EMDR Therapy
Some memories don't stay in the past. EMDR helps your brain file them there.
You already know what happened. Knowing hasn't made it lighter.
A certain sound, a certain argument, a certain time of year — and your body reacts like it's happening again. Or there's no trigger at all, just a constant weight you've learned to carry.
EMDR is a structured approach that helps the brain process distressing memories so they carry less weight — reducing trauma's grip and helping you move forward with more steadiness.
What EMDR is
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It's an evidence-based, structured therapy developed specifically for processing distressing memories and trauma.
Here's the plain-language version. When something overwhelming happens, the brain sometimes doesn't file the memory properly. It stays "live" — carrying the original images, emotions, and body sensations — and gets triggered as if the threat were still present.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements) while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. This appears to help the brain reprocess the memory so it becomes something you remember, rather than something you re-experience.
What it isn't: hypnosis, and not endless talking. You stay fully aware and in control the entire time.
What EMDR may help with
Trauma & PTSD — Single-incident trauma, or the kind that builds over years.
Complex PTSD — When the difficult experiences were repeated, prolonged, or happened in relationships you couldn't leave.
Adverse Childhood Experiences — What happened when you were young, still shaping how you respond now.
Trauma underneath addiction — Substance use often starts as a way to manage what hasn't been processed. EMDR can target what's underneath.
Anxiety & distressing memories — Experiences that don't meet a PTSD diagnosis but still interfere with your life.
You don't need a diagnosis to benefit. If a memory or period of your life still runs the show, that's reason enough.
You don't have to tell the whole story
This matters to a lot of people, so we'll say it clearly:
EMDR does not require a blow-by-blow retelling of what happened.
The processing happens largely internally. Your therapist needs enough to guide the work — not every detail. You control the pace and the depth, always.
For people who've avoided therapy because they can't face saying it all out loud, this is often the reason EMDR becomes the way in.
How EMDR works at Wayfinder
EMDR is a phased approach — we don't start with the hardest material on day one.
Preparation first — Your therapist takes a history, explains the process, and builds coping skills so you have solid ground before any processing begins
Processing at your pace — Target memories are worked through one at a time, with you in control
Integration — The goal is a memory that no longer hijacks your present
Both of our clinicians are trained in EMDR, and treatment may combine it with other approaches like CBT or DBT depending on your goals.
One honest note: EMDR is well-supported by research for trauma, but no therapy works identically for everyone. If it's not the right fit, we'll say so and adjust the approach with you.
Does EMDR work virtually?
Yes. Virtual EMDR uses on-screen bilateral stimulation and is delivered across Ontario.
You attend from a private, comfortable space — which for many people processing trauma is actually easier than a clinic office.
Fees & booking
Consultation Call
20 Minutes
Free
EMDR Therapy
50 Minutes
$220
We're a private-pay clinic and provide receipts you can submit to your extended health insurance plan. Coverage depends on your plan and can't be guaranteed.
Common questions
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It depends on what you're working through. A single-incident trauma may resolve in relatively few processing sessions; complex or repeated trauma takes longer. Your therapist will give you an honest read as the work develops — not a guaranteed number upfront.
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No. You're awake, aware, and in control throughout. You can stop at any point.
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You'll briefly bring the memory to mind, but you won't be asked to narrate every detail or stay immersed in it. Preparation comes first, and you set the pace.
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Often, yes — when trauma or painful experiences are driving the use. EMDR targets what's underneath, and it can be combined with the substance-use work itself. See our Individual Therapy page for how that fits together.
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Yes. EMDR is used with adolescents, and our clinicians work with teens as well as adults. Fit is assessed individually — the free consultation is the place to start.
How to start
1 — Make the Call → Free 20-minute consultation
2 — Make the Connection → Match with the therapist that fits
3 — Make the Change → Build recovery that lasts
Ready when you are
You don't need to be certain therapy will work before you reach out.
Twenty minutes on the phone costs nothing and commits you to nothing.