Here's What EMDRIA's New Consultant Standards Mean for YOU! | EMDR Consultation Corner: Resources, News, and Support

The EMDR International Association just announced a new look, but the changes at our accreditation body don't end there.

They've also finished detailing their consultee training standards over the past few weeks.

Below, I'll summarize the most important training changes you need to know right now.

You can review EMDRIA’s videos, documents, and branding assets in detail when you have the opportunity, but since that includes multiple hours of videos, here’s a one-sheet summary to point you in the right direction.

The Changes: EMDRIA prioritized an overhaul of the Consultant Standards, focusing first on Consultants-in-Training (CITs)

The application for a CIT to become an Approved Consultant (AC) has been updated with these new requirements:

• CITs must practice EMDR for at least one year after submitting their CIT declaration. 

• CITs must provide at least 15 total hours of consultation.

• CITs no longer have to find a notary to sign off on their practice declaration.

• 10 "consultation-of-consultation" hours must occur in a 1:1 setting. The other 10 can be individual, group, or both. 

• CITs will be required to take two specific Continuing Education courses on consultation, presented by EMDRIA. As of April 2026, these trainings have yet to go live.

But the biggest changes are in the way CITs will be evaluated.

Prior to 2026, CITs were evaluated on their professionalism, understanding, and adherence to the 8-Phase protocol. This evaluation has been turned into a rubric and expanded to include: 

Foundational (Interpersonal) Competencies: Can the CIT build alliance with and be kind and thoughtful to the identity, culture, and needs of the consultee?

Knowledge: Does the CIT have a functional understanding of general therapeutic information, trauma-informed care, EMDR basics, and EMDR modifications?

Skills: Does the CIT know how to use this knowledge with the purpose of helping their consultees treat their clients?

Attitudes: Does the CIT have enough interpersonal and self-awareness to be a positive example and a lifelong learner?

To be fair, many Approved Consultants were already taking these additional qualities into consideration when writing their recommendation letters for CITs.

It wouldn’t surprise me if communication about these expectations wasn’t consistently communicated to the CITs in advance, and that was becoming a problem of mismatched expectations when AC recommendation letters were being written. 

Which brings us to the 3rd major change in Consultant standards: 

Prior to 2026, CITs were rated/recommended with a letter from their AC(s). That letter also included their hours, but other than those 2 requirements, recommendation letters could vary widely and were written by the AC. 

Moving forward, ACs will use an official form, called the VER form, to submit their final CIT evaluation to EMDRIA.

ACs may also use the form to communicate expectations at the beginning of the consultation-of-consultation relationship, and for periodic conversations around performance and progress. 

Ideally, this will keep ACs and CITs on the same page at every step of the consultation-of-consultation process.

Here's what the new training standards for the EMDR International Association mean for you, at every step of your EMDR practice.

For EMDRIA-Approved Consultants

The CIT standards have become clearer. They have clarified:

• Our expected roles as ACs and

• A rubric to communicate about CIT readiness

If you only have 10 minutes: 

The most important thing Approved Consultants can do right now is download the VER form and familiarize yourself with it before your next CIT encounter. Here’s the direct link to the VER form:  https://www.emdria.org/resource/cit-verification-evaluation-and-recommendation-ver-form/

You can still train and evaluate your CITs with the old method through the end of the year, but if your CIT wants to discuss the new standards, the VER form will be a useful guide.

When you can clear an hour:  

Download and read the documents from EMDRIA informational Sessions, and watch the presentations when you can. You have until December 31, 2026 to bring all of your consultation arrangements (individual and group) into compliance. 

For EMDRIA Consultants-In-Training

IF you declared your CIT status before 2026 and you apply for AC status before 2027, you can choose to apply for under the old standards OR the new ones. But if you wait until 2027 to submit your AC application, you will be evaluated by the new standards. 

If you declare your CIT status in 2026 or after, you will need to qualify for AC status under the new standards.

Here’s a direct link to find the applications under the old AND the new standards (note, the new application isn’t up at the time of this writing): https://www.emdria.org/emdr-training/emdr-consultant/

For EMDR-Trained and EMDRIA-Certified Clinicians

Your consultant has a much more detailed understanding of what they are expected to be able to do for you. 

You should expect your Consultant or Consultant-in-Training (CIT) to be able to discuss your training goals, your individual strengths and needs, and your progress, along with 8-phase EMDR application. 

If you’re not getting that, you can collaborate to clarify these expectations with your Consultant or CIT, or you ask your CIT to involve their Approved Consultant for assistance.

If that’s not working for you, EMDRIA’s “Find A Therapist” directory allows you to filter therapists by consultant status, and find another consultant. 

If you're thinking about training in EMDR

The path to getting your initial EMDR skillset is unchanged to date! 

An EMDRIA-Approved Basic EMDR training will include at least 10 hours of group or individual consultation, so that you can implement what you’ve learned and get help right away. 

Because consultation is essential to your success with EMDR, EMDRIA periodically reviews the quality of the consultation experience.

You should always check to see if your EMDR training is approved by EMDRIA. Of course, you can still get a ton of value from non-EMDRIA trainings. But clinicians often discover a desire to work with and contribute to the training of other EMDR clinicians in the future. Starting off with a working knowledge of the foundational 8 phases makes this work much much easier, and gives you a foundation to explore the many daughter-protocols that branch from the EMDR tree.

I offer case consultation and consultation-of-consultation for EMDR therapists and consultants. As you develop your own EMDR practice, training plan, and consultation skills, I'd love to help! Book a quick intro call on my calendar and let’s get acquainted!