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EMDR Therapist in Ottawa
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
At Resiliency Clinic, the work is not to talk around a difficult memory until it fades on its own. It is to help your brain process what got stuck, so the memory loses its charge. EMDR is one of the approaches we use to do that, and we have a number of therapists trained in it.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed in the late 1980s. It is built on the understanding that the brain sometimes gets stuck and cannot process a memory in a way that allows healthy functioning. That can leave you with ongoing distress, anxiety, or negative beliefs that follow you into the present. It is often requested by clients who have heard about it from their doctor or read about it online.
What Does an EMDR Session Look Like?
During an EMDR session, your therapist guides you to focus briefly on a troubling memory while you engage in bilateral stimulation. That can be guided eye movements, alternating taps, or auditory tones. The aim is to reduce the emotional weight of the memory and let new, more helpful thoughts and perspectives come through. The goal is not to erase what happened. Instead, we seek to integrate it so it no longer affects you the way it does now.
One reason people choose EMDR is that it does not ask you to describe a traumatic event in detail. For anyone who finds it hard to say the words out loud, there is the option to do this work without narrating the worst parts. You can do this work without narrating the worst parts.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR is widely recognized as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has also been used for anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, performance concerns, and other difficulties tied to hard life experiences. You do not need a PTSD diagnosis to benefit from it.
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief
- Childhood Trauma
Michelle Sorensen Shares About EMDR
While EMDR is a highly effective treatment for trauma and requires extensive specialized training for therapists, it’s important to remember that it is just one of several ways to address trauma. There are many effective approaches that support emotional processing and healing.
At our clinic, several therapists offer EMDR as part of their practice. We also recognize that different people benefit from different approaches and may sometimes recommend complementary treatments, such as neurofeedback, when appropriate.
Finding The Right EMDR Therapist in Ottawa
The thing clients tell us matters most is finding someone who fits. Every new inquiry at Resiliency Clinic is read personally by registered clinical psychologist and founder Michelle Sorensen, who matches you with a clinician trained in EMDR and suited to what you are working through.
Common Questions About EMDR Therapy
EMDR can feel unfamiliar before you start, which is normal. You stay in control the whole time, you are not put under, and you do not have to describe a memory in detail for it to work. Your therapist sets a pace that feels manageable and uses grounding so you are not left in distress.
Yes, you can absolutely do EMDR virtually. Research shows that online EMDR is just as effective as in-person therapy.
No. EMDR takes specific training, so it is offered by the clinicians on our team who are trained in it, not everyone. When you reach out, registered clinical psychologist and founder, Michelle Sorensen, reads your inquiry herself and matches you with a therapist trained in EMDR who suits what you are working through.
It depends on what you are working through. Some people notice a shift in a handful of sessions, while processing more complex or layered experiences takes longer. Your therapist talks through what to expect early on (you can also discuss this in our free 15-minute consult), so you are not guessing, and EMDR can be brief or longer depending on what brought you in.
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