Online EMDR Therapy in Alberta

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a trauma therapy that helps your brain process experiences that still feel emotionally or physically “stuck.”

When something overwhelming or traumatic happens, your brain may not fully process the experience, especially when you feel powerless, unsafe, alone, or unable to make sense of what is happening. The memory can remain connected to the emotions, body sensations, beliefs, or sense of danger you experienced at the time.

In EMDR, you don’t have to tell the entire story in detail or repeatedly talk through what happened. 

Instead, you briefly bring the experience to mind while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating sounds or taps.  This supports the brain’s natural processing of the experience, which can help the memory become less emotionally charged and feel more like something that happened in the past rather than something that is still happening now. 

EMDR can help with traumatic memories as well as earlier experiences that continue to affect how you see yourself, respond to relationships, handle emotions, or react to situations in the present. 

EMDR follows a structured process, but it is not about rushing into difficult memories. Stage 4 involves the processing of traumatic or distressing material, but there are several important steps before reaching that stage.

Before beginning memory processing, we want to make sure you have enough safety, stability, and emotional capacity to engage with the process. This may include developing grounding skills, learning ways to manage strong emotions, building awareness of your internal responses, and strengthening your ability to return to a sense of safety when you become activated.

For some people, this preparation may take only a few sessions. For others, it may take longer. 

There is no set timeline for moving through the stages of EMDR. Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to assess readiness and determine what pace feels appropriate and supportive.

Taking time to prepare is not a sign that you are falling behind or avoiding the work. In many cases, developing a stronger sense of safety and capacity first can provide an important foundation for later processing. EMDR is not about forcing yourself through painful memories—it is about creating the conditions that allow the work to happen safely and at a pace that respects your individual needs.

1. Understanding Your Experiences
We begin by understanding what brings you to counselling, what you’ve been through, what you’re experiencing now, and what you would like to change.

2. Preparing for EMDR
Before processing difficult experiences, we make sure you have tools to manage emotions and feel grounded and safe enough to begin. You will know what to expect and have a chance to ask questions.

3. Identifying What Needs to Be Processed
We identify experiences that may still be affecting you and explore the thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs connected to them.

4. Processing the Experience
You briefly bring the experience to mind while using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or taps. You do not have to describe every detail or repeatedly tell the story.

5. Strengthening New Beliefs
As the experience becomes less emotionally charged, we work with more helpful and adaptive beliefs about yourself.

6. Checking the Body
We notice whether any physical tension or sensations remain connected to the experience and continue processing if needed.

7. Closing the Session
Each session ends with time to help you feel grounded and oriented. If processing is not complete, we make sure you have what you need to transition out of the session and return to your day. 

8. Checking In and Continuing the Work
At the beginning of the next session, we look at what has changed, what remains, and what your system may be ready to work on next.

EMDR is not about forcing yourself to relive what happened. It is about helping your brain and nervous system process experiences that still feel stuck, at a pace that feels manageable for you. 

EMDR 2.0 is an enhanced version of EMDR therapy that builds on the standard EMDR protocol while incorporating additional techniques to support the processing of distressing memories.

It draws on research into working memory and how memories can change when they are activated while your attention is engaged in other tasks. During EMDR 2.0, we may use more varied or engaging forms of bilateral stimulation and other working-memory tasks while you focus on a specific memory or experience.

EMDR 2.0 can be particularly useful when memories feel highly distressing, difficult to access, or seem resistant to processing with standard approaches. It may also be considered when someone has experienced chronic or complex trauma, although the appropriate approach depends on each person's individual circumstances.

As with EMDR more generally, EMDR 2.0 is not about forcing you to relive what happened or rushing through difficult memories. Preparation, safety, and your capacity to engage with the work remain important. We will consider your needs and readiness when deciding whether EMDR 2.0 is appropriate for you.

EMDR 2.0 is an evolving adaptation of EMDR, and research is continuing to examine how it compares with standard EMDR and for whom it may be most helpful.

The Flash Technique is a trauma-focused intervention that can be used alongside EMDR to help reduce the distress associated with difficult or traumatic memories. It was developed as a way of working with memories that may feel too overwhelming or difficult to approach directly.

Rather than asking you to focus intensely on a traumatic memory, the Flash Technique uses a positive, engaging focus while briefly bringing the memory into awareness. This can allow the emotional intensity connected to the memory to decrease without requiring you to vividly revisit or describe what happened.

For some people, this approach can provide a gentler starting point for trauma work, particularly when approaching a memory directly feels overwhelming. It may also be used during the preparation phase of EMDR to help build your capacity to engage with more direct processing later.

Research into the Flash Technique is promising but still developing. Your therapist can help determine whether it is an appropriate approach for your circumstances and how it might fit within your overall treatment plan.

We meet through a secure video session, and I guide you through each step of the process. You don't need to know how to do EMDR yourself. I will explain what we're doing, check in with you throughout, and adjust the pace based on what you need.

We don't begin by asking you to revisit your most difficult experiences. First, we take time to understand what you're experiencing and build the skills and resources that can help you feel grounded and supported. When we both feel you're ready, we can begin processing specific memories, emotions, or experiences that are still affecting you.

During processing, I may guide you through different forms of bilateral stimulation, such as following movements on your screen or using alternating sounds. You remain in control throughout the session, and we can slow down, pause, or stop whenever needed.

One of the benefits of online EMDR is that you can do this work in a familiar environment. You can settle into a space where you feel comfortable, have the things that help you feel grounded nearby, and return to your usual surroundings after our session.

Most importantly, online EMDR is still a therapy relationship. I am there with you, paying attention to your responses, helping you stay within a manageable level of emotional activation, and supporting you as we work at a pace that feels appropriate for you.