EMDR After Basic Training: A Conversation with Carol Miles

Sep 25, 2025

Carol Miles, LCSW-BACS, is an EMDR trainer and the leader of the South Louisiana EMDR Regional Network. She dives into the challenges new EMDR clinicians face transitioning from training to practice. Key takeaways include barriers like confidence gaps and organizational issues. Carol emphasizes the importance of mentorship and community support to bridge this gap. She also discusses innovative methods using WeMind avatars for practical skill development and the shift towards cultural humility in therapy, aiming for effective and inclusive practice.

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ANECDOTE

Katrina Sparked EMDR Journey

Carol Miles first learned EMDR after Hurricane Katrina when outreach trainings came to New Orleans.
Her practicum experience and relationships with mentors convinced her to pursue training and teaching.

INSIGHT

Relationships Drive Skill Adoption

Carol attributes her commitment to EMDR largely to relationships formed during training.
Mentors, peers, and practicum partners accelerated skill growth and confidence.

ADVICE

Practice With Avatars And Peers

Use practice opportunities like WeMind avatars and peer role-plays to build real-world confidence.
Require early, low-stakes practice so newly trained clinicians can rehearse scripts and reactions.

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New EMDR therapists often feel a gap between basic training and confident, real-world practice. In this conversation, Carol Miles, LCSW-BACS (trainer, consultant, and leader in the South Louisiana EMDR community) joins us to unpack why clinicians drop off after training—and what actually keeps EMDR alive in agencies and private practice.

We cover:

The five reasons clinicians stall out after basic training—confidence gaps, time/workload, organizational barriers (including insurance/90-minute sessions), cultural & ethical considerations, and keeping skills fresh.
How relationships, community, and consultation bridge the “I learned it” → “I can do it” gap.
Using WeMind’s EMDR practice avatars to build real-world confidence with complex presentations.
What agencies and group practices can do to reduce barriers (scheduling, leadership buy-in, Medicaid/EBP support).
EMDR’s “yes-and” posture—honoring standard protocol while integrating DBT skills, somatic work, intensives, and innovations like EMDR 2.0 (Ad de Jongh & Suzy Matthijssen).
The field’s shift toward cultural humility and anti-racist practice, and why it matters for outcomes and equity.
An invitation to Ad & Suzy’s New Orleans training on Oct 24–25, 2025 (live + virtual) on complex trauma, dissociation, and personality disorders.

Whether you’re fresh from Part 2 or years into EMDR, this episode will help you practice with confidence, find (or build) the right community, and keep your skills both ethical and current.

Guest: Carol Miles — trainer, consultant, and host of the South Louisiana EMDR Regional Network • https://carolmiles.com

Don't forget to check out the training Carol mentioned with Ad de Jongh and Suzy Matthijssen, hosted in person in New Orleans with virtual seat options available. Head over to Carol's website for more details.

Also, if you're interested in the training Jen talked about in the intro with Sarah Butler, check out the event page here: Understanding Intensive EMDR and use the promo code BEYOND55 for 20% off!

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