What Is EMDR?

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain process experiences that still feel disturbing or unresolved.

Your EMDR practitioner will guide you through gentle movements that engage both sides of your brain, such as eye movements, tapping, drumming, or sound.

You will focus on what you’d like to work through. Although you will be witnessing your mind wandering at high speed, you remain in control throughout the process.

EMDR is highly individual and may include thoughts, visualizations, emotions, and other sensations.

We provide culturally responsive, affirming care to ages 12+ for BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, immigrants, refugees, newcomers, people living with disabilities, and others who have experienced marginalization or barriers to traditional mental health care.

We welcome allies as well.

EMDR was originally developed to remove disturbance around PTSD, acute stress, and single incident traumas. In recent decades, EMDR therapy has been further developed to treat complex trauma, anxiety, phobias, grief, addiction, relationship trauma, OCD, eating disorders, limiting beliefs, and other distressing experiences.

When addressing oppression and minority stress, the goals change. Staying present when threatened can increase safety. Our EMDR clinicians can help reduce activation so you can face oppression with greater empowerment and less risk of harm.

EMDR therapy has an overwhelming amount of research supporting its effectiveness and it is the gold standard in trauma recovery therapies.

Within the field of psychology and counselling, EMDR therapy has been regarded as the fastest and longest-lasting way to process trauma since the 1990s. Preliminary research in psychedelic-assisted therapies have also shown promising results.

Our clinicians offer a free 15-minute consultation to explore fit.

Initial prep sessions are 50 minutes long and are priced at $185-200 depending on the clinician. Longer sessions are pro-rated.

First Nations residents of so-called BC who qualify for FNHA coverage can access at least 22 hours of free counselling a year. Limited sliding scale spaces are also available.

We accept payment via debit, credit, and e-transfer.

Yes. We offer direct billing with several major insurance companies including the First Nations Health Authority of BC (FNHA).

Make sure your plan covers psychotherapy, counselling, RCC, or RSW.

No. EMDR can be helpful for people experiencing PTSD symptoms as well as many other concerns. You can discuss whether EMDR is appropriate for you during an initial consultation.

Several medications have been approved to support EMDR therapy and lessen PTSD symptoms. Your GP or a medical practitioner can help you pursue a diagnosis in order to access medication while you are recovering.

Yes. EMDR can be adapted for complex and developmental trauma including childhood trauma, relational trauma, neglect and abuse, sexualized violence and other violent crimes, bullying and oppression, and repeated traumas.

Treatment may begin with building safety, stabilization, and coping skills before processing traumatic memories. Although processing complex trauma requires more resources and time, EMDR remains the most efficient way to recover from those experiences.

There is no set number. The length of therapy depends on your goals, resources, history of complex trauma, current circumstances, and what you want to work on.

For patients with a limited budget or timeframe, we offer “reverse protocol”, although it is recommended to complete a full EMDR treatment in future when possible.

EMDR follows a strict protocol and requires that the patient can:

• Use a therapeutic tool to contain disturbing experiences

• Tolerate high levels of activation for about 30 seconds without dissociating

• Use a therapeutic tool to regulate (with or without guidance)

These skills can be taught and assessed in one or more sessions. Preparation for those seeking EMDR for complex trauma recovery will centre around assessing and managing dissociation as well.

EMDR can feel taxing, but it requires no skill.

EMDR amplifies and speeds up the brain’s and nervous system’s natural ability to heal, so you will likely feel tired after a session. Your EMDR practitioner can build a treatment plan around your capacity and needs.

Although you will experience short spurts of high levels of disturbance (about 30 seconds at a time), you will also experiences pleasant sensations, emotions, and beliefs about yourself. EMDR boasts the lowest drop-out rates in comparison to other evidence-based trauma therapies and research proves that the desired changes are permanent.

Not necessarily. EMDR does not require you to describe every detail of what happened, allowing for “secret therapy”. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to determine what feels safe and appropriate to share.

Yes. Liberation EMDR provides EMDR therapy exclusively online.

You will need a strong internet connection and a computer, although some of our practitioners can accommodate the use of a phone with headphones if needed.

Yes. Research supports the use of EMDR delivered remotely. Your EMDR practitioner can also help determine whether online therapy is appropriate based on your needs, circumstances, and access to a private space.

That is our goal. At Liberation EMDR, we consider culture, identity, community, spirituality, systemic oppression, and lived experience as important parts of your healing.

Our therapists aim to practice with cultural humility rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach and we are always learning.

Yes. Our clinicians integrate many other evidence-based therapies and culturally-appropriate spiritual practices into EMDR treatment in order to increase its effectiveness for different concerns.

These include:

• IFS (Internal Family Systems) and other ego-state or parts work

• DBT

• Mindfulness

• CBT

• Narrative and creative therapies

• ACT

• Somatic therapies

• Relational therapies

• and more

Patients seeking recovery from complex trauma will receive a combination of DBT, mindfulness, parts work, and somatic therapy to support EMDR processing.

Caregivers and families receive talk therapy and EMDR preparation as dyads or groups. EMDR processing is usually offered in private, one-on-one sessions.

The fastest way is to fill out a matching questionnaire, located on our contact page.

You can also book a free matching consultation where we'll talk about what you're looking for, answer your questions, and help determine which practitioner you’d like to meet for a free consultation.

If you know which practitioner you’re interested in meeting, go ahead and book a free 15-minute consultation with them through our booking page. We can’t wait to meet you!