EMDR Certification Pathway
The EMDR Certification Pathway is a structured 10-month consultation program for licensed clinicians who have completed an EMDRIA Approved Basic Training and are ready to get serious about becoming an EMDRIA Certified Therapist.
The opportunity
Most clinicians who complete EMDR Basic Training leave with real momentum. They're excited about the work, they're starting to use EMDR with clients, and they have a clear goal: get certified. But the path from Basic Training to certification is less clear than it should be. You need 20 consultation hours with an approved consultant, 12 EMDRIA CE credits, and letters of recommendation, all while actively seeing EMDR clients. For most clinicians, pulling this together alone takes far longer than it needs to, not because they aren't ready, but because there's no structure holding it all together.
The EMDR Certification Pathway was built to provide that structure.
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What the program is
The EMDR Certification Pathway is a small-cohort consultation program offered through Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies. Starting in January 2027, a group of eight clinicians (split into two groups of four) will work with Dr. Pria Alpern and her trained Consultants in Training over ten months to meet the full EMDRIA certification consultation requirement and prepare a complete certification application.
The program is built around active, case-based consultation rather than lectures or passive learning. Each month you bring real clinical material, present your cases, and receive focused feedback on your conceptualization, treatment planning, and clinical decision-making — inside a small group of peers who are on the same journey.
What's included
Every month, your group of four meets virtually with Dr. Alpern for two hours of structured case consultation. Each participant presents a current EMDR case and receives individualized feedback on case conceptualization, treatment planning, target sequencing, and clinical decision-making. Each session generates 30 minutes of individual consultation time and 90 minutes of group time per participant — accrued within the group setting per EMDRIA standards. Group A: 1st Wednesday · 3:00–5:00pm ET. Group B: 3rd Wednesday · 3:00–5:00pm ET.
Each month, your group also meets virtually with a Consultant in Training supervised by Dr. Alpern for an additional two-hour consultation session. This second monthly session gives you the full breadth of consultation experience EMDRIA requires — different perspectives, consistent structure, and more time with your cases. Group A: 2nd Friday · 12:00–2:00pm ET. Group B: 4th Friday · 12:00–2:00pm ET.
Over ten months, you will accumulate 20 consultation hours.Total: 20 hours (10 individual + 10+ group) This meets the complete EMDRIA consultation requirement for certification. Your hour tracking template is provided at onboarding and maintained throughout the program.
Your tuition includes MCTS membership active from January 2027 through January 2028. Membership gives you access to the MCTS CE library (including EMDRIA-approved on-demand courses that count toward your 12 required CE credits) as well as our resource library, monthly trauma study groups, EMDR Office Hours consultation, private therapist community, therapist directory listing, and the MCTS mobile app.
Upon successful completion of the program, Dr. Alpern will issue a letter of recommendation for your EMDRIA Certified Therapist application. This is one of the required elements of the certification application and cannot be obtained without working directly with an EMDRIA Approved Consultant.
Dr. Alpern and the MCTS team will guide you through the certification application process, helping you understand what to submit, when to submit it, and how to present your clinical work.
Who this is for
This program is not the right fit if you have not yet completed a Basic Training, if you are not currently using EMDR with clients, or if you are looking for a passive CE experience.
EMDRIA certification requirements
The EMDRIA Certified Therapist credential requires:
| Requirement | Who provides it |
|---|---|
| 1. Completion of an EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training | You bring this |
| 2. Current, full independent license | You bring this |
| 3. Notarized statement confirming 2+ years experience and 50+ EMDR sessions with 25+ clients | You accumulate this |
| 4. 20 consultation hours (10 individual + 10 group) | This program provides this |
| 5. Letter of recommendation from an EMDRIA Approved Consultant | This program provides this |
| 6. Two peer letters of recommendation | You arrange these |
| 7. 12 EMDRIA CE credits post-training | Membership supports this |
| 8. Agreement to EMDRIA Policies | With application |
This program directly fulfills requirements 4 and 5, and your included MCTS membership supports requirement 7. You are responsible for meeting all other requirements independently.
The schedule
Payment plans available on a case-by-case basis. Contact info@manhattancenterfortraumastudies.com to discuss.
About
Dr. Pria Alpern, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City specializing in trauma, PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation, and perinatal and reproductive trauma. She is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and EMDRIA Approved Trainer, and the founder of Manhattan Center for Trauma Studies and Center Psychology Group.
Dr. Alpern has trained hundreds of clinicians in EMDR therapy and has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Vox, and Glamour UK. The EMDR Certification Pathway reflects her commitment to ensuring that every EMDR clinician she trains has the support, structure, and community to practice with confidence and integrity.
Application process
Applications for the January 2027 cohort are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited for a 30-minute virtual interview with Dr. Alpern. Cohort size is intentionally small — four participants per group, eight total.
FAQ
January 2027 Cohort
Applications for the January 2027 cohort open October 1, 2026. Cohort size is limited. If this program is calling to you, we encourage you to apply early.
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