When a past experience still lives in your body, EMDR helps your mind process it so it loses its grip. It is one of the most researched trauma therapies in the world, and you do not have to retell your story in detail to feel the difference.
No referral needed · in-person or online · delivered by EMDR-trained Registered Psychotherapists.
Clinically reviewed by Svetlana Antonyshyn, Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #001652). Last reviewed June 2026.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a structured therapy that helps your brain do what it naturally wants to do: process a difficult experience so it can be filed away as part of your past, instead of staying raw and easily triggered in the present.
It was developed by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro, whose first controlled study was published in 1989. Since then it has become one of the most studied trauma therapies, recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization, the UK’s NICE guidelines, and the U.S. Veterans Affairs and Defense clinical guideline.
In session you briefly bring a memory to mind while following gentle, back-and-forth bilateral stimulation (side-to-side eye movements, taps, or tones). Researchers are still studying exactly how this works, but the effect is consistent: the memory tends to become less vivid and less distressing, so you can recall it without being pulled back into it.
EMDR helps a stuck, painful memory finish processing, so it stops setting off the same emotional and physical alarm. You stay awake and in control the whole time, and you do not have to describe the event in detail.
EMDR does not erase what happened. It helps the experience settle into the past, where it belongs. Pick something that sounds familiar and see the arc.
“A sound or a smell, and suddenly I am right back there, heart pounding, like it is happening again.”
You hold the memory in mind for a few seconds while you follow gentle eye movements or taps. Your therapist guides short sets and pauses often, and you simply notice whatever shifts. Nothing is forced.
“It is still a memory, but it has lost its charge. I can think about it now without my whole body bracing.”
This is the heart of EMDR, tailored to your story and paced to feel safe. Talk it through with an EMDR therapist, free for 20 minutes.
EMDR’s evidence is strongest and best established for trauma and PTSD. Many people also find it helpful for the patterns that trace back to painful experiences, which we approach as promising rather than certain.
EMDR is one of several therapy approaches we offer, and it is often combined with talk therapy. In your free consult we will help you decide whether it fits, or whether another approach suits you better.
We think you deserve the real picture, with sources, not slogans. Here is where the evidence stands.
Recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization, NICE (UK), the ISTSS, and the U.S. VA/DoD, which advise trauma therapies like EMDR over medication as a first-line treatment.
WHO 2013 · NICE 2018 · ISTSS 2018/19 · VA/DoD 2023
Supported by more than 30 randomized controlled trials for the treatment of trauma and PTSD.
A network meta-analysis of 90 trials and 6,560 participants found EMDR and trauma-focused CBT to be among the most effective therapies for adult PTSD.
A meta-analysis of EMDR trials found a moderate-to-large reduction in PTSD symptoms.
An honest note: the outcomes for trauma and PTSD are well supported, but scientists are still studying exactly how EMDR works, and how much the eye movements themselves contribute. We will never oversell it. What we can say is that it has helped a great many people, and that it is delivered here by trained, accountable clinicians.
EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol. The most important part comes first: building safety before any memory work.
We never rush into the hard memories. Your therapist builds grounding and self-calming skills first, goes at the pace you set, and you can pause or stop at any time. For complex trauma, we stabilize before we process.
You and your therapist map your history together and decide what to work on. Before any processing, you learn grounding and calming skills so you feel resourced and in control.
You briefly hold a memory in mind while following sets of bilateral stimulation, then pause and notice what shifts. Your therapist tracks how distressing it feels and keeps going until it settles.
As the charge comes down, a calmer, truer belief about yourself is strengthened. Every session ends with you grounded and settled, never mid-distress.
Sessions run about 60 to 90 minutes. A single, discrete trauma can often be worked through in roughly three sessions; complex or repeated trauma takes longer, with more time spent on preparation.
EMDR is powerful, which is exactly why it should be delivered carefully. Our therapists are EMDR-trained and tailor it to your nervous system, not the other way around.
InnerSight was founded by Svetlana Antonyshyn, RP, on the belief that healing should treat the person, not a label. Every therapist here is a Registered Psychotherapist regulated by the CRPO and supported by monthly clinical supervision. More about our approach.
All three are Registered Psychotherapists with EMDR training and a trauma-informed approach. Watch a short intro, read their full profile, or let us match you in your free consultation.
Not sure who fits? Browse all 25+ therapists or let us match you in a free consultation. You can switch anytime, and your file moves with you.
No hidden fees. Most clients pay little or nothing out of pocket after insurance.
Meet an EMDR therapist, ask anything, and see if it feels right. No obligation.
Most private insurance plans cover a portion of services from a Registered Psychotherapist. We provide receipts for direct claims.
Sessions with supervised therapists in training, at a lower rate. Same structure, same care, more accessible.
Psychotherapy is also tax-deductible as a medical expense in Canada. Worried about cost? See our reduced-fee program.
Yes. EMDR is recommended for post-traumatic stress disorder by the World Health Organization, the UK’s NICE guidelines, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, and it is supported by more than 30 randomized controlled trials. It is consistently found about as effective as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy for PTSD.
No. Unlike many trauma therapies, EMDR does not require you to describe the event in detail or relive it out loud, and there is no homework between sessions. You briefly bring the memory to mind while your therapist guides short sets of bilateral stimulation, and you share only as much as you want to.
No. During EMDR you stay fully awake, aware, and in control the entire time, and you can ask your therapist to pause or stop at any point. It is a structured, collaborative process, not hypnosis.
Bilateral stimulation is gentle, rhythmic left-right input, most often side-to-side eye movements, but also light taps or alternating tones, that you follow while briefly holding a memory in mind. It is a core part of the standard EMDR protocol.
It varies. A single, discrete trauma can often be worked through in about three sessions, while complex or repeated trauma takes longer and includes more preparation. Sessions usually run 60 to 90 minutes, and your therapist will give you a realistic sense of timing after your first meetings.
EMDR is widely used and generally well tolerated, but it can bring up strong emotions during and briefly after a session. That is why your therapist spends time first building grounding and stabilization skills, works at a pace you set, and lets you stop at any point. For complex trauma we go slowly and stabilize before processing.
Yes. EMDR can be delivered effectively over secure video anywhere in Ontario, using on-screen visual movement, tones, or self-tapping for the bilateral stimulation. We also offer it in person in Woodbridge, Vaughan and Barrie. Your therapist will help you decide what fits.
No referral is needed. You can book a free 20-minute consultation online at psychotherapyclinic.janeapp.com or call (905) 553-9507. Our EMDR is delivered by EMDR-trained Registered Psychotherapists, and most private insurance plans cover a portion.
In-person sessions at three locations, plus secure video sessions anywhere in Ontario. Evenings and weekends available.
Online in 2 minutes or by phone. No referral, no credit card.
Talk it through and get matched with the right fit for you.
Build safety first, then gently process what has felt stuck.
In immediate crisis or having thoughts of suicide? Call or text 988 any time, or call 911. You deserve support right now.
