Grow Your Confidence. Strengthen Your Clinical Skills. Deepen Your Impact.

Most therapists who complete EMDR training leave inspired.

They see the potential of the model. They understand the protocol. They feel hopeful about what it can do for their clients.

But once they return to the therapy room, something often happens.

• A case feels more complex than expected
• A client becomes stuck during reprocessing
• Dissociation appears unexpectedly
• A child struggles to stay engaged with the protocol
• Or the therapist begins wondering if they are doing the process correctly

EMDR is powerful. It is also nuanced.

The difference between knowing the protocol and feeling confident using it clinically often comes down to one thing.

Consultation.

EMDR consultation is where theory becomes clinical skill.

It is where therapists move from following the script to understanding the clinical decision-making behind the model

Consultation allows therapists to:

• think through complex trauma presentations
• refine case conceptualization
• strengthen preparation and stabilization strategies
• troubleshoot reprocessing blocks
• develop adaptations for children, adolescents, and neurodivergent clients

For many therapists, consultation becomes the place where their EMDR practice truly develops.

Many clinicians finish their basic EMDR training feeling both excited and uncertain.

They may wonder:

•  “Am I doing this right?”
• “What should I do when a client becomes overwhelmed?”
• “How do I adapt EMDR for children or play-based therapy?”
• “How do I move forward when reprocessing stalls?”
• “What do I do when a child shuts down or dissociates?”

You’re not alone.    And you don’t have to figure it out alone.   Without ongoing consultation, therapists often rely on trial and error.

Over time this can lead to:

• hesitation in using EMDR with complex trauma
• avoiding certain cases
• feeling unsure about clinical decisions

Consultation helps replace uncertainty with clarity.

Our EMDR consultation services are designed for therapists who work with children and adolescents and want deeper support applying EMDR in developmentally appropriate ways.

Working with younger clients often requires adapting the standard protocol. Children may communicate through play, behavior, or body language rather than words. Adolescents may struggle with trust, engagement, or emotional overwhelm. Consultation focuses on helping clinicians translate EMDR principles into approaches that fit the developmental needs of younger clients.

Consultation emphasizes practical clinical application, including:

• Case conceptualization through the Adaptive Information Processing model with child and adolescent cases
• Developmentally appropriate preparation and stabilization strategies
• Recognizing dissociation and shutdown responses in children and teens
• Structuring EMDR sessions when attention, regulation, or verbal processing is limited
• Integrating play therapy, creative expression, and sensory tools within EMDR
• Navigating family dynamics and caregiver involvement in treatment
• Troubleshooting reprocessing blocks that commonly appear with younger clients
• Ethical and responsible EMDR practice with minors

Therapists are encouraged to bring real cases, questions, and clinical challenges into the consultation space.

The goal is not simply to review the EMDR protocol.

The goal is to help clinicians develop the clinical thinking required to adapt EMDR thoughtfully for children and adolescents while maintaining fidelity to the model.

Group consultation brings together therapists who are using EMDR with children and adolescents to learn collaboratively. Participants present cases, discuss clinical questions, and explore how EMDR can be adapted for developmental stages, family dynamics, and play-based settings. The group setting allows therapists to hear how other clinicians approach similar challenges with each phase with younger clients.

What makes group consultation different is the collective learning that occurs through shared clinical experiences. Therapists benefit from hearing multiple perspectives, case examples, and creative adaptations used by other EMDR clinicians working with youth. Many participants discover that another therapist’s question often mirrors a challenge they have faced themselves. The group environment also helps clinicians feel less isolated while building confidence and competence in EMDR practice with children and adolescents.

EMDR training provides the structure of the model. Consultation is where therapists learn how to apply it when real children and families are sitting across from them. This consultation is designed for clinicians who recognize that working with children and adolescents brings unique clinical questions that are not always covered in basic training.

It may be especially valuable for:

Therapists working toward EMDR certification – Certification requires consultation hours, but the value goes beyond checking a box. Consultation helps therapists develop the clinical judgment that supports safe and effective trauma processing with younger clients. Many clinicians discover that these conversations change how they conceptualize cases and structure treatment planning.

Clinicians who recently completed EMDR basic training – The transition from training weekend to real clinical work can feel very different. Therapists often encounter moments where the protocol becomes less straightforward when a child cannot verbalize targets, becomes dysregulated quickly, or engages through play rather than words. Consultation provides a place to think through those moments before they become barriers to using EMDR confidently.

Therapists who feel hesitant when cases become complex – Children and adolescents rarely present with a single memory target. Many have layered trauma histories, attachment disruptions, family stressors, or neurodevelopmental differences. Consultation helps clinicians organize these cases, decide where to begin, and recognize when pacing or preparation needs to shift.

Clinicians who want to strengthen their EMDR work with younger clients – Working with children and adolescents often requires adapting EMDR while maintaining fidelity to the model. Consultation explores how to integrate play, creativity, movement, and caregiver involvement while still supporting effective reprocessing.

If you are interested in EMDR consultation, we would be glad to talk with you about your goals and where you are in your EMDR training.  Whether you are working toward certification or simply want additional clinical support, consultation can help you deepen your skills and confidence.

If you are interested in strengthening your EMDR work with children but are not quite ready to begin consultation, Pathways to Play offers another place to start. Inside the platform, clinicians have access to 25 EMDR-focused handouts, guides, and practical resources specifically designed for child and adolescent therapy. These materials translate EMDR concepts into tools that can be used in real sessions with younger clients, including preparation activities, child-friendly explanations of EMDR, and creative ways to support regulation and engagement. The platform also includes hundreds of additional child-friendly resources on coping skills, breathing, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and other therapeutic tools designed specifically for use with kids in session..

Many clinicians find that having structured resources available makes it easier to begin applying EMDR principles with children in a developmentally appropriate way. Instead of trying to adapt adult materials on your own, you have access to tools created with play therapy, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care in mind. Pathways to Play was built to support therapists who want practical ideas they can use immediately in the therapy room.

For clinicians who are still building confidence with EMDR and child therapy, Pathways to Play can be a helpful starting point before moving into formal consultation. It allows you to explore techniques, gather resources, and begin experimenting with adaptations in your sessions. When you are ready for deeper clinical discussion and case consultation, the transition into EMDR consultation often feels much more natural and productive.