Become a Fully Certified EMDR Practitioner!

In Just Two Weekends!

WHEN?:  Weekend of: 30th/31st May & 6th/7th June 2026.

WHERE?: - Oriental House, 5, St Andrew Street North, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. IP33 1TZ 

Are you ready to become a certified EMDR practitioner and bring transformative trauma treatment into your practice?

We are so excited to announce our Live EMDR training in Suffolk using real clients. The feedback from delegates says the warmth, relaxed feel of the training adds to the sense of security and safety needed when delivering 8 weeks of therapy into 2 days! 

It's INTENSE!!  For you, and the client, BUT! sooooooooo magical, empowering and life changing!! That was what our last clients and delegates said when they attended our EMDR training event.

You do NOT have to be part of any Voluntary Membership Club or be Accredited to learn EMDR or to attend our training!

You will receive our comprehensive Part 1 (Protocol/Theory) online 2 weeks before the event. This is to ensure you arrive with the Protocol fresh in your mind. The Live Training counts for a big chunk of Part 2  (Practice & Supervision) in 4 full days. 

Once you have completed the 4 day training you will have some further online modules to complete before submitting one case study (your first client when you return to work) and having a 30 minute supervision call. You will then gain assess to Part 3 which is all the Advanced stuff! (it's a lot of learning, so needs to be spread in this way)
You will leave the Live Training with an attendance certificate to allow you to practice, your Diploma certificate will arrive in the post once you have completed the online Part 3 modules. This Diploma can literally be completed in weeks rather than months and years.

This unique training event is designed for counsellors who want to introduce EMDR into their work and fast-track their training which will leave them fully competent and confident to incorporate EMDR into their work immediately. You'll practice on real clients bought in especially for this training, with real issues that are common to our therapy room and that EMDR can help with, so no need to produce all the case studies (6) needed for the EMDR online training version, this event gives you hands-on experience, on hand guidance and supervision and will boost your confidence to incorporate EMDR into your practice immediately.


Why This Training event is Different:

  • You don’t need to be part of any membership club or accredited by voluntary organisations to access this training! Here at The Counselling Academy, we believe in inclusivity and making advanced training accessible to ALL qualified working counsellors and mental health workers.
  • We do require that you hold a minimum of a Level 4 Diploma in Counselling or above - OR equivalent, OR someone who has a wealth of work experience in a Counselling environment as our courses focus on building specialist skills, not on covering the basics, we can also train other health professional in EMDR,  please contact us directly.
  • We also require that you have completed at least 100 supervised Client hours or equivalent in your profession before considering this training.
  • I will personally demonstrate a live EMDR session with a volunteer to show how easy and powerful the process is. You will also practice with a peer before you work within a small group with a client on Day 2&3.
  • By using real clients with real issues as replacement case studies, you’ll leave fully competent and ready to use EMDR in your practice. You will be peer supervised and guided by the trainer with de-briefing sessions during the practice so this training event accelerates your learning and the certification process as opposed to the online only version.
  • Insurance companies (i.e. Holistic etc) accept The Counselling Academy CPD's and Diploma's for Counsellors.


What's Included in the training:

  • Part 1: You’ll learn the complete EMDR protocol, as developed by Francine Shapiro and used in clinical practice for over 30 years. Our step-by-step Online self paced training will ensure you're confident in the 8 phases of EMDR.
  • Part 2: Live practice sessions using real-life clients providing you with the experience and supervision you need to gain your Diploma quickly.
  • Lifetime access to our Facebook support group, exclusive to students, where you’ll get peer support, peer supervision groups and ongoing peer supervision opportunities.
  • Plus, enjoy a provided for lunch and socialising/networking with peers for 4 days 


Why Choose Our Course?

  • We’re passionate about equality in the counselling profession, and we actively challenge the elitist gatekeeping often seen in EMDR training. This course is based on my own extensive experience with EMDR since 2019, offering a comprehensive toolkit for any counsellor. 
  • No other EMDR training facilitates learning like we do.  This course is not only unique in its delivery style but contains so much more content then any other EMDR course out there where you have to constantly pay for extra material that we include as standard!
  • You’ll have lifetime access to all course materials, ensuring you can return and refresh your knowledge whenever you need to.
  • As an extra bonus we now include how to incorporate Breathwork to ensure you are looked after, after an intensive 2 days client practice and see the benefit of breathwork to your client after EMDR.
  • You will also have access to Part 3 as soon as you complete the remaining online module of Part 2 (about 5 hrs) upon returning home, submit your first client case study that you use EMDR on and have a 30 min supervision call.
  • Whether you're part of a membership club or not, this training is for every mental health practitioner or counsellor looking to grow their practice and incorporate EMDR into their work.


Please read our information on our main 'Online Version' EMDR course HERE which explains more about why you do not need to be a member of a voluntary membership club to learn this modality.

Don't miss this opportunity to become fully certified to practice in just 4 days, surrounded by like-minded professionals and secure settings. Return home with the confidence to integrate EMDR into your client work immediately. 

We do ask, that before you book a place on this event that you yourself, are able to regulate your emotions, reactions and responses on the training event, as it's a very intense 4 days. The nature of the subject means it can bring up lots of 'light bulb' moments about your own life and trauma you've not fully processed yet - as talking therapy will only help so far!

From previous events we have witnessed some reactions that were not expected from working therapists embarking on trauma healing training which takes up time from the rest of the group and the trainer. You will also get to practice with a peer which means you will need to find a subject to personally work on and process.

If in doubt - give me one of us a shout on WhatsApp - Sharon on +44 7908 005036 or Esjai - +44 7966 409894


Costs:



Our EMDR events are DAY PASS only, you will need to book your own accommodation if you don't live close. 


This 4 day event is just £1797.00 (this includes £600 non refundable deposit. Our refund policy is at the bottom of the page)


Payment Plan:
You can choose to pay by monthly instalments if the option is still showing - Full payment is required 6 weeks before the event date, so if there 6 weeks or less to the event then we can not offer a payment plan option. 



Additional Benefits:


• A set of EMDRKit Pulsators: Every delegate takes home a new set of EMDRKit Pulsators (worth £290), an EMDR bag, EMDR note book and pen


• Added Supervision Call: Receive a mandatory supervision call for your first client (which will be the basis of your one case study) to help you integrate what you’ve learned to gain access to the final Part 3 - Advanced EMDR!


• Supportive Peer Group: Join our private Facebook group for ongoing support from therapists peers who are also incorporating EMDR into their practices. This group will provide a space for questions, case studies, and continued learning.


• Peer Group Supervision: We offer monthly low cost peer group supervision (£30), ensuring you are fully supported going forward.


• 1-2-1 Supervision: Book ad-hoc 1-2-1 supervision via your dashboard at anytime (£80).


More Information:

Training starts 9am sharp on Day 1  please arrive at 8.30am - finishes Day 4 at 5.30pm (with smaller groups we sometimes finish slightly earlier on the last day). We recommend you book accommodation from the evening before Day 1 if you need to stay over so there are no issues with starting on time.

Current availability:

Our 2025 events (4 of them) sold out very quickly - we are limited to 12 Delegates in total per event.

Accessibility information:

If you have disability issues, please reach out to us first before booking a place to ensure we can accommodate your needs. Call Sharon on +44 7908 005036 to discuss.

Diet:

We supply a healthy lunch, usually buffet salad and jacket potatoes which covers most dietary needs. We don't encourage sugary foods during the day so delegates don't suffer sugar crashes whilst learning. Please avoid bringing carb/sugary snacks as we need everyone fully present as the course is intense.


What's included?

  • A healthy lunch, tea/coffee and refreshments.

  • Lifetime Access to our online elements of the course - Part 1, 2 & 3

  • Two full days practice of EMDR with real clients, learning as you practice and watch.

  • An Attendance Certificate with CPD hrs

  • Good company in comfortable training surroundings.

What's NOT included:

  • Transport to the venue - Bury St Edmunds Train station is just a 4 min taxi ride or a 12 minute walk to the venue.

  • Accommodation - Please use the postcode IP33 1TZ to find local accommodation.

Investment & Payment Plans

Only 12 Day Delegates places available so don't delay, price includes a set of EMDR pulsators, a bag, The Counselling Academy EMDR Note Book and Pen.

EMDR Instructor & Supervisor

Certified EMDR Trainer Sharon Riches

Sharon is a certified Counselling Academy EMDR trainer, psychotherapeutic counsellor, and group supervisor with extensive experience supporting both individuals and couples. Trained in DBT and trauma-informed approaches, Sharon brings a grounded, practical style to her work. She has a reputation for making therapy accessible and effective, without subscribing to a one-size-fits-all model. With a strong focus on integration, Sharon supports therapists to weave EMDR techniques into their day-to-day client work or use them as standalone interventions. Whether working 1-1 or in group settings, she emphasises adaptability, emotional safety, and real-world tools that therapists can immediately apply. Her down-to-earth approach makes her especially effective at helping therapists grow in confidence when using EMDR.

EMDR Senior Trainer Esjai Mason

Esjai Mason is an experienced trauma therapist and EMDR practitioner with six years of hands-on experience using EMDR in most client sessions. Over the past two years, Esjai has trained and supervised over 100 therapists through online training and supervision, providing in-depth guidance on mastering and integrating EMDR techniques into therapists daily work. Now expanding into live, in-person training, Esjai brings a holistic, neuroscience-informed approach to trauma therapy, equipping practitioners with practical, actionable tools for client healing. Esjai integrates Polyvagal Theory with EMDR, demonstrating how understanding the nervous system enhances trauma processing and regulation. By combining Polyvagal insights with EMDR techniques, Esjai helps therapists support clients in moving more effectively through dysregulated states toward deeper healing and resilience.