You arrive at an EMDR training—perhaps with curiosity, hesitation, or simply the sense that it’s time for something new. Maybe you’ve read about EMDR Therapy, experienced it as a client, or heard it mentioned briefly in graduate school. Whatever your path, here you are.
In person, there are name tents and a fresh manual waiting for your notes. Online, you have your materials printed, a cup of coffee nearby, and the hope that the day will be uninterrupted so you can truly focus.
Slowly, the room settles.
And the training begins.
You start with the foundations—the history of EMDR Therapy and the structure of the protocols. For some, this feels grounding and familiar; for others, awkward or uncertain. Both experiences are welcome. Growth in this work rarely starts with confidence—it begins with willingness.
As the training unfolds, something gradually becomes clear: this is not a passive learning experience. At CompassionWorks, the training is shaped not only by the material, but by the people in the room. You are invited into active participation as part of a shared learning process. Together, the group creates the tone, the safety, and the culture that allow the work to deepen.
Over time, the roles begin to shift. One moment you are the learner, absorbing information; the next, you are the clinician practicing skills; and later, you step into the role of client during practice sessions. Some participants choose to volunteer for live demonstrations—offering a real stress point from their lives so others can learn. These moments are never about performance; they are about presence. They remind everyone that therapy is not theoretical—it is lived.
This is often where transformation takes root. It happens quietly, as you release the need to be perfect and begin to trust the process rather than control it. You notice what it feels like to hold therapeutic space for someone else, and what it feels like when the group holds that space for you. EMDR training becomes not just something you learn, but something you experience.
Many clinicians describe a subtle internal shift—a softening, an insight, a belief that updates in real time. It is the moment when EMDR moves from being a protocol to being a possibility. You are still learning a clinical method, of course, but something deeper is also happening: a reminder that healing is possible not only for clients, but for clinicians as well.
At CompassionWorks, this is the heart of our approach. Training is not just professional development; it is compassion in action. It is a place where curiosity replaces performance, where community replaces isolation, and where no one is expected to arrive fully prepared.
You don’t have to know everything—you just have to be open.
By the end of the training, most participants don’t leave with complete mastery—none of us ever do. But they leave changed. More grounded. More connected to their work, to themselves, and to a community that understands the courage it takes to do this work.
And that is what makes EMDR training transformative.
Not simply what you learn, but who you become while learning it.
Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.
Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.
Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy.
Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy.
Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.
Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.
