EMDR · Trauma & PTSD · Ottawa & online
EMDR Therapy in Ottawa
When the past won’t stay past.
You already understand your triggers. You’ve probably explained them to yourself a hundred times. But insight alone rarely stops a nervous system from reacting; that’s not a willpower problem, it’s how stuck memories work. EMDR exists for exactly this: memories that won’t stay in the past, no matter how well you understand them.
Side-to-side movements help stuck memories finally settle.
What is EMDR therapy?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured, evidence-based psychotherapy for trauma and PTSD. Using bilateral stimulation (typically guided eye movements), it helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they’re stored as something that happened, rather than something that keeps happening.
You don’t have to describe the memory in detail for it to work, and nothing is erased. The memory stays, but its grip loosens.
I’m an EMDR-trained Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO #11921) and a member of EMDR Canada and EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association. I have completed advanced training in the Four-Blink version of the Flash Technique with Thomas Zimmerman.
Not all trauma is the same, and your treatment plan shouldn’t be either
When choosing an EMDR therapist in Ottawa, it helps to know there’s a real difference between treating a single-incident trauma and treating complex PTSD.
For a single traumatic event, like a car accident, an injury, or an assault, EMDR can follow a direct protocol: target the specific memory, desensitize the distress, and strengthen a healthier core belief. Where a memory feels too overwhelming to approach directly, I may first use the Flash Technique, an evidence-informed method that lowers a memory’s intensity without requiring you to consciously focus on it.
For complex trauma, like long-term relationship trauma, childhood abuse, or years of invalidation, moving straight into standard EMDR protocols can overwhelm the nervous system and risk making things worse. Complex PTSD needs a slower, phased approach, which is why I pursued dedicated training in adapting EMDR for complex PTSD with Kathy Martin. If that’s your situation, my guide to complex PTSD treatment in Ottawa explains how the pieces fit together.
Safety first: what happens before any processing
I don’t rush trauma processing. The prerequisite for all of it is an internalized sense of safety, built deliberately at the pace of your nervous system, so you stay within what trauma therapists call your “window of tolerance.”
That groundwork is somatic: learning to track what your body is doing, catching activation early, and practicing grounding skills until settling becomes something you can do, not just something that happens to you. The aim is dual awareness: staying anchored in the present while the past is being worked on, so that whatever opens in a session can be safely closed before you leave it.
How I work with complex PTSD
Where complex trauma is involved, I integrate EMDR with other approaches rather than using it alone:
- Parts work (IFS and structural dissociation theory). Complex trauma often splits the self into parts: some carrying pain, some standing guard. We work with the protective parts first, so the system isn’t fighting the therapy.
- CBT skills. Practical tools for challenging entrenched negative beliefs and steadying day-to-day anxiety while deeper reprocessing happens.
- Relational work. Unresolved trauma often plays out between partners. Where that’s the pattern, trauma-informed couples therapy can be part of the plan.
What a session looks like
- 1
First sessions are history and stabilization, not trauma details
We map what you’re carrying and build your settling skills. You will never be pushed to tell your story before you’re ready.
- 2
Processing sessions are structured
You hold a target memory lightly in mind while following bilateral stimulation in short sets. I check in constantly; you can stop at any point.
- 3
Sessions end contained
We close each session with grounding, so you leave regulated, not raw.
Sessions are 50 minutes, in person at 9 Melrose Ave in Hintonburg, Ottawa, or online.
If a weekly time is hard to commit to, or you would rather work in a more focused format, I also offer EMDR intensives.
EMDR in Hintonburg and online across Ontario
The office is at 9 Melrose Ave in Hintonburg, near Wellington Village and a short walk from Tunney’s Pasture. If you’re anywhere else in Ontario, EMDR works well over secure video. Virtual sessions follow the same structure and the same safety-first pacing as in-person work.
Fees and practical details
- Free 15-minute consultation. No forms, no pressure, just a conversation about fit.
- Individual session (50 minutes): $200.
- Insurance: you pay per session and receive a detailed receipt with my CRPO registration number (#11921) to claim through your extended health plan. Most Ontario plans cover Registered Psychotherapists. I don’t bill insurance directly.
- No referral needed.
Questions people ask about EMDR
What’s the difference between EMDR and regular talk therapy?
Talk therapy works through insight: analyzing thoughts and experiences to understand them. That’s valuable, but understanding alone doesn’t always change how your body reacts. EMDR works at the level of the memory itself: bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess stuck memories so the nervous system stops treating them as current threats. Less explaining, more resolving.
Is EMDR safe for complex PTSD?
Yes, with the right pacing. EMDR is an evidence-based treatment for complex PTSD, but standard protocols applied too fast can overwhelm a nervous system shaped by long-term trauma. I adapt the process: grounding and somatic skills first, parts work where protective parts need to come on board, and processing only when your system is stable and prepared.
Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?
No. EMDR doesn’t require a detailed retelling. You hold the memory in mind while the bilateral stimulation does its work, and with the Flash Technique, even consciously focusing on the memory isn’t required. What you say out loud is always up to you.
How long does EMDR take?
It depends on what you’re carrying. Single-incident trauma can often be processed in a relatively short, linear course of treatment. Complex or childhood trauma takes longer, because the stabilization phase, where we build regulation skills and internal safety, comes first and can’t be skipped. We’ll assess readiness together and set a paced plan in your first sessions, so you always know where things stand. For an honest look at the evidence and what change actually looks like, see does EMDR really work?
Is EMDR covered by insurance in Ontario?
Most extended health plans in Ontario cover psychotherapy provided by a Registered Psychotherapist. Check your plan’s specific coverage. After each session you’ll receive a detailed receipt with my CRPO registration number to submit for reimbursement. I don’t bill insurance directly.
One small ripple is enough to start.
A free 15-minute call. No forms, no pressure to tell your story before you’re ready.
Book a free 15-minute call