For EMDR Therapists: Developing a therapeutic niche

Are you an EMDR therapist, ready to hone your skills a bit more? Maybe you have gained some comfort in the basics of EMDR therapy practice, and you’re wondering how to take your EMDR therapy practice to the next level. Developing a therapeutic niche within the EMDR therapy world is a great way to do that. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you’re considering developing your therapy niche.

What aspects of EMDR therapy do you find most fulfilling and interesting? 

Beyond the basic eight phases of EMDR therapy, there are a lot of different components to EMDR therapy. When you think about EMDR therapy as a whole, what pieces do you enjoy the most? Do you love resourcing? If so, working with more complex trauma clients who may need more extensive resourcing could be a great option for you. Do you love seeing fast relief and moving through the therapeutic process quickly? If so, specializing in single incidents, traumas, or recent events, traumas could be a great option for you. Do you have a passion for children, specific diagnoses, like addiction, OCD, dissociative disorders, anxiety, etc? Do you love attachment theory? Sitting with some of these questions to determine what aspects of EMDR therapy peek your curiosity may be a great starting point for developing a niche. 

Could you ask your EMDR therapy colleague, or your EMDR therapy consultant for feedback? 

 There are times that we can get in the way of our own development as therapists, and developing a niche and EMDR therapy is no different. Reflecting with a trusted EMDR therapist, or colleague, or even connecting with your EMDR therapy consultants to consider the places that you excel, have natural gifting, for her, tends to be most curious about, and have a specific interest, and maybe a great way to consider where your therapy talents and interests lie. Connecting with trusted confidence can be a great way to push ourselves outside of our own limitations that we may set for ourselves.

What books or trainings have you found most interesting? 

When was the last time that you read a book or attended a training that completely Mesmerized you or filled you with curiosity? If that training or book had anything to do with EMDR therapy, you may have stumbled upon your niche. The great thing about developing a niche is, it’s completely within your control. You get to choose the niche that you find most fulfilling, fun, and satisfying for your professional career. The choice is yours!

What are the needs within your community?

Consider looking at what other EMDR therapists in your area are specializing in, where there are available spots for new clients, and what areas of expertise tend to have a consistent waitlist for treatment. This may give you a great idea of what specialty interest areas or niches within the EMDR practice may be most marketable in your area and fit the biggest need for your community.

And keep in mind, the hope is that EMDR therapists are set up for a long, fruitful, and fulfilling career. It is OK to have multiple niches across your career, change the focus of your practice, and continue to learn and grow in the various elements of EMDR therapy.