Some experiences stay with us long after they've passed — showing up as anxiety, intrusive memories, or a sense that you're stuck. EMDR therapy gently helps your mind do what it was always meant to do: heal.
EMDR — which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — is a structured, evidence-based therapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is now recognized and endorsed by organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Psychological Association (APA), and Health Canada as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to spend hours discussing the details of what happened to you. Instead, it works by helping your brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their emotional charge — allowing you to recall difficult experiences without feeling overwhelmed by them.
Trauma is not what happens to you. It's what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.
At its core, EMDR works with the brain’s natural healing ability. When something traumatic or overwhelming occurs, the memory can become “stuck” in the nervous system — stored with all the original images, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs that were present at the time. This is why trauma can feel so present even years later.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, taps, or tones — while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. This process mirrors what happens during REM sleep, when the brain naturally consolidates and processes experiences. Over time, the memory becomes less vivid and emotionally activating.
Many clients describe a shift from feeling like the event is still happening to recognizing it as something that happened — in the past, where it belongs. Alongside this, negative beliefs like “I’m not safe” or “It was my fault” are gently replaced with more balanced, compassionate perspectives.
Research has shown that EMDR can produce meaningful results more quickly than traditional therapies for trauma. A number of clients experience significant relief within 6–12 sessions, though the timeline varies depending on the complexity of what you’ve experienced and your individual goals for therapy.
EMDR follows eight distinct phases, ensuring you're safe, prepared, and supported throughout.
We explore your background and identify the specific memories or experiences we’ll work with together.
You’ll learn calming and resourcing techniques to ensure you always feel grounded and in control.
We identify the specific image, belief, emotion, and body sensation connected to the target memory.
Using bilateral stimulation, the memory is gently processed until its distress level decreases significantly.
A new, positive belief is strengthened — replacing the old one that kept you stuck.
We check for any remaining tension or discomfort held in the body and address it fully.
Each session ends with grounding, so you leave feeling settled and safe — no matter where we are in the process.
We revisit previous work at the start of each new session to ensure lasting change is taking hold.
EMDR was originally developed for PTSD, but decades of research have expanded its use to a wide range of concerns. You don't need to have experienced a single dramatic event to benefit — sometimes it's the accumulation of smaller, painful experiences that leaves the deepest marks.
Flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance following traumatic events.
Generalized anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and excessive worry rooted in past experiences.
Low mood and hopelessness connected to specific life events, losses, or patterns of experience.
Complicated or prolonged grief, traumatic loss, or difficulty adjusting after bereavement.
Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse; neglect; attachment wounds from early life experiences.
Impacts of emotionally abusive, manipulative, or controlling relationships.
Distressing medical diagnoses, procedures, or experiences that continue to cause fear or avoidance.
Negative core beliefs about yourself that hold you back at work, in relationships, or in daily life.
Cumulative occupational trauma from emergency services, healthcare, or crisis work.
Starting therapy can feel like a big step — especially if what you’re carrying has been with you for a long time. I want you to know that you will never be pushed to go anywhere you’re not ready to go.
We begin slowly, building a relationship and a foundation of safety before any processing begins. Your pace, your comfort, and your sense of agency matter deeply throughout this work.
EMDR sessions at Novii Counselling are 60 minutes, and we can incorporate EMDR alongside other approaches — including CBT, somatic awareness, and grief-informed therapy — depending on what feels right for you.
You’ll be heard without labels or assumptions. My approach is collaborative — we figure things out together.
You’re always in the driver’s seat. We build readiness before any trauma processing begins.
EMDR is one of the most researched trauma therapies available. It works — and we’ll track your progress together.
We look at the full picture — your history, your body, your relationships, and where you want to go.
EMDR is effective online. Serving Langley, Walnut Grove, and clients across BC via secure video.
Some of the questions I hear most often — answered honestly.
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Reaching out is often the hardest part. A free 15-minute phone consultation is a good place to start — no pressure, no obligation.
