How to Find a Qualified EMDR Therapist (and What to Ask Before You Start)
Starting EMDR therapy can feel hopeful—and a little overwhelming.
Once the decision is made to explore EMDR, the next question often becomes: How do you actually find a therapist who’s qualified, experienced, and a good fit?
Not all EMDR therapists have the same level of training, and knowing what to look for—and what to ask—can make the process feel more grounded and less confusing. Taking time to understand credentials, experience, and approach can help set the foundation for a safer, more supportive therapy experience from the beginning.
Table of Contents
Why EMDR Training and Experience Matter
Understanding EMDR Training Levels
Questions to Ask Before Starting EMDR Therapy
Where to Find an EMDR Therapist
Choosing the Right EMDR Therapist
Why EMDR Training and Experience Matter
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a specialized approach that works directly with how the brain and nervous system process experiences. Because of this, the therapist’s training and experience matter in a meaningful way. EMDR isn’t something that can be applied casually or layered onto therapy without proper preparation.
A therapist who is trained in EMDR understands not only the structure of the therapy, but how to recognize when the nervous system is ready for processing, how to pace the work, and how to respond if things feel intense, overwhelming, or stuck. This training helps ensure that EMDR is used thoughtfully rather than mechanically.
Experience also matters because EMDR can look different depending on what someone is working through. Panic, trauma, anxiety, or distress may show up through thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or a mix of all three. A therapist with EMDR experience is better able to notice these patterns and adapt the work accordingly, rather than forcing the process into a rigid format.
Choosing a therapist with appropriate EMDR training and experience isn’t about finding someone perfect. It’s about working with someone who understands the complexity of the nervous system and knows how to guide the process with care and flexibility.
Understanding EMDR Training Levels
One of the most confusing parts of finding an EMDR therapist is understanding what different training titles actually mean. Terms like EMDR-trained, EMDRIA Certified Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, or EMDR Trainer can sound similar, but they reflect different levels of training and experience.
An EMDR-trained therapist has completed the foundational EMDR training approved by the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). This includes both instructional training and supervised consultation. This is the minimum level required to provide EMDR therapy.
An EMDRIA Certified Therapist has completed additional requirements beyond basic training, including advanced consultation hours, extensive experience providing EMDR, and ongoing continuing education. Certification reflects a deeper level of skill, experience, and commitment to EMDR practice.
An EMDRIA Approved Consultant has met higher standards and is qualified to provide consultation to other EMDR therapists. Consultants have significant experience with EMDR and are trained to support clinicians in refining their work, particularly with more complex or longstanding presentations.
EMDR Trainers are clinicians approved by EMDRIA to teach EMDR therapy to other therapists. Trainers have extensive experience with EMDR and have completed additional preparation to train and mentor clinicians learning the model.
Understanding these distinctions can help clarify what level of experience feels right for your needs. While higher credentials don’t automatically guarantee a better personal fit, they can offer reassurance—especially when working with complex trauma, panic, or long-standing nervous system symptoms.
Questions to Ask Before Starting EMDR Therapy
It’s okay—and encouraged—to ask questions before beginning EMDR. A qualified therapist should be open to discussing their training, experience, and approach in a way that feels transparent and respectful.
You might consider asking:
“What level of EMDR training have you completed?”
“Are you EMDRIA Certified or an EMDRIA Approved Consultant?”
“How often do you use EMDR in your practice?”
“What types of concerns do you most commonly treat with EMDR?”
“How do you approach EMDR when strong emotions or physical sensations come up?”
“How do you decide when someone is ready for EMDR processing?”
These questions aren’t about testing the therapist. They’re about helping you feel informed and comfortable. The way someone responds—whether they welcome curiosity, explain things clearly, and respect your questions—can matter just as much as the answers themselves.
Where to Find an EMDR Therapist
One of the most reliable places to search for an EMDR therapist is the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) therapist directory. This directory lists clinicians who have completed EMDR-approved training and allows you to filter by location, specialization, and level of certification.
Referrals from trusted healthcare providers, therapists, or people who have had positive experiences with EMDR can also be helpful. Reading therapist profiles carefully can give insight into their approach, values, and areas of focus. Finding an EMDR therapist may take some time, and that’s okay. Therapy is a personal process, and it’s reasonable to look for someone whose experience and style feel aligned with what you’re hoping for.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right EMDR therapist isn’t about getting it perfect on the first try. It’s about choosing someone who feels knowledgeable, transparent, and respectful of your experience.
It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to take your time. And it’s okay to keep looking if something doesn’t feel quite right. EMDR can be a powerful and supportive therapy when guided by the right person, and taking the time to find that fit can make a meaningful difference.
Until next time, don’t forget to take care of yourself.
— Catherine Alvarado, LMFT
About the Author
Catherine Alvarado, LMFT 134744, is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant based in Redondo Beach, California, offering individual therapy to teens and adults through South Bay Psychotherapy & EMDR. She also co-owns Eunoia Wellness Studio, a collaborative space in Redondo Beach created to support holistic care. Her work attends to the thinking mind alongside emotional and bodily experience, with attention to how stress and life experiences are carried in the nervous system.
Catherine specializes in EMDR therapy and works with individuals navigating anxiety, panic, trauma, and patterns that feel difficult to shift, even with insight. EMDR is one part of a broader approach that helps connect past experiences with what shows up in the present, supporting greater ease, safety, and self-trust over time.
Her work is relational and reflective, often blending EMDR with somatic awareness and gentle exploration of inner experience. Therapy is approached as a space to slow things down, get curious, and build a more steady, trusting relationship with oneself.
She practices in Redondo Beach and offers both in-person and online therapy.
