Offered in Barrie Location & Ontario Virtually.EMDR tHERAPY
What isEMDR Therapy?
Often, we think of trauma as the big, catastrophic events—accidents, losses, or life-threatening situations. While these experiences are indeed traumatic, trauma also comes from what was missing: the love, validation, or support we needed but didn’t receive. This is known as relational or attachment trauma, and it can have equally profound effects on our well-being.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is uniquely effective for both types of trauma, helping to support you in processing and recovering from wounds left by what happened and also by what didn’t. Our brains and bodies have an incredible, built-in capacity to heal. Just as cuts and bruises on our skin heal over time, our minds are also designed to recover from emotional wounds. However, when an experience is deeply distressing or traumatic, the natural healing process can get disrupted, leaving us with “stuck” memories that continue to cause pain, fear, or discomfort long after the event.
EMDR is a therapy that taps into this natural healing ability, helping your brain and body do exactly what they’re designed to do: heal.
How doesEMDR Therapy work?
The 8 Phases of EMDR Therapy:Supporting Natural Healing
Phase 1: History Taking
We will identify and gather information about your background, current issues, and symptoms and identify specific memories or experiences that are ‘stuck’ and causing distress.
Phase 2: Preparation
More information about reprocessing will be shared, and we will work to build a strong foundation of safety and stability to hold distress and calm with confidence.
Phase 3: Assessment
Focuses on specific memories and associated thoughts and sensations, preparing them for reprocessing.
Phase 4: Desensitization
Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, hand taps, pulsers or sounds), to help your brain process and release the stuck memories.
Phase 5: Installation
Once the distressing memory is reprocessed, EMDR supports you in strengthening positive beliefs.
Phase 6: Body Scan
A body scan is completed searching for any residual tension or discomfort linked to the memory. This step ensures that both the mind and body have processed the trauma and are connected.
Phase 7: Closure
Each session ends with grounding exercises, reinforcing that you are safe and stable. The mind and body are reassured that healing is ongoing, preparing you to continue feeling calm between sessions.
Phase 8: Reevaluation
This phase reflects on your progress, revisiting memories to confirm that the distress has been significantly reduced. Each time you feel less impacted by the memory, you’re experiencing the power of EMDR to restore your brain’s and body’s natural healing flow.
Who DoesEMDR Therapy Help?
EMDR Therapy can benefit individuals dealing with a wide range of issues, including PTSD, attachment wounds, anxiety, and other emotional or relational traumas, as well as incident traumas such as accidents, losses, life-threatening situations, violence or natural disasters.
Reawakening Your Brain’s Healing PowerThrough EMDR Therapy.
EMDR doesn’t force your brain to do anything unnatural; instead, it gently supports and reactivates your mind and body’s inherent capacity for healing. By allowing the brain to process memories in a safe, structured way, EMDR helps you reclaim your natural resilience, leaving you feeling more at peace with past experiences and more in tune with your emotions and well-being.