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EMDR Therapist Weekly

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.

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Featured Post

Training gaps, AI tools, and what to do about both

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...

White chalk cliffs overlook a rocky beach and calm sea.

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...

Interlocking hexagonal basalt columns form a natural rock wall.

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...

A small waterfall cascades over rocks into a clear pool.

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...

Rocky tide pools along a forested coastline.

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...

New light green growth on a dark green spruce branch.

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...

A stream flows through a burnt forest with fallen logs.

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...

A lightning strike illuminates the dark sky.

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...

Joshua tree silhouetted against a starry night sky.

Hey there, Are you an EMDRIA Approved Consultant currently taking on new consultees? If yes, there's a good chance you've experienced the consultant side of a common problem your consultees face: You have availability. They need consultation. But there's no efficient way to connect. Many consultants I've talked to rely on word-of-mouth referrals, the occasional cold email from someone who found them through EMDRIA's directory, or posting in Facebook groups hoping someone sees it at the right...

Close-up of green fern leaves with blurred background

Hey there, Have you wondered about getting EMDRIA certified? If so, I think you might find this useful. I’ve noticed there’s two major issues with the EMDR community, and it's keeping therapists stuck between basic training and certification. First Issue: Most therapists finish their EMDR training excited to work toward certification. They know the next step is finding a consultant for the required 20 hours of supervision, so they pull up the EMDRIA directory and start clicking through...