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 of what’s changed, and how to navigate it based on where you’re at.

The Big Picture

For the first time, EMDRIA has formally defined what an EMDR consultant does. The role now spans 3 functions you're expected to hold at the same time:

• Educator: sharing knowledge and strengthening clinical skills
• Motivator: building consultee confidence and encouraging development
• Evaluator: giving honest feedback and assessing readiness

It’s also important to note, these aren't phases you move through sequentially. They’re supposed to happen all at once, only shifting in emphasis depending on what your consultee needs in the moment.

EMDRIA also drew a clearer line between consultation and supervision.

In consultation, the consultee retains full clinical autonomy. You make recommendations, and they decide what to do with them. It's explicitly not a supervisory relationship and it's not regulated by licensing boards.

This distinction has always been there in practice, but now it's formally part of the standards. Now, it's even more important to clearly frame our work, document it, and explain it to consultees who might be confused about what they're signing up for.

If You're Already an EMDRIA Approved Consultant

First, the good news:

Your credential is intact and you don't need to reapply. But how you conduct consultation is going to look different going forward.

The biggest operational shift is the new 2-hour daily limit.

You can now do a maximum of 2 hours of consultation per day with a given consultee, which includes both Individual or group, it doesn't matter.

This is because consultees need time between sessions to integrate what they're learning and apply it clinically. Rapid accumulation of hours wasn't previously allowing for that kind of integration to happen.

Group ratios didn't change, but there's now a specific formula for awarding individual hours within a group setting:

Each consultee needs at least 30 minutes allocated to earn individual credit.

This means:

• 2 consultees: 60 minute session
• 3 consultees: 90 minute session
• 4 consultees: 120 minute session (also the daily max)

Each person gets 30 minutes of individual credit, and the rest counts as group.

Stronger guidance for written contracts with consultees. EMDRIA recommends including things like scope of services, consultation goals, session frequency, fees, confidentiality provisions, and termination conditions. You're also expected to retain documentation for five years after consultation concludes.

Consultees can only receive consultation by up to 3 consultants. Acknowledging consultation is more effective after consultants have time to get to know the consultee and provide more customized feedback and guidance, EMDRIA has set a hard cap on no more than 3 consultants during time in consultation toward the credential.

The only document EMDRIA itself requires is the new VER Form (more on that in a moment). Everything else is for your own records.

If you have consultation groups that started under the old standards, you can finish them under those standards through December 31, 2026. After January 1, 2027, everything needs to be fully compliant with the new framework.

If You're a Consultant-in-Training

In your case, your situation depends entirely on when you declared:

If you declared as a CIT before January 1, 2026, you get to choose between the old path or the new path. The only catch is that you must pick one and commit to it fully and cannot mix requirements from both.

Or if you declared on or after January 1, 2026, you're automatically on the new path.

The old path required 20 total consultation-of-consultation hours, with no breakdown between individual and group, and verification was a letter or email from your consultant.

The new path still requires 20 total hours, but at least 10 of those need to be individual (1:1). Verification happens through an online form, and the evaluation is based on observable behaviors across knowledge, skills, and attitudes using the new VER Form.

If you're just starting the CIT process now, you need to be an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, work with a current EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and submit the CIT Declaration Form before you begin. Any hours completed before that submission don't count toward your requirement.

CITs are now required to complete two new OnDemand courses (Foundations of EMDR Consultation and Core Competencies in EMDR Consultation, 1.5 EMDRIA credits each) as part of the initial application process.

There’s also a new option that could be useful for CITs looking to get more hands-on experience:

You can now earn consultation-of-consultation hours by leading a consultation group while their Approved Consultant observes.

This could look like:

• Leading a one-hour group with your consultant present. In this case, you can count 30 minutes toward your requirement.
• If you debrief afterward for another 30 minutes, that counts too, bringing the total to 60 minutes for that session.

Only half of observation time counts because EMDRIA still wants you receiving consultation on the consultation you're providing. But it's a real path forward for CITs who want hands-on practice.

The New Behavior-Based Evaluation Process

Following these updates, the letter of recommendation is gone.

It's been replaced by the CIT Verification, Evaluation, and Recommendation (VER) Form, which is a structured, competency-based online form assessing observable behaviors across knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Now, the goal is to move away from subjective impressions ("I think this person is ready") toward standardized criteria grounded in the updated standards.

You can use the form two ways:

• As an ongoing developmental tool throughout the consultation relationship, identifying goals and tracking growth.
• Or as a summative tool at the end, evaluating readiness for the consultant credential.

Either way, submitting the completed form is required when making a final credentialing recommendation to EMDRIA.

To support implementation, EMDRIA has also rolled out the EMDRIA Approved Consultant Standards guide, which you can find here.

TL;DR: Putting These EMDRIA Changes Into Practice

To sum everything up:

If you declared as a CIT before January 1, 2026, talk to your consultant about which path makes more sense for where you are in the process. There's no universally right answer here (it depends on how far along you are and what fits your situation).

If you declared after January 1, 2026, you're on the new path, so get familiar with the 10-hour individual requirement and the VER Form process. You'll also need to factor in those two OnDemand courses if you haven't already completed them.

Or if you're providing consultation, it’s important you start tracking against the 2-hour daily limit now and update your contracts to align with what EMDRIA recommends. You technically have until January 1, 2027 to be fully compliant, but like everything in life, waiting until the last minute rarely ends well.

If you're planning to become a consultant, submit your CIT Declaration Form first (and remember, only post-submission hours count).

This post covers some of the highlights I think are important. For a complete review of what’s new, check out EMDRIA’s updates page.​
​

How this impacts Helicon

Since we’re planning to first open up early access to consultants on our waitlist (we want to give them a chance to set up their profiles before we invite consultees onto the platform), we are working to ensure the way the app works for consultants is aligned with these new standards.

It’s pushing our beta launch back a month or so, but we are still on track to open the doors soon and consultants will be supported in adhering to these new standards without missing anything along the way.

Excited for that day to be coming soon! If you’re a CIT or Approved Consultant eager to use Helicon to streamline your work as a consultant and attract more consultees, be sure to join our waitlist now for early access once we launch the beta.

Until next time,

Chris

Thanks for reading Helicon's EMDR Therapist Weekly, where we aim 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.

​
​If you're not already subscribed, subscribe here. You can also click here to learn about what Helicon is building, or apply to join the waitlist for early access to the platform, if you're an EMDR provider and want to level up your career and connect with others doing the same.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. This is not legal or clinical advice and we make no guarantees about the outcomes or results from information shared in this document. Proceed at your own risk and discretion.​