Counselors who work with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

What EMDR Is and the Principles Behind It

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly called EMDR, is a structured approach that practitioners use to help clients reprocess disturbing memories and the emotions attached to them. The model rests on the idea that upsetting experiences can become stuck in memory networks and that carefully guided bilateral stimulation - often through side-to-side eye movements, taps, or sounds - can support the brain in integrating those memories in a less distressing way. EMDR is described through an eight-phase framework that starts with history taking and safety planning, and moves through targeted reprocessing and follow-up. Practitioners orient to the target memory, the associated negative belief, and a preferred positive belief to guide the process.

Because this directory lists licensed professional counselors - professionals who hold LPC, LPCC, or LCPC credentials depending on state rules - it is useful to remember that EMDR is one approach among many that a counselor might list. The license itself represents a standardized set of academic and supervised requirements rather than a specific modality. Counselors who list EMDR among their approaches typically integrate it into a broader, person-centered practice that pays attention to current functioning, coping goals, and overall wellness.

What Issues EMDR Is Commonly Used For

EMDR is most often associated with work on trauma-related memories and the intrusive thoughts or intense emotions they can produce. Many counselors list EMDR as an approach for people who are coping with memories of accidents, assaults, medical trauma, or other events that continue to provoke distress. In practice, counselors also describe using EMDR with anxiety-related problems, phobias, panic symptoms, complicated grief, and certain performance anxieties where vivid distressing memories or images play a central role.

Because licensed professional counselors emphasize functioning and goals as part of their training, you will often find that a counselor who uses EMDR situates it within a broader plan that addresses daily coping, relationship patterns, and future-oriented skills. That means EMDR may be paired with strategies to reduce current symptoms, build resilience, and strengthen problem-solving. If you have ongoing medical or substance-related concerns, counselors will consider those factors when discussing whether reprocessing work is appropriate as part of your care.

What a Typical EMDR Session Looks Like

A typical EMDR-informed course of work begins with assessment and preparation. In early sessions you can expect a counselor to gather a clinical history, clarify the specific memories or images to address, and talk through what you want to achieve. The counselor will also spend time teaching grounding and stabilization skills so you have ways to manage strong emotional or physiological reactions between sessions. This preparatory work is central to the EMDR framework and to responsible counseling practice.

During reprocessing phases, you will be asked to hold the target memory or thought in mind while following a form of bilateral stimulation. That may be side-to-side eye movements, alternated taps, or auditory cues. The counselor will check in regularly as you notice shifts in thoughts, images, emotions, or bodily sensations, and the process repeats in sets until the distress associated with the memory lessens or changes in quality. Sessions typically include a closure component to ensure you leave with strategies to regulate if needed, and later sessions will reevaluate whether the reprocessing goals have been met and what next steps are helpful.

How EMDR Differs from Other Common Approaches

EMDR differs from talk-only approaches in that it explicitly incorporates bilateral stimulation and a structured reprocessing sequence aimed at changing how memories are stored and experienced. Other common approaches that licensed professional counselors might use include cognitive-behavioral strategies that focus on identifying and modifying thought patterns or skills-based therapies that teach coping and behavioral experiments. While those approaches often emphasize present-focused skill building and cognitive restructuring, EMDR places greater emphasis on targeted memory reprocessing alongside stabilization and future-oriented planning.

Another distinction relates to counselor training and practice orientation. Licensed professional counselors are trained with a wellness and developmental emphasis that begins with how you are functioning now and what you want to work toward, rather than starting solely from diagnosis. That perspective means EMDR, when included, is typically woven into a broader treatment plan that addresses practical goals, daily functioning, and strengths. If you are comparing approaches, consider how each one aligns with your goals for symptom relief, skill building, and long-term coping.

Who Is a Good Candidate for EMDR and How to Find the Right Counselor

EMDR may be a good option if you experience distressing memories or repeated intrusive images that interfere with daily life and if you are interested in an approach that directly targets how those memories are processed. It is not a one-size-fits-all method, and counselors will evaluate whether it fits your current circumstances, including your emotional stability, co-occurring health concerns, and support system. If you have complex or ongoing medical or psychiatric conditions, a counselor may coordinate with other professionals to determine a safe, appropriate plan for reprocessing work.

When searching for a counselor who lists EMDR among their approaches, there are practical details to weigh. Look for counselors who hold the state license relevant to your area - LPC, LPCC, or LCPC - and note the variation in titles across states. For example, the credential is called LPCC in some states such as Ohio, California, Kentucky, and Minnesota, and LCPC in states such as Illinois, Maryland, and Montana. In certain states both LPC and LPCC titles exist at different stages of licensure; in those places the naming reflects state-specific licensing pathways rather than a comment on skill or ability. Licensure always requires a master’s degree in counseling, a state-set period of supervised postgraduate clinical experience commonly running two to three years and several thousand hours, and passage of a national examination, with a state board issuing and renewing the credential.

To choose a counselor, focus on the information they provide about their approaches, typical presenting concerns they work with, languages they speak, and years of professional experience. Read practitioner profiles to understand how they describe their emphasis and goals in sessions. You may also want to consider whether you prefer counselors who describe an integrated approach that pairs EMDR with skill-based work, or those who emphasize a phased model of preparation and reprocessing. Remember that the listing in this directory indicates the counselor holds a relevant state license and lists EMDR among their approaches, but the listing is not an independent verification of specific certifications in any modality.

Final Considerations

EMDR can form part of a wider counseling plan that prioritizes your functioning, strengths, and personal goals. As you read profiles and learn more about counselors who list EMDR among their approaches, keep in mind the licensing distinctions and the training background that LPC, LPCC, and LCPC credentials represent. Thoughtful preparation, clear goals, and an open conversation about what you hope to change will help you determine whether EMDR fits into the plan you and a counselor would create together.