Developed by Francine Shapiro, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy was originally developed for individuals with complex histories of trauma and PTSD (Shapiro, 2018). We are now seeing, however, that EMDR is effective in treating many different presenting problems including depression, anxiety, addictions, grief/loss, and more.

When we experience a negative or traumatic event in our lives, this event is

stored in the right hemisphere of our brain (note: “trauma” is not necessarily a life-threatening event but is any threat that we are not prepared to handle). During our deep sleep, also known as REM sleep, the brain attempts to process all of the experiences that we have had throughout the day. By processing these events, our mind takes away all of the lessons it needs to in order for us to prevent the experience from happening again. Sometimes, however, if the experience was particularly difficult for us, our mind has difficulty processing it and it stays ‘stuck’ in our right hemisphere. To our body, this experience is not in the past yet and can cause emotional reactions and disturbances just by us thinking about it.

EMDR therapy looks at these stuck experiences and does a few things with them. Firstly, it ‘desensitizes’ them by stripping away the associated negative feeling and irrational self-belief that we have attached to that experience. EMDR therapy then reprocesses that experience, replacing those irrational beliefs with more realistic, rational ones. At the end of the EMDR therapy, the memory of the experience is not altered at all but rather, the emotional flooding is no longer present when thinking of that difficult experience.

EMDR therapy has proven to be effective in a much shorter time period than many other talk-therapies (as discussed in Shapiro, 2018). Also, it is a therapeutic approach that holds the assumption that the body knows what it needs to do in order to heal and effectively process these stuck experiences. The EMDR therapist does not overly-participate in the client’s healing but rather supports the client as they allow their mind to accomplish what it already knows how to do. Because of the mind’s innate ability to process experiences, the client does not need to narrate the traumatic experience or go into any detail about what is arising during therapy. Rather, it is a personal experience, ideal for clients who find it difficult to discuss certain events in their lives.

Only an EMDR-Canada certified trained clinician can ethically provide clients with EMDR therapy.

British Columbia School of Professional Psychology (2018). Eye Movement

Desensitization and Reprocessing: Manual for Intensive Training. Vancouver: University of BC.

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (3 rd ed.). New Yor;, NY: Guildford Press.