EMDR therapy

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.

EMDR has 8 phases:

• Phase 1 - History Taking - Similar to an intake but more in depth.
• Phase 2 - Preparation - Making sure the nervous system is ready for processing. We do grounding, stabilization and mindfulness work.
• Phase 3 - Assessment - We activate the places in the brain associated with a particular memory.
• Phase 4 - Desensitization - We process the memory using BLS (Bilateral Stimulation) until it is no longer disrupting.
• Phase 5 - Installation - We install a positive statement, such as 'I am worthy' or 'I am safe'. This statement counters the negative one we used in the assessment phase.
• Phase 6 - Body Scan - You scan your body to make sure no residual pieces of the memory are still present. If they are, we process them.
• Phase 7 - Closure - We might do a grounding or mindfulness exercise to close out processing.
• Phase 8 - Re-evaluation - Check-in that happens in the session after processing to see how the body responded.

Phases 3 to 7 are the processing phases and take place one after the other. It is sometimes possible to process one event or memory in a session.  If we didn't finish processing a memory, we pick up where we left off after doing Phase 8.

 Click here to read by Blog Post about EMDR in Ottawa's West End

BLS stands for Bilateral Stimulation. It refers to rhythmic and alternating stimulation of the left and right sides of the body. The purpose of BLS is to engage both hemispheres of the brain while a person focuses on a distressing memory. This helps to activate the brain’s natural information-processing system so the memory can be reprocessed and stored in a more adaptive way.

There are 4 types of BLS:

• Visual - watching the therapist's fingers move back and forth or watching a ball move back and forth on a screen
• Auditory - sounds played in alternating ears using headphones
• Tactile - buzzing or tapping alternating between hands using EMDR buzzers or tappers
• Self-Directed - done by the client using a butterfly tap or hitting alternating knees

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy to help your brain heal from distressing or overwhelming experiences. When trauma happens, our brain goes into a protective mode. This means that memories are not stored properly and may feel “stuck” in our nervous system. They will show up as anxiety, intrusive thoughts, emotional reactivity or a constant sense of being on edge.

EMDR uses bilateral movements to help your brain reprocess memories in a safe environment. Think of the traumatic memory as puzzle pieces scattered all over your brain - the sound of the memory might be in one place and the visual image in another. EMDR helps to bring the pieces of the puzzle back together so they are all stored together and in the right place in your brain. 

This makes the memory that used to be distressing feel like any other memory.  It happened but it isn't stuck in your system anymore.

Click here to read my Blog Post on how EMDR can help you deal with trauma

There is no such thing as a trauma that is "too small" or "too minor" to require intervention. People often compare the trauma that they have experienced with one that someone else in their life has experienced. Or they compare it to someone on social media. They are left feeling that their trauma pales in comparison to what other people have suffered and end up feeling badly that they need to seek treatment or that the trauma is upsetting to them.

I also hear the language of "Big T" and "small t" traumas used on social media. I'm not a fan.

The reality is that if the trauma is upsetting you and causing your system to feel overwhelmed, then it needs treatment. Everyone responds to events differently and this depends on many different factors. Comparing your suffering to others is not helpful and is a recipe for feeling unnecessary shame and guilt.

Click here to read my Blog Post about small vs. Big T trauma.

Some people have experienced a single traumatic incident such as a car accident or being attacked by a dog. These incidents are still traumatic and need to be treated if they are having an effect on your emotions and behaviour. 

EMDR has a specific protocol designed for people who have experienced a single traumatic incident and it's very effective.

Absolutely not! Life is happening while we're processing that trauma and sometimes you need to talk about it. We might find that something that's happening in the present needs to be processed before things that happened in the past. You also might not have the bandwidth to process at some sessions so we can take a break and work on other things.

It's really a personal preference. EMDR is just as effective virtually as it is in person. We tend to do more tactile BLS if you come in person because you can hold the buzzers but that's really the only difference.

You also need to live in Ottawa and be able to come to my office in the West End if you want to do EMDR in person with me.

The short answer is it depends. The longer answer is that it depends on a few factors.

The first factor is the number of incidents that you want to process. Several incidents will take longer to process than a single incident.

The second factor is the amount of grounding and stabilization work that you have done in other types of therapy. If you are already well versed in these areas, then there is less work to be done in Phase 2.