EMDR Therapy in Halifax | Online Across Canada: Is It Right For Me?
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the past, haunted by distressing memories, or overwhelmed by anxiety, trauma, or stress, EMDR therapy might be worth exploring. But what exactly is EMDR, and how does it work?
Let’s break it down.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a structured, evidence-based therapy most often used to help people heal from traumatic or distressing life experiences.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR works by helping your brain reprocess traumatic memories using a technique called bilateral stimulation most commonly through guided eye movements. Other forms of stimulation, such as tapping or auditory tones, may also be used.
During a session, you’ll recall a specific memory while simultaneously following a moving object with your eyes or engaging in another form of bilateral input. This process allows your brain to "digest" the experience in a healthier way, so that it no longer causes the same emotional disruption.
How Does EMDR Work?
When we experience trauma or overwhelming stress, our brain's natural processing systems can become overloaded. This can leave us feeling stuck, reactive, or constantly reliving the experience. EMDR helps unlock that stuckness.
It stimulates communication between different parts of the brain involved in trauma processing:
Amygdala – triggers the stress response
Hippocampus – supports memory, learning, and safety assessment
Prefrontal cortex – regulates thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
EMDR allows your brain to reprocess old memories in a way that makes them feel like they belong in the past, not like they’re still happening in the present.
You won't forget the memory, but you'll experience it differently: without the same emotional intensity, physical reaction, or negative beliefs attached to it.
What Makes EMDR Different from Other Therapies?
One of the unique benefits of EMDR is that it doesn’t require you to talk in detail about your trauma. Unlike many other approaches, it also doesn’t rely on homework assignments or strategies to change your thoughts or behaviors.
Instead, EMDR taps into your brain’s natural ability to heal by facilitating learning and adaptive processing through targeted stimulation.
Research has shown EMDR to be particularly effective in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it's increasingly being used to address a wide range of other challenges.
What Can EMDR Help With?
EMDR therapy can benefit people of all ages and is used to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including:
Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
Depression and bipolar disorder
Chronic pain and illness
Grief and loss
Sleep disturbances
Substance use and addiction
PTSD and complex trauma
Sexual assault and abuse
Performance anxiety
Dissociative disorders
Eating disorders
Personality disorders
And more
What Happens in an EMDR Session?
A typical EMDR session lasts 60 to 90 minutes. While some experiences can be resolved in just a few sessions, others may require more time. EMDR follows an eight-phase protocol and typically involves:
Identifying the specific traumatic memory or issue
Reprocessing it using bilateral stimulation
Reinforcing positive beliefs and coping strategies
A complete course of EMDR therapy often involves addressing:
Past experiences
Present triggers
Future challenges
Is EMDR Right for Me?
If you’re curious about EMDR, it’s a good idea to speak with a trained therapist to assess whether it’s a good fit for your goals, experiences, and readiness for trauma work.
Many people find EMDR particularly helpful when traditional talk therapy hasn’t brought the relief they were hoping for, or when they’re looking for a more focused approach to healing trauma.
Does Risework Therapy Offer EMDR?
Yes! We have several therapists at Risework Therapy who are trained in EMDR. It can be offered as part of your regular therapy sessions, used as a stand-alone treatment, or even integrated alongside your work with another therapist.
If you’re interested in learning more, we’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out with questions or book a free consult call with our intake coordinator to start exploring if EMDR might be the right path for you.
