By Jennifer Savage, LPC
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a powerful, research-backed framework for helping clients move from trauma to healing.
At Beyond Healing Institute, our Basic Training is designed not only to teach the eight-phase protocol, but also to transform the way clinicians show up in the therapy room. We began offering EMDR Basic Training in 2019, after years of integrating EMDR into our clinical practice and witnessing its profound impact. Following a pause in offerings between 2023 and 2025 to refine and strengthen our curriculum, we’ve returned with a renewed training experience.
Our decision to offer training for therapists was inspired by two core beliefs:
- Trauma-informed care must include a somatic and relational lens.
- Training should be a transformational experience, not just a requirement to check off on a to-do list.
Basic Training takes participants through the history and basic theory behind EMDR. Approved by EMDRIA and led by EMDRIA Approved Trainers and Consultants, our Basic Training course offers hands-on experience and in-depth consultations to help therapists integrate EMDR into practice.
If you’re a clinician seeking to deepen your trauma-informed practice, here’s what you can expect from this unique training experience.
Practical Skills and Personal Healing
Many therapists begin training expecting to learn about theory and a step-by-step protocol.
But our EMDRIA Approved Trainers offer something much deeper. Clinicians who complete our Basic Training course come away with increased emotional regulation, a stronger felt sense of presence, and a new understanding of what it means to hold space for pain.
Again and again, participants tell us, “I didn’t expect this to change me, but it did.” They’re surprised by how personally healing the process is, and how quickly EMDR begins to clarify their work with complex client presentations.
Science-Based Instruction Centered on Humanity
The 20-hour instructional portion of Basic Training presents the history of EMDR and lays the theoretical and practical foundation for future practice. Clinicians gain a comprehensive understanding of:
- The Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model
- The eight-phase EMDR protocol
- How to assess client readiness
- Target memory identification
- Ethical and clinical considerations
This training goes well beyond theory. We also explore important practical considerations for navigating reprocessing sessions, including how to build nervous system safety and promote trust. Clinicians will be equipped to bring a trauma-informed lens to every aspect of the therapeutic relationship.
Skill-Building Practicum
Our 20-hour practicum is where learning comes alive through hands-on work.
Participants form triads, rotating through roles as therapist, client, and observer. This format provides an in-depth experience of EMDR from every angle. Each group learns under the guidance of an EMDRIA Approved Consultant who provides feedback on protocol fidelity, bilateral stimulation, attunement and pacing, and therapist presence for addressing client needs.
At Beyond Healing Institute, we emphasize learning through experience in a space where making mistakes is not only allowed, but welcomed. The practicum is not just about building skills, it’s about embodying them.
Collaborative and Supportive Consultation
Basic Training participants engage in 10 hours of consultation, both in groups and one-on-one. At Beyond Healing Institute, consultations are rich, collaborative spaces where participants can explore EMDR protocol and theory in greater depth.
Group Consultation
In group consultation, participants bring real client cases and questions, and we walk through them together using both the EMDR protocol and the SIP (Somatic Integration and Processing) model. The relationships between participants often feel like a supportive cohort, with a strong sense of shared learning.
Individual Consultation
Individual consultations allow for even deeper personal reflection and clinical guidance. Across the board, our consultants prioritize connection, clarity, and ongoing growth for clinicians. We move beyond mere technical competence, to build a stronger, more flexible clinical confidence.
Who Should Sign Up?
At Beyond Healing Institute, our EMDR Basic Training is ideal for:
- Licensed or pre-licensed clinicians in mental health fields
- Graduate students in mental health programs who have completed core coursework
- Clinicians interested in somatic, relational, and trauma-informed approaches
Participants must meet EMDRIA eligibility requirements to enroll. Successful completion of Basic Training qualifies clinicians to begin the process toward EMDRIA Certification.
If you’re ready to deepen your clinical work, build your capacity for presence, and learn to hold space for transformative healing, we invite you to join us. We believe that learning to practice EMDR is not just about mastering a protocol, it’s about becoming the kind of therapist who can hold space for deep healing.
Our training is rigorous, experiential, and deeply human. When you register, you’re not just signing up for a course, you’re stepping into a community of clinicians committed to growth, embodiment, and relational healing.
For those ready for EMDR BasicTraining, we invite you to register online. If you have questions, you may also contact us online or give us a call at 417-942-7364.