Basic EMDR training requires a minimum of 50 hours of instruction and takes most therapists 6 to 12 months to complete from start to finish. The training itself is split across two three-day weekends, but the consultation hours required between and after those weekends stretch the timeline out. If you want to go beyond “trained” and become formally certified, plan on additional months of supervised clinical work after that.
The Two-Part Training Structure
EMDR basic training is divided into two parts, each consisting of 20 hours of coursework delivered over three full days (Friday through Sunday). Part 1 covers the foundational theory and core protocols. Part 2 builds on that with more advanced clinical applications. Both parts include a mix of lecture, live demonstration, and hands-on practicum where trainees practice the techniques on each other.
The EMDR Institute recommends spacing the two weekends about 3 to 4 months apart. That gap isn’t just scheduling convenience. You need it to complete 5 hours of consultation with an approved consultant before you can attend Part 2. After Part 2, another 5 hours of consultation are required, bringing your total to 10 consultation hours. These sessions involve discussing cases and getting feedback on how you’re applying EMDR with real clients.
All told, the entire basic training sequence, both weekends plus all 10 consultation hours, must be completed within 12 months of your start date.
Realistic Timeline for Most Therapists
On paper, you could finish in as few as 6 months if you schedule your weekends close together and complete your consultation hours quickly. In practice, many therapists take closer to 8 to 12 months. Finding consultation time slots, building up enough clinical cases to discuss, and fitting training weekends into an existing caseload all add time.
The in-person training days themselves total just 6 days (two three-day weekends). It’s the consultation hours and the clinical practice between sessions that make up the rest of the timeline. Upon completion, you receive a certificate indicating at least 50 training hours and 40 continuing education credits.
What It Takes to Get Certified
Completing basic training makes you “EMDR trained,” but that’s not the same as certified. EMDRIA certification is a separate credential with substantially more requirements. To earn it, you need to:
- Complete basic training through an EMDRIA-approved program
- Conduct at least 50 EMDR sessions with a minimum of 25 different clients
- Complete 20 hours of additional consultation with an EMDRIA-approved consultant (at least 10 of those hours must be individual, not group)
- Earn 12 hours of EMDRIA continuing education
Those 20 consultation hours are separate from the 10 hours included in your basic training. Only consultation completed after finishing your basic training counts toward certification. There’s no fixed timeline for how quickly you can earn certification, but building up 50 sessions with 25 clients while scheduling 20 consultation hours typically takes an additional 6 to 18 months beyond basic training, depending on your caseload. All consultation hours must fall within the five years before you submit your application.
Once certified, you renew every two years by completing 12 hours of EMDRIA-approved continuing education.
Who Can Enroll
EMDR training isn’t open to everyone in the helping professions. You need a master’s degree or higher in a mental health field such as counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, or psychology. You also need to be licensed (or actively pursuing licensure) for independent clinical practice in your state. Physicians and psychiatric nurse practitioners qualify as well.
Pre-licensed clinicians working under supervision can attend, but they’ll need a letter from their supervisor confirming the arrangement. Graduate students are also eligible if they’ve completed their core coursework and are in the practicum or internship phase of their program, working under a fully licensed supervisor. First-year graduate students are not eligible. Those who hold only a substance abuse or chemical dependency license generally don’t qualify, since those licenses typically don’t cover a broad mental health scope of practice.
Cost of Time vs. Cost of Money
When budgeting your time, keep in mind that consultation hours are where the hidden time commitment lives. Each consultation session needs to be individually scheduled with an approved consultant, and availability varies. Some consultants offer group sessions, which can be easier to get into but may not count toward all requirements (certification, for instance, requires at least half your consultation hours to be individual).
The 6 days of classroom training feel manageable. The months of consultation, clinical practice, and case documentation between those weekends are where the real investment happens. If you’re planning to pursue full certification, you’re looking at roughly 1.5 to 2.5 years from your first day of training to a completed certification application, assuming a reasonably full clinical caseload.