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What is EMDR? A plain-English guide to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (Calgary)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured trauma therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or audio) while the client holds a distressing memory in mind. The brain appears to use this input to finally process and integrate experiences that were stuck. EMDR is the leading evidence-based treatment for PTSD and works for many other trauma-rooted presentations.

Where EMDR came from

EMDR was developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987, after she noticed that certain eye movements seemed to reduce the intensity of distressing thoughts. Shapiro spent the next decades building it into a structured 8-phase protocol with research behind every step. EMDR has since become one of the most widely recognized trauma treatments globally.

The core mechanism

Trauma is not just a memory. It is a memory the brain failed to process and file properly. The result is that the body, nervous system, and emotional brain keep reacting as if the event were still happening. EMDR appears to help the brain finally complete the processing through bilateral stimulation, which mimics aspects of REM sleep when the brain naturally processes daily experience.

The exact neurological mechanism is still being researched. The outcomes are well documented.

The 8 phases of EMDR

  1. History taking
  2. Preparation (building resources, safety, regulation skills)
  3. Assessment (selecting the target memory and identifying associated thoughts, feelings, sensations)
  4. Desensitization (the bilateral stimulation sets while holding the memory)
  5. Installation (strengthening a positive belief about the experience)
  6. Body scan (checking for any remaining physical disturbance)
  7. Closure (returning to a calm state before the session ends)
  8. Reevaluation (checking progress at the next session)

What EMDR is used for

  • Single-incident PTSD
  • Complex PTSD (with significant preparation work)
  • Anxiety with traumatic origin
  • Specific phobias
  • Performance anxiety
  • Stuck grief from a defined loss
  • Medical trauma, accident trauma, assault trauma
  • First responder trauma
  • Childhood trauma (in adults)

What an EMDR session looks like

Early sessions focus on history-taking, treatment planning, and building resources (calm place imagery, grounding skills, parts work introductions). Once you and the clinician agree you are ready, reprocessing sessions follow. You hold a target memory in mind while doing bilateral eye movements (or tapping) at the clinician's pace. Between sets, the clinician checks in briefly.

The work is largely internal. You may say very little during the active processing. Sessions usually run 60 to 90 minutes.

How long EMDR takes

Single-incident trauma often resolves in 6 to 12 sessions. Complex trauma typically takes longer, with significant stabilization work before reprocessing.

Evidence base

EMDR is endorsed as a first-line trauma treatment by the WHO, the American Psychological Association, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and most major trauma research bodies. Hundreds of randomized controlled trials support its use.

Common misconceptions about EMDR

EMDR is not hypnosis. You remain awake, present, and in control throughout. EMDR is not "fast" in the sense of skipping the work, but it often produces results in fewer sessions than traditional talk-based trauma therapy. EMDR is not just for combat veterans. Most EMDR clients in Calgary are working on civilian trauma: accidents, assault, medical events, childhood experiences, sudden loss.

When EMDR is not the right fit

EMDR may not be the first move when there is significant active substance use, untreated dissociative disorders that need stabilization first, or insufficient regulation capacity to tolerate processing. A trained EMDR clinician will assess readiness and recommend preparation work when needed.

EMDR at Curio Counselling Calgary

Several Curio Counselling Calgary clinicians are formally trained in EMDR and integrate it with the wider trauma toolkit: polyvagal theory, parts work, attachment theory, and somatic awareness. The pacing respects the client. Free 20-minute consultations help you decide if EMDR with a Curio clinician is the right next step.

Curio Counselling Calgary is at 1414 8 St SW Suite 200, Calgary, AB T2R 1J6, in the Beltline. Phone 403-243-0303. EMDR is available in-person and, where clinically appropriate, virtually across Alberta.