My position is a unique one. I am an EMDRIA member, Certified Therapist, Consultant-in Training, and Regional Coordinator. I am also a supporter of PESI, having attended several of their workshops. Last year, aware of my experience as a continuing education facilitator, PESI offered to sponsor my course Demystifying EMDR, a psychoeducational, “try before you buy” seminar (I know that opinions on such seminars are mixed but I personally think they are valuable…another subject for another blog), and I accepted. Because of my dedication to EMDRIA, I declined to do EMDR training for PESI. However, I do not feel that we should immediately write them off or dismiss them as dangerous because they do not adhere to our way of doing things. Clinicians and clinical support systems out there have a genuine interest in EMDR, but their interests differ from those of us who support EMDRIA. PESI saw this, and as business people, responded to the consumer demand. Not every clinician out there can afford EMDRIA-approved training, even with HAP discount rates being offered for non-profits. Moreover, not every clinician is interested in spending the bulk of their time working with trauma…does this mean that they should be cut off from learning the parts of EMDR that may be relevant to them? Continue reading →