Three Mistakes I made After EMDR Training (and Three Things I Did Right)
When I first started using EMDR after basic training, I was both excited and nervous. Like many clinicians, I wanted to do it perfectly — and I definitely didn’t want to cause any harm to my clients. Looking back, I see clearly the mistakes I made early on, and also the things that set me up for success. I hope sharing them helps you feel less alone if you’re in the same spot.
Three Mistakes
1. Over-explaining the model
At first, I worried clients would think EMDR was “weird.” Out of my own insecurities, I leaned on clinical jargon to explain it in ways that only made things more complicated. What I eventually realized is that it’s important to stick to the EMDR scripts — they are often enough. Only offer additional explanations if a client is truly struggling to understand. Clients don’t need a lecture; they need clarity and reassurance. (This is something we cover in depth in my EMDR Certification Program where we look at simplifying explanations without losing fidelity.)
2. Moving too quickly into reprocessing
With some clients, jumping into reprocessing produced great results. But I didn’t yet realize how crucial it was to notice when clients had difficulty shifting their internal state. My first indicator that a client may need more time in Phase 2 is when they struggle to access positive emotions or use state change strategies like calming or grounding. If those skills aren’t there, reprocessing can feel unsafe or overwhelming. I learned that slowing down here is what allows clients to build the stability they need for deeper work later. (This is one of the key areas we practice together in my drop-in group consultation.)
3. Not tracking my own insecurities
I sometimes rushed into protocols or second-guessed myself because I was more focused on “getting it right” than on being attuned. Clients feel that. If I wasn’t fully grounded, they didn’t feel fully safe. Over time, I learned that being aware of my own nervous system — and giving myself permission to pause — was essential. When I slowed down, stayed present, and trusted the process, clients could sense that steadiness and lean into it.
Three Things I Did Right
1. Practicing with excitement and groundedness
Despite my nervousness, I was genuinely excited about the skills EMDR gave me. For the first time, I felt grounded in my approach — no longer pulling from multiple theories, but having a clear, structured way forward in therapy. That brought a sense of direction and forward movement that had been missing before.
Calming strategies became my safety net. They reminded me that even if something didn’t go as planned, I could always help a client return to their window of tolerance. The more clients I worked with, the more I began to notice patterns — similar struggles, similar blocks — and I grew more confident in how to respond. If you do EMDR often enough, you naturally start to feel more comfortable handling what comes up. This why it’s important to get started! (If you’re looking for accountability and structure in building confidence, the EMDR Certification Program provides that foundation.)
2. Studying the books and manuals closely
I spent a lot of time going back to my EMDR training materials, manuals, and Shapiro’s writings. They grounded me in the fidelity of the model and gave me confidence to stay aligned with the framework. Each time I reread a section, I caught details I had missed the first time, and I could apply them directly to my cases. That ongoing study made me more familiar with common challenges and more anchored in the method.
3. Seeking as much consultation as I could afford
I leaned on consultation heavily in my early EMDR work. Bringing cases into consultation allowed me to borrow the confidence and perspective of those with more experience. I could say, “Here’s where I feel stuck” and walk away with clear, practical steps. Each consultation not only improved my skills but also reassured me that struggling didn’t mean I was doing it wrong — it meant I was learning.
Final Reflection
It’s important to remember that we’re also not doing brain surgery where one wrong move can have drastic life changing consequences. This isn’t too diminish the care we should take in approaching the reprocessing phases. It is to provide reassurance that it will be okay to make mistakes along the way. And if you’d like help navigating those mistakes and growing your skills, consider scheduling a Discovery Call to see whether the EMDR Certification Program or drop-in group consultation might be a good fit for where you are now.
