EMDR Therapy Basic Training - Late Fall 2025
Part 2: October 17 - 19, 2025
Part 3: November 21 - 22, 2025
—Begins at 10:30am ET—
Lisa Garcia, LCSW-C
admin@emdrtherapy.com
What Will You Take Away from This Training?
A Rock Solid Foundation for Practicing EMDR Therapy
EMDRIA is the gold standard for EMDR training and our Basic Training is EMDRIA-Approved. With a combination of didactic presentation, clinical videos and hands-on practice, we’ll cover all of EMDR’s cornerstone practices, processes, disciplines and tools in depth.
An Understanding of EMDR Therapy’s Flexibility and Scope
EMDR Therapy is restorative—proven to be effective in resourcing, strengthening positive behaviors and filling in emotional and developmental deficits common in complex trauma. It’s also flexible with a variety of responses to stabilize an easily dysregulated client. You’ll learn when to use specialized protocols and how to modify the standard protocol based on what’s best for your client. You gain a full appreciation of how EMDR is effective for addressing a variety of clients and issues including:
- couples
- families and children
- disaster survivors
- frontline crisis workers
- combat veterans
- complicated grief
- addictions
- phobias
Support for Integrating EMDR into Your Practice
You’ll learn how to introduce EMDR to clients, help clients formulate an effective treatment plan, select specific disturbing memories for reprocessing and support clients as they heal, grow and change. Time is set aside for case consultation during small group sessions and 10 hours of additional case consultation are included following your training at no extra cost. The mentoring you receive during consultation will help deepen your understanding of procedures and protocols; refine your practice and move through roadblocks and resistance as you apply EMDR with your clients.
Practice Is the Key to EMDR Mastery
Our Basic Training exceeds EMDRIA’s requirements by including more time for hands-on practice of what you learn every day of training. Practicing in triads and small groups, you’ll experience EMDR memory reprocessing firsthand—from the therapist’s, client’s and observer’s point of view. You’ll be mentored by a member of The Center’s Faculty who is also an EMDRIA-approved Consultant. Their role is to support you through the work, to clarify procedures and practices and to facilitate small group discussions. You’ll have the opportunity to work with the cornerstone elements of EMDR practicing how to:
- apply the principles of the AIP model to case conceptualization and treatment planning.
- work through the seven procedural steps to set up a memory for reprocessing.
- administer bilateral stimulation (BLS).
- use interweave strategies during reprocessing.
- bring closure to a reprocessing session and get blocked reprocessing back on track.
- manage intense emotional responses.
- recognize and handle defensive responses and barriers to reprocessing.
Who Is Eligible?
You are—if you are a mental health clinician, licensed for independent practice and want to use EMDR with your clients. It's important that you see clients while you are in training so you can apply what you learn and ask for feedback during consultation.
- If you are not yet licensed, you must be on a licensing track under the guidance of a clinical supervisor.
- If you are a graduate student, you must have completed your core coursework and currently work in a practice setting.
- If you work at a non-profit or government agency and carry a full caseload, ask about our non-profit agency discount.
Meet Your Trainers
Erika Tsoukanelis, LCSW
Erika Tsoukanelis, LCSW is an EMDRIA-certified Therapist, Consultant, and teaches the Basic Training in EMDR therapy for The Center. Erika worked in various mental health settings before opening her private practice, Heart of Inquiry in 2011. Erika uses EMDR as a comprehensive and relational therapy and also draws on her work in psychodynamic psychotherapy, structural dissociation theory, Dynamic Attachment Re-patterning experience (DARe) and other specialties. As a certified holistic health counselor and Kripalu yoga teacher, Erika incorporates somatic awareness and mindfulness skills in her work. She is collaborative and ever-respectful of each person’s individuality as a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual being.
Lisa Garcia, LCSW-C
Lisa Garcia, LCSW-C is an EMDR psychotherapist who was trained in EMDR in 2016 and has been receiving additional training and consultation from Deany Laliotis since that time. She specializes in treating simple, complex developmental and attachment trauma as well as traumatic bereavement using R-TEP and G-TEP. Lisa is committed to using EMDR to help her clients heal from prior wounds and to strengthen adaptive ways of being in relationships and responding to life challenges. As a social worker, Lisa has extensive experience with diverse populations in a variety of settings including outpatient community mental health, continuing care retirement community, and a medical hospital. Lisa has a private practice in Olney, Maryland.
Deany Laliotis, LICSW
I’m Deany Laliotis, the Founder & Director of The Center. I am passionate about the power of EMDR therapy to transform lives. Since 1993, I had the privilege of working very closely with Dr. Francine Shapiro, the originator of EMDR, and was mentored by her until her death in 2019. I was the Director of Training for EMDR Institute Inc., the program developed by Dr. Shapiro that trained clinicians all over the world in EMDR therapy. We trained thousands of EMDR therapists over the years in this comprehensive approach to healing trauma. My vision has always been to offer a continuum of trainings from Basic to Masterclasses, which is what The Center currently offers. We welcome you to join us as part of our community of lifelong learners!
Informational Brochure
