White”
Probably the biggest misconception that people have of EMDR is that it’s a skill someone either has or doesn’t have, like riding a bike. People often assume that once a therapist learns how to do EMDR, they’re fully equipped to use it with clients. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The truth is that the basic EMDR training that therapists do to learn how to do EMDR therapy is actually only the beginning of learning how to do EMDR. EMDR therapists who regularly use EMDR learn much more advanced techniques such as Flash, EMDR 2.0, parts work, and many other techniques that make a significant difference in how effective they are with the EMDR that they do. They also get additional training in how to help clients safely work through the trauma that comes up in EMDR without re-traumatizing the client again.
An Analogy
To explain this better, I like to use a baseball analogy. Let’s imagine you have a new baseball player who has been fully trained in how to hit a baseball, while one of players on their team has played about 200 games of baseball so far. While both have been equally trained in how to hit a baseball, the player who has played 200 games already is light years ahead of the new player. Because of their experience, they can make small adjustments that make a difference, like figuring out what type of pitch might be coming next, how to hit the ball to a certain part of the field, and how to modify the way they hold the bat in certain situations. These are all things the new baseball player can only dream of doing.
In much the same way, the difference in skill between an EMDR therapist who has done hundreds of hours of EDMR sessions and one who has only done a few hours of EMDR is large. Suffice it to say you will have a completely different experience with a therapist who has extensive EMDR experience.
The Skill of Regular EMDR Practice
Just like any skill, EMDR requires constant practice to get good at it. Yet, not all therapists who receive EMDR training actively use it with clients. Some may take the training as a way to broaden their skillset but they rarely, if ever, put it into practice. Here's the thing: when therapists don't use EMDR very often, they can get shaky on the details and unsure about what to do at key points, making it harder to help their clients through the process smoothly. Even seasoned EMDR therapists often have to make decisions on which direction to go in EMDR, and an inexperienced EMDR therapist may be unsure if they are making the right decisions, or if they are using EMDR correctly.
Think of it like playing an instrument – someone who practices daily is far more proficient than someone who only picks it up occasionally.
Trauma Specialization Matters
EMDR is most commonly used for trauma recovery, but not all EMDR-trained therapists specialize in trauma work. Trauma therapy involves understanding the unique ways trauma impacts the mind and body, as well as recognizing potential triggers and emotional responses that clients may experience. A therapist who specializes in trauma is much more likely to have a deeper understanding of how to help clients during the often intense process of working through the trauma that can come up during EMDR. Without a trauma-focused background, even a well-trained EMDR therapist may struggle to address the complexities that arise with trauma survivors.
The Story of Cincinnati and EMDR Therapist Training
For those of us living in Cincinnati, it can also be helpful to understand the change in training that our therapist community has recently experienced, and how that may impact the training your therapist may have in EMDR. Up until a few years ago, there was no local EMDR training offered in our area. To get trained in EMDR, a therapist had to travel to a different city. I myself went to Louisville where a local training was offered at the time.
This was both a good and bad thing. It was bad because it limited the number of EMDR therapists in our community which meant it was harder for people to receive EMDR therapy. However, in a way it was good because those therapists who took the time and effort to travel to get EMDR trained were much more likely to embrace it and become highly skilled in EMDR.
A few years ago, a few organizations began to offer EMDR training in the Queen city. As a result, there has been a large increase in the number of EMDR therapists in our area, which is a very positive development for those who can benefit from EDMR therapy. However, the large number of EMDR therapists can also make it harder to find someone who offers quality EMDR therapy.
So What Should I Do Now?
The next obvious step is to help explain how to help you find a good EMDR therapist here in town. However, that topic itself will require some explanation and would make this blog too long. In our next EMDR blog post, we’ll review how to find a quality EMDR therapist in Cincinnati, what questions to ask your therapist, and how to know if a therapist is properly trained in EMDR. Stay tuned!
Ready to Start Your EMDR Journey?
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Schedule a Consultation: Contact our office for a free 15-minute phone consultation where we can discuss your specific needs and how EMDR might help.
Ask Questions: During your consultation, ask about our EMDR training, experience, and approach to treatment. We're happy to share our qualifications and explain how we can help.
Get Started: If we're a good fit, we'll create a personalized treatment plan that incorporates EMDR therapy in a way that feels safe and comfortable for you.
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