What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is now one of the most thoroughly researched and widely endorsed treatments for trauma and PTSD in the world.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to describe your trauma in extensive detail. Instead, it works by using bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, but also tapping or sound — while you briefly focus on a distressing memory. This process helps the brain's natural information-processing system complete the work it couldn't finish during the traumatic event.

How Does It Work?

When something traumatic happens, the brain can become overwhelmed and fail to fully process the experience. The memory gets “stuck” — encoded with the same intensity of emotion, physical sensation, and negative belief it had at the time of the event. Years later, a sight, sound, or feeling can trigger the same terror, shame, or helplessness as if it's happening again.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to activate both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, mimicking the natural processing that occurs during REM sleep. This allows the stuck memory to be “digested” — it becomes associated with more adaptive information, loses its emotional charge, and is stored as a past event rather than an ongoing threat.

What EMDR Helps With

  • PTSD and acute stress responses
  • Childhood and developmental trauma
  • Single-incident trauma (accidents, assaults, medical events)
  • Occupational trauma (first responders, military, healthcare workers)
  • Complex/repeated trauma
  • Grief and loss
  • Phobias and anxiety
  • Negative self-beliefs rooted in past experiences

What to Expect in EMDR Sessions with Andrew

EMDR is an 8-phase protocol. Andrew doesn't rush the process — the early phases focus on history taking, stabilization, and ensuring you have the internal resources to process difficult material safely.

Phase by phase:

  1. History & Treatment Planning — Understanding your history and identifying target memories
  2. Preparation — Building coping resources so you can safely enter processing
  3. Assessment — Activating the target memory with its associated image, belief, and body sensation
  4. Desensitization — Processing the memory with bilateral stimulation until distress is fully resolved
  5. Installation — Strengthening a positive belief to replace the negative one
  6. Body Scan — Checking for residual physical tension
  7. Closure — Returning to equilibrium before ending the session
  8. Re-evaluation — Reviewing progress at the start of subsequent sessions

Is EMDR Right for You?

EMDR is effective for many people, but it isn't the right fit for everyone or every situation. During your free 20-minute consultation, Andrew will discuss your history and help you determine whether EMDR is the best approach, or whether a different modality would serve you better.

EMDR is endorsed by: the World Health Organization (WHO), Veterans Affairs Canada, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.