Certification Requirements

Program Outline for Master Certificate in Relational EMDR Therapy℠

96 CEs of Intermediate through Master courses taken at your own pace to include required and elective offerings. Please note: Trainees who have been studying with The Center are encouraged to inquire about their eligibility if you have completed these required or elective courses since 2021.

60 hours of case consultation in groups of four over three years. (40 hours required if already EMDRIA-certified Consultant)

The point of entry into the R-EMDR℠ track is through the Intermediate Course:  The Craft of EMDR Therapy: Taking it to the Next Level.  This training is offered twice a year, Spring and Fall.  Upon completion of the The Craft of EMDR Therapy, the participant may be eligible to participate in an R-EMDR℠ Master Case Consultation group that begins either in September or in February of each year with select R-EMDR℠ Master Consultants listed on our website.

Upon completion of The Craft of EMDR Therapy: Taking it to the Next Level, the participant is asked to fill out a Clinician Self Evaluation of their skills and attributes. This is intended to identify where they are in their professional development and in preparation to meet with their Consultant/Facilitator from The Craft to review and discuss their next steps. This 1:1 meeting is offered at no charge and is intended to identify a course of action based on the therapist's goals as well as their skill development.

PLEASE NOTE:  EMDR therapists who have been studying with Deany through The Center since 2021 can apply their completed coursework towards certification once they are accepted into the program.

REQUIRED: 78 hours of Core Coursework in R-EMDR℠

30 hours:  Intermediate:  The Craft of EMDR Therapy:  Taking it to the Next Level

12 hours:  Thinking AIP and Using EMDR

18 hours: The Dance of Attachment:  An Introduction to Relational EMDR Therapy℠ (in person retreat course or online)

18 hours: Relational EMDR Therapy℠: The Self of Therapist (in person retreat course or online)

ELECTIVES: 18 hours minimum (as available)

 6 hours:  EMDR and Ethics; Working with LGBTQ+

12 hours:  Healing the Wounds of Attachment and Rebuilding Self

12 hours:  The Triangle of Trauma:  An Advanced Clinical Course (without practice)

12 hours:  The Art of EMDR Therapy:  The Use of Clinical Interweaves

12 hours:  Understanding and Treating Bias and Discrimination Using EMDR Therapy

12 hours:  Treating Chronic Pain and Somatic Symptoms with EMDR Therapy

18 hours:  The Body and Attachment

12 hours:  Treating Addictions with EMDR Therapy:  A Path to Reconnection

22 hours:  The Triangle of Trauma Master Retreat Course

22 hours:  Relational EMDR Therapy℠:  The Self of the Therapist (Retreat Course version of the above)

Case Consultation in Relational EMDR Therapy℠

60 hours minimum of case consultation, which takes place over three years, which is 20 hours per year in a group of no more than four people who meet for two hours once a month with their R-EMDR℠ Master Consultant.  After the first year (10 monthly sessions), your cohort will be switched to a second R-EMDR℠ Master Consultant to maximize the diversity of your training experience.  Once you have transitioned to your second year Consultant, you will remain in that group for the duration of the program.

NOTE:  If you are not yet EMDRIA certified, you can apply to the Master Certificate program but you cannot apply your case consultation hours in the R-EMDR℠ Case Consultation towards EMDRIA certification. All of our course offerings are EMDRIA-approved and can be applied for certification as a Therapist or Consultant as well as for recertification.

$1800 pp. per year which includes ten, 2-hour meetings monthly; limit 4 people per group.

Apply for the Master Certificate Program in Relational EMDR Therapy℠

To apply to become a Certified as Master Relational EMDR Therapist℠ an applicant must have:

  1. A master’s degree in a mental health field as defined by their state or country of practice.
  2. Is licensed or on a licensing track, registered and/or certified for independent clinical practice in your state or country of residence.
  3. Successful completion of an EMDR Therapy Basic Training Program that requires at least 40 CE hours.
  4. Successful completion of the Intermediate Course through The Center –  The Craft of EMDR Therapy:  Taking it to the Next Level.
  5. Completed written application. 
  6. 30-minute interview process. 
  7. $250 application fee. 

Please email us at info@emdrtherapy.com for more information or for an application.

The Certification Process in Relational EMDR Therapy℠

After the completion of the coursework, the minimum hours of case consultation and an agreed-upon readiness by you and your Consultant, you are encouraged to apply for your certification.  Below are the steps included in the process:

  1. $250 application fee
  2. 1-hour interview
  3. Segment of a video recording and a complete transcript or video of an R-EMDR℠ clinical session from start to finish. The case presentation needs to include a written outline of the case, to include the AIP conceptualization, how you and your client arrived at this particular memory to be targeted, and the Assessment phase set-up.

Recorded sessions with transcripts are reviewed by The Center’s Certification Reviewers who are qualified to review video and written transcripts of sessions.

Applicants must send to a Certification Reviewer a good quality recording of a session approximately 30-60 minutes with an individual session OR schedule a time when the Reviewer can join for a live session of the same length. 

For the video recording segment and full transcript reviews, the applicant must provide:

  • A one-page summary of the case using The Center’s AIP Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning form.
  • A one-page summary detailing the skills and aspects of the Relational EMDR Therapy℠ model exemplified.
  • A one-page self-evaluation of the applicant's own growing edges as well as their strengths as a Relational EMDR therapist. 

Video recording segment and transcript of full session evaluation and feedback.

  • The Certification Reviewer will assess the skill level of the applicant according to the list of core principles using the required evaluation form provided in the application materials. If the applicant does not satisfy the required core principles, they will be asked to submit another video session or do another live session with the same Certification Reviewer. If, after the second review, the applicant is assessed not to be ready for certification, the Reviewer will make recommendations for additional consultation or training, according to the R-EMDR℠ certification requirements. For the third review, applicants have the option to choose a new Certification Reviewer. After the third attempt, we recommend applicants engage in creating a one-year learning plan based on feedback received.
  • All decisions of the Reviewer are final. A new video must be submitted for each new review.  Each review requires an additional fee.

R-EMDR Recertification

Once you are certified as a Master Relational EMDR Therapist℠ it is important to maintain the necessary support to continue to work relationally with clients.  We strongly encourage you to stay engaged in an R-EMDR consultation group.  If you have 20 hours of any combination of individual and group consultation with an R-EMDR Master Consultant, that will automatically apply towards your re-certification.  Or you can apply a minimum of 12 hours from any elective listed over the same two year period.  Any course offering through The Center can also be applied towards EMDRIA recertifications since all Center courses are approved. Your listing as a Relational EMDR Therapist℠ will be maintained on our directory. There is a $75 processing fee.