Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, better known as EMDR, is an effective and evidence-based therapy for trauma. In a previous blog post I wrote everything you need to know about EMDR. In this article, I’m going to talk you through the process of EMDR accreditation for practitioners and why this is important.
How do therapists become qualified in EMDR?
In the UK and Europe therapists who want to train in EMDR are required to already be qualified in a core profession and registered with a professional body. To put it another way, you have to already be a registered psychologist, psychotherapist, mental health nurse or similar to train in EMDR.
Having prior experience and registration is important because this provides therapists with a strong foundation before using to learn EMDR as a therapeutic tool. It is important to have the basics in place before learning to use EMDR effectively.
Standard training in EMDR takes place in three parts over the course of a year. It involves 52 hours of training including lectures, practical exercises and supervision. Completing standard training means that therapists are able to practice EMDR safely (As required by the EMDR Europe Association).
I often think of this as being like passing your driving test: you know how to drive safely but there will be lots of situations that you are not yet confident and experienced in. You are safe on the road but you are a long way from being an experienced or advanced driver.
What is EMDR accreditation?
Becoming accredited as an EMDR practitioner is the next step after standard training. Whilst therapists can practice safely with standard training, gaining EMDR accreditation means that they have demonstrated their experience and skills. Their practice has been put under the microscope by an EMDR consultant. It also means that the therapist has demonstrated competence in using EMDR in complex cases.
As part of the accreditation process therapists are required to discuss a minimum of 25 clinical cases with an EMDR consultant as part of their supervision. This means going talking through their cases in depth to ensure that they are practising safely and effectively. The therapist must also provide video evidence of EMDR sessions they have carried out (with consent from their client).
This process usually takes around a year to complete and must involve at least 20 hours of supervision from an EMDR consultant.
After gaining practitioner status, therapists can work towards becoming an EMDR consultant. This involves having a further 50 clinical cases supervised and gaining experience of supervising others.
To summarise the levels of EMDR training are as follows:
- Standard EMDR training – 52 hours’ training
- EMDR practitioner accreditation – As above plus 25 supervised cases and a minimum 20 hours of supervision.
- EMDR consultant – As above plus a further 75 supervised cases
What do practitioners learn from EMDR training?
Going through the process of accreditation takes a lot of work and means that your clinical skills are put under the microscope. Inevitably this results in therapists learning a lot from their cases and reflecting heavily on the decisions made during the therapeutic process.
Discussing supervised cases in depth means that therapists become more skilled and knowledgeable, particularly when it comes to more complex cases. For example, learning how to structure therapy when a client has experienced multiple traumas. Therapists also learn various ways to respond if a client’s processing appears to be blocked or if therapy is not going as planned.
Essentially the process of EMDR accreditation means that therapists become more skilled and confident in using EMDR, and working with complex problems.
Why did you decide to go ahead with EMDR accreditation?
Speaking personally I had been trained in EMDR for 4 years when I embarked on the process of accreditation. I had also been fully qualified as a psychologist for 9 years, and was already experienced in working with trauma.
I decided to go ahead with EMDR accreditation because I knew it would enable me to improve my skills. It would ultimately be better for my clients, particularly those with more complex problems. Although I felt skilled in using EMDR before accreditation, I now feel even more skilled and confident to use EMDR effectively.
Is it more expensive to see a therapist with EMDR accreditation?
Yes, it can be more expensive to see an accredited EMDR practitioner. This is because accredited practitioners are usually experienced and because it is a financial investment for therapists to go through the process of EMDR accreditation.
Where can I find a therapist who has EMDR accreditation?
In the UK it is easy to find an accredited EMDR practitioner using the EMDR Association UK’s find a therapist tool.