Many clinicians know the experience of working with clients who feel stuck in old patterns or overwhelmed by unresolved past experiences. EMDR offers a powerful path forward—one that can transform the way you approach trauma-informed care.
Our Basic Training program is designed to give clinicians practical, effective tools for deeper trauma processing, with skills you can start applying immediately.
EMDR Basic Training, offered virtually and in-person, is provided by Three Rivers Training Center EMDRIA-Approved Trainers and Consultants. It's designed for mental health clinicians, graduate students, licensed practitioners, or those on a licensure track with trauma experience. Carol, with over a decade of expertise, supports therapists in expanding their EMDR knowledge and healing abilities, empowering clients to recover from trauma burdens.
Are you a mental health clinician aiming to incorporate EMDR into your practice? Here's who is eligible:
Because this training includes an experiential component, participants must be prepared to work on your own personal issues in practice sessions.
Participants will be expected to begin the use of EMDR Therapy with at least two cases during the course of this training to be given a certificate of completion.
Both virtual and in-person participants need computer access.
Virtual trainings provide the same valuable learning experience using curriculum required by EMDRIA through the Learning Management System. Participants in virtual trainings meet via Zoom and need reliable and secure access to a computer or tablet device. We will guide you through this process to support a positive training experience.
EMDR Basic Training is the first step toward certification. It prepares clinicians to begin using EMDR Therapy, but it is not the same as being EMDR Certified.
EMDR Certification matters because it is a separate process focused on further skill development and demonstrated competence. It supports clinicians in refining their EMDR delivery, strengthening clinical judgment, and elevating their professional development to the next level.
“I cannot thank you enough for the training that you have provided and the phenomenal changes that I have witnessed in one of my clients ever since we started doing EMDR. I had this client for about 8 months or so and she was repeatedly stuck on a particular childhood memory. She was unable to move past and hold on to it for quite some time. She looked at the negative, positive cognition sheet and really did feel a gut wrenching response. She immediately picked the one which resonated with her. Aside from EMDR , I am not sure how we could have processed her particular condition any other way. She feels cleared and surprised that she is able to let go.”
EMDR therapy is a comprehensive psychotherapy that accelerates the treatment of a wide range of pathologies and self-esteem issues related to disturbing events and present life conditions. This interactional, standardized approach has been empirically tested in over 30 randomized controlled studies with trauma patients, and hundreds of published case reports evaluating a considerable range of presenting complaints, including depression, anxiety, phobias, excessive grief, somatic conditions and addictions.
EMDR therapy is guided by the Adaptive Information Processing model which addresses the unprocessed memories that appear to set the basis for a wide range of dysfunction. A number of neurophysiological studies have documented the rapid post treatment EMDR therapy effects. EMDR Therapy strengthens your ability to work with your clients whether they are ready for EMDR reprocessing or not.
Basic EMDR therapy procedures, protocols and techniques including target development with the 8-phases and 3-Prong Protocol of EMDR Therapy
Client selection criteria for the safe use of EMDR Therapy with a wide range of diagnostic categories including PTSD, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. and how to use EMDR therapy to treat problems of daily life such as low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, loneliness, anxiety, depression and addictions
Introduction into the full range of applications of EMDR Therapy when working with children, addiction, acute trauma and PTSD to longer-term EMDR therapy for challenging clinical cases like complex trauma and dissociative disorders
Techniques for working with blocked processing and intense emotional reactions and effective case conceptualization
“I love seeing the changes that take place in their overall mental health. One of my clients particularly was so hyper focuses on the traumatic death of her son that she ended up addicted to zanax, spent 3 years in jail because of the addiction and lost all ability to feel pleasure with anything in her life. She’s doing well now and is amazed at how much EMDR helped her with the grief. It’s a great feeling to be a part of that process.”
1. Apply the underlying Adaptive Information Processing theory of EMDR Therapy and other theoretical, brain functioning, and research
2. Analyze the appropriateness of using EMDR Therapy with your patients
3. Describe a case from an EMDR Therapy and trauma viewpoint
4. Integrate EMDR Therapy into a comprehensive treatment plan
5. Develop skill in using all eight phases of the EMDR Therapy treatment method
6. Apply the target sequencing plan
7. Identify the three stage standard protocol
8. Identify, select, and develop appropriate target issues for use with an EMDR Therapy protocol safeguards
9. Identify soothing and grounding techniques
10. Identify techniques to teach patients to tolerate and modulate affect
11. Apply resource development and installation
12. Apply responses to certain resistances
13. Identify applications of EMDR Therapy to various patient problems
14. Recognize clinician limitations
15. Apply on-going supervision and case consultation
16. Identify special protocols to use with specific patient groups and specific patient problems
17. Identify additional techniques to handle looping, resistance and other problems
18. Identify therapeutic and cognitive interweaves
19. Apply applications of EMDR Therapy to dissociative, Axis II, and other disorders
20. Integrate EMDR Therapy into your current treatment approach
21. Identify safety issues
22. Discuss legal and ethical issues
23. Identify practitioner problems with the method
24. Demonstrate further practice with clients
25. Demonstrate proficiency in using the EMDR Therapy
Apply the underlying Adaptive Information Processing theory of EMDR Therapy and other theoretical, brain functioning, and research issues
Assess the appropriateness of using EMDR Therapy with your patients
Conceptualize a case from an EMDR Therapy and trauma viewpoint
Integrate EMDR Therapy into a comprehensive treatment plan
Develop skill in using all eight phases of the EMDR Therapy treatment method
Apply the target sequencing plan
Identify the three stage standard protocol
Identify, select, and develop appropriate target issues for use with an EMDR Therapy protocol safeguards
Identify soothing and grounding techniques
Identify techniques to teach patients to tolerate and modulate affect
Apply resource development and installation
Apply responses to certain resistances
Identify applications of EMDR Therapy to various patient problems
Be aware of Identify clinician limitations
Make use of on-going supervision and case consultation
Between the first and second parts of the course, and in order to continue to the second part, each participant will participate in a total of 4-6 hours of consultation
Identify special protocols to use with specific patient groups and specific patient problems
Identify additional techniques to handle looping, resistance and other problems
Identify therapeutic and cognitive interweaves
Identify applications of EMDR Therapy to dissociative, Axis II, and other disorders
Integrate EMDR Therapy into your current treatment approach
Be further cognizant of Identify safety issues
Consider legal, ethical issues
Identify practitioner problems with the method
Further practice with clients
Continue to make use of on-going supervision and case consultation with Instructor and with peers
Demonstrate proficiency in using the EMDR Therapy