Hey there, We’ve all had therapy sessions go sideways. Maybe a veteran's target selection kept unraveling as you got deeper in, or a pregnant client's activation climbed higher than you'd planned for. When this happens, it’s easy to feel like the standard protocol has failed us. Most of us EMDR therapists (and likely you too) learned about special populations one hard case at a time. The issue is, basic training only gives us a protocol, but not a lot of nuance about when to adapt it, and for...
14 days ago • 5 min read
Hey there, Being an EMDR consultant has always required a high degree of clinical agility. And lately, external macro pressures are making the consultation room feel a lot more complex. Beyond navigating EMDRIA's recent consultant standards updates, consultants right now are managing TWO overlapping challenges. One which has been ongoing for several years, the other is more recent since the boom of AI: Ongoing Challenge: Consultees are arriving with wildly inconsistent training. New...
28 days ago • 5 min read
Hey there, Phase 2 doesn’t get the credit it deserves. At least, not in the way it’s commonly taught as a rigid checklist. I often see clinicians treat Preparation as a brief pitstop (in other words, a necessary chore to “get through” before Phase 4 begins). But in my clinical experience, I’ve seen time and time again how rushing through resourcing is actually the fastest way to stall a client's progress. That’s why today, I’d like to explore what it takes to build a solid foundation so you...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
The EMDR Therapist Weekly aims to provide a weekly dose of insights, tools, and opportunities for EMDR therapists; designed to support your growth, sharpen your practice, and connect you with what's next. To achieve this, we occasionally invite subject matter experts as guest writers. I'm excited to introduce another guest writer this week: Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S Dr. Quaranta-Leech is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, EMDRIA Approved Consultant and Trainer, and COO of...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hey there, Have you ever run into a client who struggles to access or benefit from a calming resource the way the protocol intended? You walk them through the setup, they follow along, and they tell you they have an image, but something is missing. The felt sense isn't there, the imagery feels flat, or they return the next week and admit that when panic hit mid-week, the tool "just didn't work." If you've practiced EMDR for any length of time, you've probably hit this wall before. Container...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Hey there, Here's a scenario that's probably familiar: A new client sits down across from you. They've been referred for trauma. They've done some research, read a few articles online, and now they're looking at you with that mix of curiosity and skepticism that's become really common with EMDR. "So... we're going to move my eyes back and forth? And that's supposed to help me with what happened to me?" You've answered this question a hundred times. Or the question from a counseling colleague...
2 months ago • 7 min read
Hey there, If you've been working toward your EMDRIA Approved Consultant credential, or you're already a consultant providing consultation, you've probably noticed things are changing a bit. EMDRIA's updated consultation standards went into effect at the start of this year (January 2026), including a new competency framework, hour requirements, evaluation processes, and documentation requirements that affect both consultants and CITs. That’s why today I want to touch on some of the highlights...
3 months ago • 6 min read
Hey there, For a long time, I’ve been concerned with how the mental health field responds to mass casualty events and natural disasters. The window of time when early intervention would do the most good (when the nervous system is still in that raw, hyperactivated state) is almost always exactly when we're least capable of delivering it. By the time you’re coordinated, credentialed for the deployment, briefed on the site, and in front of the survivor, it’s often weeks that have passed. The...
3 months ago • 6 min read
The EMDR Therapist Weekly aims to provide a weekly dose of insights, tools, and opportunities for EMDR therapists; designed to support your growth, sharpen your practice, and connect you with what's next. To achieve this, we occasionally invite subject matter experts as guest writers. I'm excited to introduce another guest writer this week: Travis Pollard, LPC. Travis is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has been practicing in Metairie, Louisiana since 2021 as a full-time Counselor and...
3 months ago • 6 min read