EMDR Consultations for EMDR Therapists
For clinicians ready to go deeper into the model — and beyond it.
A consultation space for EMDR therapists who want to sharpen their understanding of the model, integrate it with other modalities, and navigate the complexity that real clinical work demands. Not just counting hours toward certification — but actually deepening the work.
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Offered By
Nancy Phung-Smith, LMFT 138181
Why I Consult
I didn't set out to become a consultant.
There are many wonderful EMDR consultants out there — brilliant clinicians who have shaped this field and continue to advance it. I did not seek to become a consultant. I came to this role because I've had the privilege of working with, consulting with, and learning from so many of them.
What I kept noticing was that the consultees who came to me weren't just looking for hours. They were looking for someone who could help them think through the hard cases — the ones where the protocol alone doesn't get you there. The ones that ask you to integrate, to improvise within the framework, and to trust that you can always come back to the model.
That's the consultation I offer: rooted in a deep respect for EMDR and AIP, and honest about the fact that the clients who walk through our doors rarely arrive in neat, protocol-shaped packages.
What Integration Means to Me
I love complex cases. That's why we have to integrate.
What is "me-centered" for me is the integration of IFS, somatic interventions, and spiritual work — being able to integrate these without losing the power of AIP and EMDR. The moment we lose the model, we lose the framework that makes everything else hold.
Here's what I've found after years of sitting with complexity:
IFS
Who is here?
IFS helps us see who is in the room — which parts are protective, which are carrying the pain, and which part needs to lead.
EMDR
Desensitize
EMDR helps us desensitize — to move the memory from something that feels like it's still happening into something that happened.
Brainspotting
Wherever we need to go
Brainspotting gets us to wherever we need to go — reaching what language can't always name or locate.
And don't forget the wisdom of the body. The client's nervous system is our guide. We don't push past it, we don't override it, and we don't treat it as an obstacle. It tells us when to go deeper, when to slow down, and when to stop.
The Point of Consultation
Really understanding the model, so we can integrate, divert, and come back.
EMDR consultation isn't about memorizing the eight phases and calling it a day. It's about really understanding the model — the "why" behind each step — so that when a case asks you to step outside the protocol, you know exactly what you're stepping away from, and exactly how to come back.
Integration doesn't mean abandoning EMDR. It means knowing it well enough to braid it with IFS, with somatic work, with Brainspotting — without losing the thread of AIP that makes the reprocessing actually hold. You divert, you adapt, and you return. The model is always there, holding the structure.
That's what we do in consultation. We get into the real cases — the ones that don't fit neatly — and we think through them together. Not to find the "right" answer, but to build the clinical instinct that lets you trust yourself when the protocol doesn't cover it.
September & October 2026
Join the next EMDR Group Consultation Series designed for therapists working toward EMDRIA Certification or their Consultant-in-Training hours. Small-group format, case conceptualization through the AIP lens, and personalized feedback on your clinical work.
Spots are limited to maintain a small-group format. Reach out early to secure your seat.
The EMDRIA Credentialing Pathway
From Certified Therapist to Approved Consultant
A clear map of the consultation requirements, who you consult with, and the hour ratios at each stage of your EMDRIA journey.
Requirements reflect EMDRIA's updated consultant standards (January 2026).
EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
The foundational credential for EMDR clinicians.
EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ (or CIT for up to 15 hrs)
A Consultant-in-Training may provide up to 15 of your 20 hours; the remaining 5 must come from an Approved Consultant.
Complete EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training
50 hours total (20 instructional, 20 practicum, 10 consultation)
Conduct 50 EMDR sessions
With a minimum of 25 clients
2 years of experience in your field
Confirmed via notarized Statement of Practice, alongside session count
20 hours of consultation
At least 10 must be individual; remaining 10 may be individual, group, or a combination (max 8 per group)
12 hours of EMDRIA™ Credits
Continuing education in EMDR, post-basic-training
Letters of recommendation
1 from your EMDRIA Approved Consultant™ (not a CIT) + 2 from professional peers
Consultation Hours Breakdown
10 hrs
Individual (min.)
10 hrs
Group (max.)
20 hrs
Total
Within 5 years of application
EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training™
Transitioning from consultee to consultant — learning to guide others.
EMDRIA Approved Consultant™
Hours only count after submitting the CIT Declaration Form. You may work with up to 3 Approved Consultants.
Be a current EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
Submit the online CIT Declaration Form to begin
20 hours of consultation-of-consultation
At least 10 must be individual; group ratio is 1:4 (max 4 CITs per group)
Provide consultation to 5+ consultees
At least 3 must have completed EMDR Basic Training
Provide 15 total consultation hours
Across all consultees combined (not per consultee)
12 EMDRIA Credits (incl. 2 required courses)
Foundations of EMDR Consultation (1.5 cr) + Core Competencies in EMDR Consultation (1.5 cr) = 3 of 12 credits
Consultation Hours Breakdown
10 hrs
Individual (min.)
10 hrs
Group (max.)
20 hrs
Total
Min. 1 year; max. 5 years from CIT declaration
EMDRIA Approved Consultant™
The capstone credential — authorized to consult and certify others.
You are the consultant
You provide consultation to therapists pursuing certification and to CITs pursuing their consultant credential.
1+ year as a CIT
From your CIT Declaration Form submission date
300 EMDR sessions
With at least 75 clients (sessions from certification count)
15+ consultation hours provided
To 5+ consultees; at least 3 completed Basic Training
12 EMDRIA Credits
3 of 12 from the two required consultant courses (Foundations + Core Competencies)
VER form from each consultant
Verification, Evaluation & Recommendation from up to 3 Approved Consultants
Consultation Hours Breakdown
10 hrs
Individual (min.)
10 hrs
Group (max.)
20 hrs
Total
Completed within 5-year CIT timeframe
Requirements summarized from EMDRIA's official criteria: Certified Therapist, Consultant-in-Training, and Approved Consultant. Always refer to EMDRIA's official standards for the most current criteria. Group consultation ratios: Certification groups max 8 participants; CIT groups max 4 (1:4 ratio).
Wondering if this is the right consultation fit?
Whether you're working toward certification, consultation hours, or just want to sharpen your clinical work with complex cases — let's talk.
Book a Consultation Call