About EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help process and resolve distressing experiences. It is often used when past events continue to affect how you think, feel, or respond in the present.
EMDR Therapy in Kingston, Ontario
EMDR is a well-established, evidence-based therapy supported by decades of research, including numerous clinical trials and large-scale studies. It is widely used and recommended in trauma treatment by organizations such as the World Health Organization, where it is included as a recommended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR uses back-and-forth (bilateral) stimulation to support your brain in processing information in a more adaptive way.
Learn more about the bilateral stimulation used in session.
Learn More About EMDR
How is EMDR different from talk therapy?
Traditional talk therapy often focuses on understanding your thoughts, patterns, and experiences. It can help you make sense of what happened, build insight, and develop new ways of responding. EMDR goes a step further.
Rather than relying on talking things through, EMDR works with how memories are stored in the brain and body. It uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain process what happened so it no longer feels as intense, reactive, or stuck. As this happens, distressing experiences begin to shift at a deeper level, often reducing the emotional charge and physical activation that come with them.
You also don’t need to go into every detail of your lived experience for EMDR to be effective, which can be helpful when talking about it feels like too much.
What can EMDR help with?
EMDR is commonly used for:
- past experiences that still feel unresolved
- anxiety or strong emotional reactions
- negative beliefs about yourself
- relationship patterns
- moments that still feel “stuck” or hard to move past
You don’t need a single major trauma for EMDR to be helpful. Many people come in simply feeling like something from the past is still affecting them in ways they don’t fully understand.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR is a structured, 8-phase approach to therapy that helps your brain process experiences that still feel unresolved. It is carried out over a series of sessions, beginning with building a clear understanding of your history, current concerns, and readiness for this type of work.
The most important part of EMDR is active processing. This is where we focus on a specific memory while using bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping). During this phase, your brain begins to reprocess the experience so it no longer feels as intense, reactive, or stuck. Many people notice shifts in how the memory feels, along with changes in thoughts, emotions, and body sensations.
As the distress reduces, we move into the installation phase, where we strengthen a more adaptive and helpful belief about yourself. This helps the experience feel more resolved and less disruptive in your day-to-day life.
EMDR is not just about understanding your experiences. It works with how those experiences are stored in the brain and body, allowing change to happen at a deeper level.
Why Does EMDR Use Bilateral Stimulation?
Bilateral stimulation refers to rhythmic, back-and-forth input used during EMDR, such as eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds. This left-right pattern engages both hemispheres of the brain and appears to support the integration of emotional and cognitive information.
It is used because it facilitates the brain’s natural information processing system. Research suggests that bilateral stimulation can reduce the emotional intensity of distressing material while it is being recalled, allowing memories to be reconsolidated in a less reactive form. This process is often compared to mechanisms involved in REM sleep, where the brain integrates and organizes experiences.
In session, I often use tactile tappers. These are small, handheld devices that provide bilateral (left-right) stimulation through gentle, alternating pulses. Held one in each hand, they support the brain’s ability to process and integrate experiences in a way that many clients find comfortable and easy to tolerate.
They are wireless, compact, and flexible to use in session. For some clients, tappers feel like a more natural alternative to eye movements, particularly if visual stimulation feels distracting or overstimulating.
Is EMDR a good fit for me?
EMDR is often a good fit if something from the past continues to show up in your reactions, emotions, or relationships.
You might notice:
- you understand your patterns, but still feel affected by them
- your reactions feel stronger than the situation calls for
- certain memories still feel present or emotionally charged
- you feel stuck, even after trying to work through things
At the same time, EMDR works best when you feel stable enough to engage in deeper processing. If that’s not the case yet, we can focus on building that first.
How do I get started with EMDR?
Start by booking a consultation or appointment to see if EMDR feels like the right fit.
We’ll take time to understand what’s going on for you and what you want to work on. From there, we decide whether EMDR makes sense now or if it’s something we move toward at a pace that feels manageable.
Bilateral stimulation
EMDR uses back-and-forth (bilateral) stimulation to help your brain process information in a more adaptive way. Similar to what happens during REM sleep, this process allows distressing experiences to become less intense and more integrated over time. Research suggests it can also reduce the emotional intensity of distressing material as it’s being processed.
I recognize that this part of EMDR can feel unfamiliar at first. In sessions, many clients use small handheld “tappers” that provide gentle, alternating tactile stimulation. We can try this together and adjust based on what feels most comfortable for you. Alternative methods are also available.
OTHER BILATERAL STIMULATION:
Eye movements
Following a therapist’s hand, light, or screen moving back and forth
Tactile tapping
Alternating taps on your hands, knees, or shoulders
Butterfly hug
A self-guided form of gentle, alternating tapping
Auditory tones
Listening to alternating sounds through headphones
EMDR Can Help With
EMDR is a structured, evidence-based therapy that supports the processing of unresolved experiences at the root of many emotional and psychological difficulties.
EMDR for PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing something overwhelming or distressing.
It doesn’t always look the way people expect.
For some, it shows up as:
- intrusive memories or flashbacks
- feeling on edge or easily triggered
- difficulty relaxing or feeling safe
- avoiding certain people, places, or situations
- strong emotional or physical reactions that don’t seem to match the present
For others, it can feel more subtle:
- feeling like something from the past is still “there,” even if life has moved on
- feeling disconnected or numb
- noticing patterns in relationships or reactions that are hard to explain