Certification with Sam

Working Toward EMDRIA Certification?

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.

​

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.

​

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.

The goal is not rigid EMDR. It is thoughtful EMDR.

​

EMDRIA Certification Requirements*

EMDRIA currently requires:

• Completion of an EMDRIA-Approved EMDR Basic Training

• A current license permitting independent mental health practice at the time of application

• At least 2 years of clinical experience in your licensed mental health field

• At least 50 EMDR therapy sessions

• EMDR therapy with at least 25 different clients

• 20 hours of EMDR consultation

• At least 10 of those consultation hours must be individual

• The remaining 10 hours may be individual, group, or a combination

• 12 EMDRIA Credits earned after completion of Basic Training

• A recommendation from an EMDRIA Approved Consultant™

• Two professional peer recommendations

• Completion of EMDRIA's required application documentation
   

Your certification consultation hours must occur after you have fully completed your EMDR Basic Training, including the consultation hours required by your training program.

Basic Training consultation hours do not also count toward certification.

​

Individual + Group Consultation

You can complete certification consultation through a combination of individual and group consultation.

EMDRIA requires at least:

• 20 total consultation hours

• 10 individual hours

Certification consultation groups may include up to 8 consultees.

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:

• Case conceptualization through the AIP model

• Target sequencing and treatment planning

• Phase 2 and preparation

• Readiness for reprocessing

• Recognizing and responding to blocking beliefs, looping, flooding, avoidance, or dissociation

• Maintaining fidelity while adapting EMDR thoughtfully

• Complex trauma and developmental trauma

• Neurodivergence and sensory needs

• Parts work within EMDR

• Attachment-related considerations

• Identity-affirming EMDR practice

• Clinical decision-making across all eight phases

• 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.

​

If You Want Me to Provide Your Certification Recommendation

 

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 10 individual certification consultation hours with me

• At least one individual consultation every two months while I am serving as your primary consultant, unless we have discussed another arrangement

• Completion of my pre-certification consultation questionnaire

• Completion of a mid-process EMDR skills and competency check-in

• Completion of my post-certification consultation questionnaire

• Enough clinical material for me to meaningfully evaluate your use of EMDR

• At least 30 days' notice when you are ready for your recommendation
   

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.

​

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.

​

Be Prepared to Bring Your Actual Work

 

Consultation is most useful when we are working with actual cases and actual clinical decisions.

 

You may be asked to bring:

• A structured case presentation

• Near-verbatim examples of your interventions

• A transcript of a portion of a session

• Audio or video of clinical work, if you choose and have appropriate client authorization

• 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.

​

Forms + Tracking

 

If you are completing certification consultation with me, you are responsible for tracking your own:

​

• Total consultation hours

• Individual and group hours

• CIT versus Approved Consultant hours

• EMDR sessions and number of clients

• EMDRIA Credits

• Application timeline

 

I also maintain consultation records, and you will receive a follow-up email after consultation confirming your hours.

Please save those emails.

​

Required Certification or CIT Forms

Pre-Certification Consultation Questionnaire + Agreement
Required when beginning certification-level consultation with me.

https://form.jotform.com/232076841506152

​

Mid-Certification Skills + Competency Check-In
Required if I am serving as your primary/recommending consultant.

https://form.jotform.com/250204317684150

​

Post-Certification Consultation Questionnaire
Required before I can complete your certification recommendation.

https://form.jotform.com/232965659696176

​

Please see my Documentation and Recommendations page here for more information on certification or consultant application documentation or recommendations

​

A Few Logistics

​

• Consultation is not licensure supervision and cannot be counted as supervision toward independent licensure.

• Consultation is not therapy.

• You are responsible for practicing within your license, scope, ethical requirements, and applicable laws.

• Please protect client confidentiality in anything you bring to consultation.

• Virtual group participants are generally expected to remain on camera.

• Consultation cannot take place while you are driving.

• My standard cancellation and rescheduling window is 2 business days.

• Bundles and packages have separate terms and restrictions.

• Scheduling a consultation or purchasing a bundle does not guarantee completion by a particular certification deadline.

​

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 contact me before building your entire certification plan around my availability.

 

Questions:
sbergstein@mantramentalhealthllc.com

 

View Consultation Options + Packages + Schedule:
https://www.mantramentalhealthllc.com/professional-consultation

​

Current Policies:
https://www.mantramentalhealthllc.com/professional-consultation

EMDRIA establishes and maintains the requirements for EMDRIA Certification. Requirements may change. You are responsible for reviewing EMDRIA's current standards before applying.

*EMDRIA standards 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