EMDR THERAPY
Understanding EMDR.
Choosing your pace.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a structured psychotherapy used to address distress associated with traumatic experiences, with an established evidence base for PTSD.
Explore what treatment involves and how regularly scheduled appointments differ from an intensive format.
WHAT IT IS
More than eye movements.
EMDR brings together assessment, preparation, focused memory work and review. The aim is to reduce the distress connected with selected experiences and support more adaptive perspectives. Treatment does not erase what happened.
You and your therapist agree on goals and assess whether this approach fits your needs. Preparation may take more than one appointment. You can ask questions, slow down or stop.
Learn more: EMDR International Association
HOW IT WORKS
A structured process,
planned together.
Assessment and preparation
Discuss your history, current concerns and resources. Develop a plan, understand the process and practise ways to manage distress before memory reprocessing begins.
Focused memory work
When appropriate, bring a selected memory and associated beliefs, emotions and body sensations to mind while attending to brief sets of bilateral stimulation. Your therapist checks in between sets.
Closure and review
Allow time to finish the appointment, return attention to the present and plan between-session support. Later appointments review changes and decide what needs further work.
The full eight-phase framework includes history and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure and reevaluation. Not every phase occurs in every appointment.
Framework: The eight phases of EMDR therapy
What does the light bar do?
A light bar provides a moving visual point that a client follows with their eyes during therapist-guided sets. Other methods can include alternating taps or sounds. Equipment is one part of the process; the light bar by itself is not EMDR therapy.
EMDR combines attention to a memory with attention to the present. How its different components contribute to change is still being studied, so explanations about the brain’s mechanisms should be treated as models rather than settled facts.
Clinical overview: National Center for PTSD
STANDARD SESSIONS AND INTENSIVES
Same framework.
Different scheduling.
Individual appointments
Mind Works lists private individual counselling appointments of 50 minutes at $160, in person or virtually. Discuss whether EMDR is appropriate and which appointment length supports your treatment plan. Longer EMDR sessions may be arranged through the intensive options below.
- Work is spread across a series of visits.
- Time between appointments allows for reflection and monitoring.
- The pace can be reviewed as needs change.
A single appointment is not the same as a complete course of treatment. One memory can require more than one session.
EMDR intensives
An intensive concentrates treatment into longer appointments or several sessions over a shorter period. Mind Works currently lists a four-hour EMDR intensive (240 minutes) at $640 and a six-hour intensive (360 minutes) at $800 in Jane. Confirm how assessment, breaks and follow-up are arranged before booking.
- Requires individual assessment and preparation.
- Includes planned breaks, closure and follow-up.
- Needs consideration of stamina, support and time away from other commitments.
Intensives are not automatically a better or faster choice. The format should fit the person, treatment goals and clinical needs.
Prices are in Canadian dollars and were checked in Jane on October 26, 2026. Begin with a free 15-minute new-client phone or virtual consultation to discuss suitability. Check insurance coverage for extended appointments before booking. See fees, coverage and the 24-hour cancellation policy.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Before you decide.
Do I have to describe everything in detail?
EMDR does not generally require a detailed verbal account of every part of an experience. Your therapist still needs enough information for assessment and safe planning, and will discuss what you feel able to share.
Can difficult feelings come up?
Working with distressing experiences can bring up emotions, memories or body sensations during or between appointments. Preparation, pacing and a support plan are part of treatment. Tell your therapist about concerns or changes.
Does everyone need an intensive?
No. Regular appointments may be the better fit. An intensive should follow assessment and informed discussion, rather than being chosen on the assumption that a longer session guarantees a particular result.
How many sessions will I need?
This varies with your history, goals, readiness and response. Your therapist will review progress with you. No fixed number of visits or outcome is guaranteed.
DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS
Start with a conversation.
Ask about EMDR and whether it may fit your needs.