EMDR 

Have you been struggling with depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, or shame related to an upsetting event in your life?

Psyche & Soma is pleased to offer expert EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) services in the heart of Toronto. EMDR is a fast and effective technique designed to alter the impact of traumatic memories, developed in 1989 by Francine Shapiro, PhD. After more than 30 years, EMDR is considered one of the most effective available trauma therapy treatments.

EMDR is a safe and effective treatment for many conditions, including:

  • Coping after a sudden or shocking event

  • Medical trauma 

  • PTSD & C-PTSD

 

How does EMDR work?

To understand the impact of EMDR, it helps to know how we process non-traumatic memories. When we have a bad, non-traumatic experience, the memory of that experience is available to us, we are free to talk with others and to reflect upon our experience. Eventually, that memory will use its power to upset us and will take its place in our other life experiences. As, a result, that memory has been processed and is available to us should we find ourselves in a similar situation.

Traumatic memories are different in that they are so disturbing that they are not available to us in a way that allows us to process them. As a result, they remain unchanged in our minds. Therefore, people with traumatic memories must avoid situations that threaten to reawaken the unprocessed memories. 

EMDR works by creating the condition whereby traumatic memories can begin to be processed. An advantage of EMDR is the speed at which this transformation takes place. Often traumatic memories can be significantly altered in a single session.

When we use EMDR, we make it possible for the mind and brain to restore the healing process. People who benefit from EMDR find that painful memories no longer stir up the same feelings of guilt, fear, and shame. Those feelings are replaced by a normal process of self-reflection, leading to a more positive outlook. For many people, EMDR treatment provides enormous relief from the pain of living with unprocessed trauma.

 

FreQuently Asked questions

  • An EMDR session begins with a discussion about the memory of a particularly disturbing event. From that discussion an element of that memory is chosen as a focus. The EMDR therapist then asks the client to focus on that element of the memory as a jumping off point. While the client tries to immerse themselves in the details of the memory, bilateral stimulation is added (eye movement or tapping). In most instances memories will briefly feel stronger initially then rapidly lose their emotional charge. With repeated series of eye movements the memories themselves will begin to evolve in a direction that provides a new understanding of the event in question.

  • It is possible to provide EMDR over a video link if necessary but in-person work is preferable.

  • Initially, EMDR was thought of specifically as a technique for managing the effect of traumatic memories but it can also be highly effective in treating non traumatic memories as well. EMDR can also be used to promote the development of new ways of looking at old situations.

  • Yes, EMDR is safe when provided by an experienced psychotherapist.

  • Results are often seen within the first session. How many sessions you will need depends upon several factors. Simple traumatic events may be dealt with in a single session while complex traumatic experiences may need multiple sessions to achieve satisfactory results.

 
 

Testimonial

“I was stuck for almost 10 years, reliving an event that negatively affected all aspects of my life. Then I met Daniel, we started doing Neurofeedback, and my anxiety levels went down. I was still struggling with this event, so we began EMDR. After our first session, I felt like I was able to remove myself from the situation and like I was a member of an audience watching a movie. I have freedom now.”