EMDR Certification with Sam Bergstein
Complete your consultation requirements for your EMDRIA certification with Sam
Can't find what you're looking for?
Use the EMDR Consultation Start Here page to find the right place for scheduling. Help Me Find What I Need →
1. A good place to start: Schedule a meeting
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I RECOMMEND YOU START WITH A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION (not a package or a group) IF WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED YOUR CERTIFICATION TIMELINE OR GOALS YET
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If you're ready to get started with certification with Sam
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If you'd like to get to know Sam, ask questions about her style or completing certification with her
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If you'd like additional support navigating the information on this page
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If you're unsure which consultation option fits your needs, or if you have other questions, schedule a consultation with Sam to get individualized guidance.
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Schedule an Individual Consultation →
Save with a Consultation Package →
Have a quick scheduling question?
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Consultation-related communication is handled by email rather than phone. If you simply need help locating the appropriate scheduling option, you're welcome to email me.
Limitations of email communication: Questions involving career or credential planning, EMDR Certification, CIT or Approved Consultant pathways, expressive arts/REAT planning, outstanding credential requirements, timelines, recommendations, or individualized guidance on using Sam’s tools and resources should be addressed during paid meeting time rather than by email.
If you need individualized guidance, please schedule an Individual Consultation/Supervision using the options above.
2. Review EMDR Certification Requirements and Procedures
If you have completed an EMDRIA-Approved Basic Training and are working toward becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist™, I offer individual and group consultation to support you through the certification process.
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Certification consultation is not just about collecting 20 hours. It is a chance to strengthen how you actually use EMDR in practice, get support around real cases, and develop more confidence with clinical decision-making while maintaining fidelity to the model.
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My consultation style is collaborative, practical, and flexible. We can work with straightforward cases, complex trauma, dissociation, neurodivergence, parts work, attachment trauma, identity-related considerations, and other areas that can make real-world EMDR more nuanced than what fits neatly into a training manual.
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The goal is not rigid EMDR. It is thoughtful EMDR.
See EMDR Certification Requirements and Procedures in the sections below
A. EMDRIA Certification Requirements*
EMDRIA currently requires:
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Completion of an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training
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A current license permitting independent mental health practice at the time of application
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At least 2 years of clinical experience in your licensed mental health field, stated in a notarized statement (along with your EMDR sessions and clients below)
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At least 50 EMDR therapy sessions
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EMDR therapy with at least 25 different clients
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20 hours of EMDR consultation
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At least 10 of those consultation hours must be individual
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The remaining 10 hours may be individual, group, or a combination
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12 EMDRIA Credits earned after completion of Basic Training
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A recommendation from an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™
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Two professional peer recommendations (NOT from a consultant you've done consultation hours with for certification)
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Completion of EMDRIA's required application documentation
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EMDRIA's application fee (at the time of writing this: $150 for EMDRIA Full Members or $350 for non-members. Verify on EMDRIA's website)
The above points are based on EMDRIA's standards as of September 2026 and may not include ALL considerations. Ensure you have the most up-to-date and complete information by visiting the EMDRIA website
B. Consultation Hours
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You can complete certification consultation through a combination of individual and group consultation.
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Your certification consultation hours must occur after you have fully completed your EMDR Basic Training, including the consultation hours required by your training program.
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Basic Training consultation hours do not also count toward certification.
EMDRIA requires at least:
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Consultation groups can't exceed 8 participants at a time
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Consultation hours must be completed within the five years before you apply
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20 total consultation hours
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10 of those 20 hours must be individual hours
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Sam requires at least 10 certification-level individual consultation hours if you'd like to complete your certification with her.
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Multiple Consultants
You are welcome to work with more than one consultant. In some cases, I may even encourage you to seek consultation from another Approved Consultant who has expertise that would be useful for a particular population, specialty, or clinical question.
Working with a Consultant-in-Training
EMDRIA allows a Consultant in Training, or CIT, to provide up to 15 of your 20 certification consultation hours.
At least 5 hours must be completed with a full EMDRIA Approved Consultant if you use CIT hours toward certification.
A CIT cannot provide the final Approved Consultant recommendation required for certification.
PLEASE NOTE: Approved consultants typically have requirements for how many hours a consultee must complete before considering completing a recommendation for certification. My requirement is at least 10 individual certification-level hours. Please plan accordingly to avoid having to complete more than 20 hours.
What We Work On in Certification Consultation
Certification consultation focuses on your actual use of EMDR therapy with clients.
Depending on your cases and goals, this may include:
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Case conceptualization through the AIP model
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Target sequencing and treatment planning
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Phase 2 and preparation
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Readiness for reprocessing
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Recognizing and responding to blocking beliefs, looping, flooding, avoidance, or dissociation
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Maintaining fidelity while adapting EMDR thoughtfully
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Complex trauma and developmental trauma
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Neurodivergence and sensory needs
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Parts work within EMDR
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Attachment-related considerations
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Identity-affirming EMDR practice
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Clinical decision-making across all eight phases
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Knowing when to slow down, modify, seek additional support, or reconsider the treatment plan
I want you to leave consultation with something you can actually use in your work, not just a theoretical discussion of EMDR.
Be Prepared to Bring Your Actual, De-Identified Cases
Consultation is most useful when we are working with actual cases and actual clinical decisions. Not only is it most useful, this is a REQUIREMENT PER EMDRIA for certification-level EMDR consultation.
Throughout your certification process, you may be asked to bring:
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A structured case presentation
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Near-verbatim examples of your interventions
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A transcript of a portion of a session
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Audio or video of clinical work, only if you choose to, have written client authorization, and we've discussed it in advance. Recordings are reviewed together during consultation; they aren't emailed, uploaded, or kept by me.
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Specific examples of where you felt stuck or unsure
Please do not send me case presentation material unless explicitly discussed. Just bring it to consultation with you.
Documenting the content of your consultation
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It is the consultee's responsibility to ensure they're meeting EMDRIA requirements and documenting their time in consultation.
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In the event of an audit, it is the consultee's responsibility to provide EMDRIA with documentation.
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There is no guarantee that EMDRIA will accept consultation hours, especially if they are not well-documented by you.
C. Recieving a Recommendation from Sam for Certification
You will need an EMDRIA Approved Consultant (not a CIT) to complete a recommendation for certification for you.
You can complete consultation hours with me without using me as the Approved Consultant who ultimately recommends you for certification.
If you would like me to serve as your primary/recommending consultant, there are some additional requirements.
I currently require at least the following:
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At least 10 individual certification consultation hours with me
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At least one individual consultation every two months while I am serving as your primary consultant, unless we have discussed another arrangement
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Completion of my pre-certification consultation questionnaire
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Completion of a mid-process EMDR skills and competency check-in
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Completion of my post-certification consultation questionnaire
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Enough clinical material for me to meaningfully evaluate your use of EMDR
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At least 30 days' notice when you are ready for your recommendation
I reserve the right to adjust my policies and requirements over time, even if you have begun or completed your certification-level consultation hours with me based on updates by EMDRIA as well as shifts in requirements based on my professional and ethical judgement.
If you are new to me or we have not worked together within the past six months, please contact me before assuming I can serve as your recommending consultant.
Purchasing a bundle or completing consultation hours with me does not automatically guarantee that I can serve as your recommending consultant.
Entering into a consultant-consultee professional relationship with me does not guarantee a recommendation. If I determine that you are not ready for certification after you've completed the above, I may require additional training, consultation, verification of your skills, or other competency-building activities before completing a recommendation for you.
Entering into a consultant-consultee professional relationship with me does not guarantee that I'll be available for the entirety of your certification process. It is my goal to support my consultees consistently through the certification process. However, I cannot guarantee that I'll be available for the entirety of your process.
Not using me as your recommending consultant? You don't need to complete my pre-certification questionnaire, mid-certification check-in, or post-certification questionnaire. When you schedule consultation with me, you agree to my consultation policies, and that serves as our written agreement. At the end, request Consolidated Documentation of Hours on my Documentation of Hours + Recommendations page.
Sam's Required Forms for the Certification Process
1. AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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Pre-Certification Consultation Questionnaire + Agreement
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Required if I'll be serving as your primary/recommending consultant. Complete it when we begin, or as soon as you decide you'd like me to recommend you.
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2. MID-CERTIFICATION
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Mid-Certification Skills + Competency Check-In
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Required if I am serving as your primary/recommending consultant.
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3. AFTER YOU'VE COMPLETED ALL OF YOUR CONSULTATION HOURS
Documentation and Recommendation request forms:
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To request professionally prepared consolidated documentation of hours and/or a recommendation letter for certification, you must submit a request form.
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Standard processing time is 30 or more days.
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Find the form you need HERE: DOCUMENTATION OF HOURS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE
D. Additional Logistics and Consideration
What Does "Ready for Certification" Mean?
Completing 20 consultation hours does not automatically mean you are ready for certification.
The hours are the minimum required by EMDRIA. A recommendation is based on clinical competency.
Before I recommend you, I need enough information to feel confident that you can use EMDR responsibly and competently, including knowing when standard EMDR is appropriate, when modification is needed, and when additional assessment, preparation, training, supervision, or consultation may be important.
Sometimes this means I may recommend additional consultation or training before completing a recommendation.
That is not a failure of the certification process. It is part of what consultation is for.
Tracking Your Progress
If you are completing certification consultation with me, you are responsible for tracking your own:
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Total consultation hours
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Individual and group hours
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Content of EACH consultation meeting
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CIT versus Approved Consultant hours
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EMDR sessions and number of clients
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EMDRIA Credits
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Application timeline
I also maintain consultation records of completion of hours, and you will receive a follow-up email after consultation confirming your hours. But I will not keep track of when you're "getting close" for you.
Limitations and Role Clarification
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Consultation is not licensure supervision and cannot be counted as supervision toward independent licensure.
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Consultation is not therapy.
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You are responsible for practicing within your license, scope, ethical requirements, and applicable laws.
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Please protect client confidentiality in anything you bring to consultation.
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Virtual group participants are generally expected to remain on camera.
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Consultation cannot take place while you are driving.
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My standard cancellation and rescheduling window is 2 business days.
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Bundles and packages have separate terms and restrictions.
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Scheduling a consultation or purchasing a bundle does not guarantee completion by a particular certification deadline.
E. Ready to Start?
If you are ready to get started on consultation hours, you can schedule individual consultation, join one of my EMDR consultation groups, or use a combination of both. See more on scheduling and purchasing packages here
If you want me to serve as the Approved Consultant who ultimately recommends you for certification, please wait until our first meeting before building your entire certification plan around my availability.
Schedule a consultation
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I RECOMMEND YOU START WITH A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION (not a package or a group) IF WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED YOUR CERTIFICATION TIMELINE OR GOALS YET
-
If you're ready to get started with certification with Sam
-
If you'd like to get to know Sam, ask questions about her style or completing certification with her
-
If you'd like additional support navigating the information on this page
-
If you're unsure which consultation option fits your needs, or if you have other questions, schedule a consultation with Sam to get individualized guidance.
Save with a Consultation Package →
Have a quick scheduling question?
If you simply need help locating the appropriate scheduling option, you're welcome to email me.
Consultation-related communication is handled by email rather than phone. I will not return phone calls related to consultation.
Limitations of email communication: Questions involving career or credential planning, EMDR Certification, CIT or Approved Consultant pathways, expressive arts/REAT planning, outstanding credential requirements, timelines, recommendations, or individualized guidance on using Sam’s tools and resources should be addressed during paid meeting time rather than by email.
This paid consultation time may be applied towards certification consultation requirements if it meets EMDRIA's standards for valid certification-level consultation.
If you need individualized guidance, please schedule an Individual Consultation/Supervision using the options above.
Can't find what you're looking for?
Use the EMDR Consultation Start Here page to find the right place for scheduling, certification and CIT information, specialty groups, packages, policies, documentation, recommendations, and more.
Help Me Find What I Need →
Disclaimers and considerations
*The EMDRIA standards outlined here are based on EMDRIA's posted requirements as of September, 2026. It is the consultee's responsibility to confirm they understand EMDRIA's current standards throughout the entire duration of their consultation process. Viewing the information on this web page is NOT a replacement for reviewing EMDRIA's requirements.
The information set forth on this website and in any other supportive information I provide does NOT
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Guarantee a specific outcome for certification
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Override EMDRIA's policies, procedures, and requirements
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Override your training organization's policies, procedures, and requirements
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Communicate a static set of requirements, policies, or procedures that will remain unchanged throughout the duration of your certification process.