Between Spaces Counselling

EMDR Therapy

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing for trauma, PTSD and painful memories

Available in Calgary, Toronto, and across Canada

You know it's over,
but your body still reacts like it's happening.

Some memories stay stuck. A smell, a tone of voice or a certain look can bring back the racing heart, the tight chest and the urge to run or shut down. You might understand exactly what happened and why, and still not be able to talk yourself out of how it feels.

EMDR therapy was developed for this. It works directly with those memories so they can start to feel like something that happened in the past.

Buu Dao, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) providing EMDR therapy in Toronto and Calgary

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s1 and is now one of the most researched therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

EMDR is recommended for PTSD in treatment guidelines from the World Health Organization2 and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.3

EMDR doesn't erase memories. The goal is that you can remember what happened without your body reacting as if it's happening all over again.

How does EMDR work?

In a session, you bring a distressing memory to mind for short stretches while doing a simple back-and-forth task, usually following my hand or a moving dot with your eyes. After each set, you pause, take a breath and notice what comes up: a thought, an image, a feeling or a sensation in your body. You don't need to describe the memory in detail.2

Researchers are still working out exactly why EMDR helps. One of the best-supported explanations involves working memory, the mental "workspace" you use to hold things in mind. It only has so much room. When you hold a memory in mind and follow the eye movements at the same time, the two compete for that room, and the memory comes back less vivid and less upsetting.4

Studies comparing EMDR with and without the eye movements have found that the eye movements make a measurable difference.5 If eye movements aren't comfortable for you, we can use tapping or sounds instead.

What people often bring to EMDR

A single frightening event, like an accident, an assault or a medical emergency
Painful memories from childhood
Beliefs that grew out of those experiences, like "I'm not safe," "It's my fault" or "I'm not enough"
Anxiety, panic or phobias tied to specific past experiences
Upsetting memories that don't add up to PTSD but still affect your life

EMDR has the most research behind it for PTSD. It's also used for anxiety, depression and other concerns, where early research is promising but less established.6 If you're not sure whether EMDR fits what you're dealing with, we can talk it through in a free consultation. For a broader look at how I work with trauma, see trauma therapy.

The 8 phases of EMDR therapy

EMDR is done in eight phases.1 We don't start working on memories until you feel ready, and you can pause or stop at any point.

  1. 1

    History and planning

    We talk about what brings you in and your history, and decide together which memories to work on.

  2. 2

    Preparation

    You learn what to expect and practise ways to calm and steady yourself, so you have those tools before we start.

  3. 3

    Assessment

    We pick a memory and name the image, the negative belief tied to it, the belief you'd rather have, and where you feel it in your body.

  4. 4

    Desensitization

    You hold the memory in mind during short sets of eye movements or tapping, and we keep going until it feels less upsetting.

  5. 5

    Installation

    We strengthen the more helpful belief, like "I survived" or "I'm safe now," until it feels true when you think of the memory.

  6. 6

    Body scan

    You check your body for any leftover tension or discomfort while thinking of the memory, and we work through what's left.

  7. 7

    Closure

    Every session ends with time to settle, even if we're partway through a memory, so you can leave feeling steady.

  8. 8

    Reevaluation

    At the start of the next session, we check how the memory feels now and decide what to work on next.

For a single event, the early phases can be fairly short. With childhood or repeated trauma, we usually spend longer on preparation so the later work feels manageable.

Online EMDR therapy

EMDR can be done over video. Instead of following my hand, you follow a dot moving across your screen, or tap yourself, for example by crossing your arms and tapping each shoulder in turn (sometimes called the "butterfly hug").

There's less research on online EMDR than on in-person EMDR. A 2024 review of 16 studies found promising reductions in PTSD, anxiety and depression symptoms, but most of the studies were small and didn't have control groups, so more research is needed.7

I offer EMDR in person at my office in Calgary and online across Alberta, BC, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Common questions

Is EMDR hypnosis?

No. You're fully awake and in control the whole time, and you can stop at any point.

Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?

No. You bring the memory to mind and briefly say what you notice, but you don't have to describe what happened in detail.2

How many EMDR sessions will I need?

It depends on what you're working on. A single event may take relatively few sessions once we've prepared. Childhood or repeated trauma usually takes longer. We'll keep checking in on how it's going.

How will I feel after a session?

Processing can continue after a session ends. Some people notice vivid dreams, other memories or feelings coming up, or feeling more tired than usual. This usually settles, and we'll plan together for how to look after yourself if it happens.

Is EMDR right for everyone?

Not always as a first step. If you're in crisis, using substances heavily, or often feel disconnected from yourself or your surroundings (dissociation), we may focus on stability and coping first. We'll work this out together in the first phase.

How long are EMDR sessions?

You can book 50- or 80-minute sessions. Some people prefer 80 minutes for EMDR, since it leaves more time to work through a memory and settle before the session ends. See my rates page for fees.

Book a FREE 20-minute consultation

In person in Calgary. Online across AB, BC, ON, MB, SK and NL.

Therapy isn't an emergency service. If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time. If you're in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.

Sources

  1. Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. guilford.com
  2. World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. who.int
  3. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. (2019). Posttraumatic stress disorder prevention and treatment guidelines. istss.org
  4. van den Hout, M. A., & Engelhard, I. M. (2012). How does EMDR work? Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 3(5), 724–738. doi.org/10.5127/jep.028212
  5. Lee, C. W., & Cuijpers, P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 44(2), 231–239. doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2012.11.001
  6. Valiente-Gómez, A., Moreno-Alcázar, A., Treen, D., Cedrón, C., Colom, F., Pérez, V., & Amann, B. L. (2017). EMDR beyond PTSD: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1668. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01668
  7. Kaptan, S. K., Kaya, Z. M., & Akan, A. (2024). Addressing mental health need after COVID-19: A systematic review of remote EMDR therapy studies as an emerging option. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1336569. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1336569