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EMDR Basic Training
Learn EMDR properly, in a small group, with a teacher who makes sure nobody gets lost. Forty hours of live teaching and practice, plus ten hours of consultation built right in. Live and online, so you can join from anywhere.
- EMDRIA-approvedBasic Training
- 50 hours40 live + 10 consultation
- Two partsNext cohort: Spring 2027
- Live onlineOn Zoom, from anywhere
Who this is for
More of your clients are bringing trauma into the room.
You want to meet them with something that works, and you want to feel steady while you do it. EMDR is that something, and Basic Training is where it starts.
This training is for you if:
- You’re a licensed mental health professional, or you’re pre-licensed or a graduate student working under supervision.
- You keep meeting trauma in your caseload and want a proven, evidence-based way to treat it.
- You’d rather learn in a small group than a ballroom.
- You want someone in your corner while you try EMDR with your own clients, not just during class.
Not sure whether you qualify? Ask Kathleen. She’ll tell you straight.
How it works
Taught in two parts, with support in between.
Most trainings hand you everything at once. Here, you learn, you go use it with real clients, and you come back with questions.
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1
Part One
Weekend one, Thursday to Saturday
Twenty hours of teaching and guided practice. You’ll learn the protocols and practice them with a partner while someone experienced watches over your shoulder.
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2
In between
Ten hours of consultation
You start using EMDR with your own clients, and bring what happens back to consultation. This is where confidence is actually built, and it’s included in your cost.
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3
Part Two
Weekend two, about six weeks later
Twenty more hours, with the benefit of real practice behind you. You’ll ask sharper questions and get immediate feedback on the cases sitting on your desk.
What you’ll learn
The whole method, taught in order.
- The nature of trauma
- The Adaptive Information Processing model that informs trauma treatment
- How EMDR was developed
- The structured EMDR protocols you’ll use to prepare for and process trauma
- How EMDR helps clients process disturbing events from the past, the present, and the future
You’ll practice EMDR on each other in a safe, caring, well-supervised environment. Come prepared to experience the power of EMDR.
By the end, you will
- Know the basic EMDR protocols
- Have taken part in hands-on practicum sessions
- Have completed supervised consultation
- Receive an EMDRIA-endorsed Certificate of Completion
- Have a plan for bringing EMDR to your own clients
Next cohort
Dates & details
EMDR Basic Training
- Next cohort Spring 2027, dates coming soon
- Shape Two Thursday–Saturday weekends, about six weeks apart
- Between Ten hours of consultation, included
- Times Thursday & Friday 9:00–5:30, Saturday 9:00–4:30 (Eastern)
- Format Live online, on Zoom
- Cost $1,600 for AACC members, $1,750 for non-members (Fall 2026 pricing)
Basic Training is hosted with the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), and you register by application on their site. The Fall 2026 cohort is underway, and the next one begins in Spring 2027. Applications are reviewed weekly, and payment comes after you’re accepted. Seats are limited.
Your trainer
You’ll be taught by Kathleen.
Kathleen Fitzgerald is an EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Approved Consultant, certified in EFT, EFIT, EFFT and IFS. She’s been a therapist since 2001, and a teacher for longer than that, including more than ten years teaching health care professionals at Duke Medical Center.
She runs a room the way a good teacher does: organized, clear, packed with practice, and watchful enough that the quiet people get as much as the loud ones.
Read Kathleen’s story“I had the opportunity to complete EMDR Basic Training with Kathleen, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. I went into it not really even knowing what EMDR was but knowing it was effective, research based and something I wanted in my skill set. I left the training feeling encouraged, supported, excited and equipped to implement it with my clients and wanting to learn even more.”
“I had the opportunity to take the training as a graduate student and now working toward my EMDR certification. Without a doubt one of the best training courses I have received!”
Questions
Before you sign up
Do I have to be licensed?
You need to be a licensed mental health professional, or pre-licensed and working under supervision. Graduate students in qualifying programs are often eligible too. If you’re not sure where you fall, ask Kathleen before you register.
Is this the training EMDRIA requires?
Yes. This is an EMDRIA-approved Basic Training, and it’s the training you need before you can pursue EMDRIA Certification. When you finish, you’ll receive an EMDRIA-endorsed Certificate of Completion from Kathleen.
How do I register, and what does it cost?
Basic Training is hosted with the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). You apply on the AACC site, and the next cohort begins in Spring 2027. Applications are reviewed weekly, and you’ll hear back within a few business days. For Fall 2026 the cost was $1,600 for AACC members and $1,750 for non-members, covering all 40 training hours plus the 10 hours of consultation.
Is it online?
Yes. Every class and consultation session is live on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere. It’s not a recording: you’re learning and practicing together in real time.
Do I get continuing education credits?
Yes. The training carries 40 continuing education hours, issued through the AACC, which is an approved provider with NBCC (counselors) and ASWB (social workers). Check with your own licensing board if you’re unsure it applies to you.
Do I have to attend both parts?
Yes. The two parts and the consultation in between make one complete training, and the certificate depends on finishing all of it.
What happens in the consultation hours?
You bring your own cases. You’ll talk through what you tried, what got stuck, and what to do next, and you’ll get direct teaching and encouragement. Those ten hours are included in the cost of the training.
I’ve never done a practicum before. Is it uncomfortable?
You practice on each other, so yes, it’s personal. You choose what you bring, the groups are small and well supervised, and every practice session ends with a debrief so nobody leaves holding something alone.
What about certification after this?
Basic Training is step one. When you’re ready, Kathleen also provides the consultation hours required for EMDRIA Certification and for becoming an Approved Consultant.
Trauma work is hard. You don’t have to learn it alone.
The next cohort begins in Spring 2027. Ask Kathleen anything before you decide.
The Lavender Letter
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An occasional note from Kathleen with one EMDR teaching tip, upcoming training dates, and a little news from the garden. Seats are limited, and subscribers hear first.
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