Is EMDR only for trauma?

No. EMDR can also help with anxiety, burnout, grief, self-criticism, and performance blocks.

Can I do EMDR online?

Yes. EMDR can be effectively delivered online using virtual bilateral stimulation methods.

How many sessions does EMDR take?

It varies by individual. Some issues resolve in 6–12 sessions, while others require longer-term work.

When provided by a trained clinician, EMDR is a safe, well-researched method where clients remain in control.

EMDR Therapy in Coquitlam, Port Moody & Online Across BC

Q: What is an EMDR Intensive?

An EMDR Intensive is a focused 1–5 day therapy format designed for accelerated progress in trauma or stress recovery.

EMDR: Helping your mind, heart & body find calm and peace.

Most people have some history with situations that, when brought to mind, feel unsafe, overwhelming, or stuck - even if it doesn't seem to make sense to have a reaction. This can show up as:

overthinking/ ruminating. looping constantly,
reacting more intensely than you want to - emotionally, in action, or in bodily sensations,
shutting down or becoming emotionally exhausted/ burnt out during stress,
unable to move past certain experiences, and/or;
functioning on the outside while struggling internally.

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy helps the brain and nervous system process experiences that continue to feel emotionally “stuck,” so that life no longer feels driven by survival patterns alone. At Kayda Health, we offer EMDR in Coquitlam, Port Moody, and online across BC for adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, burnout, panic, grief, and chronic overwhelm.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy with a structured, experiential, and imaginal process that creates changes on a neurological level. It helps reprocess difficult memories, sensations, beliefs, and emotions to lose emotional intensity/ vividness and create a positive shift.

EMDR is recognized by the World Health Organization, American Psychological Association, Veteran Affairs Canada, and International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies as a highly effective and evidence based therapy, and has been used to treat millions of people worldwide. It is considered in most places as the gold-standard for trauma/ PTSD treatment. You can read more about EMDR on the EMDR International Association website here or the EMDR Canada site here.

What Can EMDR Help With?

Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Burnout
Emotional Exhaustion
Childhood Trauma
Relationship Wounds
PTSD/Complex Trauma
Low Self-worth
Perfectionism
People Pleasing
Grief & Loss
Trauma and Emotionally Overwhelming Experiences
Stress-related physical symptoms
Medical Trauma
Workplace Trauma
Intergenerational Patterns & Trauma
Phobias & fears
Performance Anxiety (public speaking, exams, work presentations)
Athletic Performance
Chronic pain

At Kayda Health, we frequently work with high-functioning/ high-performing people who have spent years coping, pushing through, or carrying too much.

You don't have to be stuck.

Healing can happen, even if you have been carrying a heavy weight for years.

Who is EMDR For? Why Choose EMDR?

Many people come to EMDR after years of insight-oriented therapy, self-awareness, and personal growth work, but still emotionally stuck. While long recognized as a top therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), EMDR is also for people who are:

feeling stuck in trauma, anxiety, panic, or burnout,
overwhelmed with poor self concept (ie. lack of self worth, sense of failure, sense of not belonging, etc.)
needing to be less reactive, calmer internally. more emotionally flexible,
wishing to feel more connected to themselves and others,
athletes facing performance issues,
needing a way to do a "check up from the neck up" to relieve chronic or regular stress,
caught in rumination, overthinking, replaying or looping, and/or;
struggling with unhealthy responses to triggers (ie. drinking/ overreacting/ avoidance/ poor performance/ lack of assertiveness or boundaries, etc.).

EMDR at Kayda Health

Our EMDR-trained clinicians each bring their own style and expertise to providing EMDR in Coquitlam, Port Moody, and virtually across British Columbia. We are deeply committed to working helping you find what works best for your nervous system, your story, and your pace. EMDR sessions can be booked as 1-Hour, 1.5 Hour (recommended), or 3-Hour sessions following an initial session for intake and assessment. We also 1-5 Day EMDR Intensives.

Meet Our EMDR Therapists

Our approach to EMDR emphasizes safety, pacing, nervous system regulation, and collaborative care.

We understand that trauma work can feel vulnerable, and we aim to create a space that feels grounded, compassionate, and supportive throughout the process. Our EMDR Trained Clinicians are:

Sarah Susswein - Clinical and focused, Sarah integrates EMDR with Clinical Hypnosis and REWIND Trauma Therapy. Sarah offers a free consult to help explore fit and readiness.
Crina Popa - Warm and grounding, Crina brings an experiential and solution-focused approach to EMDR. Crina offers a free consult to start.
Thea Megas - Welcoming and creative. Thea brings an expressive and integrative approach to EMDR; she is currently shifting her practice to offering EMDR Intensives, and continues to offer regular EMDR/ EMDR 2.0/ Flash Technique at this time.
Intern Jessica Arsenault - Vibrant & ND focused. As an Intern Therapist, Jess is able to offer light EMDR as part of her Internship at Kayda Health and will move to offering full EMDR once she has graduated her Master's Degree and registered with a professional association/ college. Jess offers a free consult to start.

EMDR Therapy at Kayda Health helps every part of you heal from what is holding you back. You can feel calm, grounded, and free, and we would be honoured to help you with this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can EMDR be done online?

Yes. EMDR can be adapted effectively for virtual therapy sessions using secure online platforms.

Is EMDR evidence-based?

Yes. EMDR is a well-researched therapy approach used for trauma, anxiety, PTSD, and distressing life experiences.

What is an EMDR Intensive?

An EMDR Intensive is an extended therapy format designed to support deeper therapeutic work over a shorter period of time.

EMDR Resouces

5 Ways To Regulate After An EMDR Session.png

Free EMDR Aftercare Booklet

With EMDR, processing continues between sessions - support your system between appointments.

Get Free EMDR Aftercare Booklet

Intro to EMDR

Watch this video from EMDRIA to understand more about EMDR.

Frequently asked questions

EMDR

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitizing & Reprocessing. EMDR is a type of therapy which combines Dual Attention Bilateral Stimulation (DABLS) (different body movements like tapping, eye movements, sounds, drawing, drumming, etc.), focused imagery, emotional activation, and free-association in order to: - desensitize issues that are disturbing, concerning, or troublesome; - reprocess the way a person sees the situation; - create a calm and neutral body. EMDR is highly researched, especially for use with trauma, and has been found to be extraordinarily helpful for many other issues. EMDR uses less talking than most forms of psychotherapy, and is understood to reprogram neural pathways. The DABLS is a core feature of EMDR - it is believed that the physical stimulation allows people to stay grounded in the present as well as disrupts the way the brain's working memory is holding on to a situation. EMDR allows people to move forward in their life, often much more quickly and meaningfully than what typical talk therapy can engender.

There are different theories on why EMDR works, and the simplest is: EMDR techniques tax the brain's working memory to the point that the brain cannot hold on to upsetting/traumatizing situations in the same way - it has to make way for something new or different. It's the idea that the brain can't do two complicated things well at once (ie. can't engage in EMDR and hold onto something troubling), so it has to let something go. In a nutshell, the brain has to give up the memory or aspects of it to participate in EMDR. Another theory is that through adaptive information processing EMDR helps the brain complete its natural healing process using relaxation techniques, imagery, and working memory taxation techniques such as eye movements, tapping, sound tones, or other specific body movements. This combination is understood to activate the brain to shift into a more adaptive perspective, regulate the nervous system, and integrate information more helpfully - perhaps similarly to how REM sleep works. Clients often describe EMDR as, "feeling like magic," and clinicians sometimes say, "It's the closest thing to magic I know." Many describe that targets (memories/ issues) fade into the background, become smaller and smaller as well as distant, become foggy or shielded in some manner, or disintegrate as if losing pixels. The targets are typically replaced by a sense of calm, freedom, and lightness.

EMDR begins by building a strong foundation of safety, trust, and regulation to land on as well as testing different techniques meant to tax the working memory. Together with your therapist, you will create personalized resources that help you feel steady -- in therapy AND daily life -- and find techniques that works well for you. When you are ready, your clinician will move with you into desensitizing and reprocessing the issues/ situations that are disturbing you or that you wish to treat - focusing on past, present, and future challenges. In every stage of EMDR, your job is quite simply to become an excellent observer of your inner experience - like a scientist noting whatever thoughts, emotions, sensations, images, situations, etc. come up for you as you engage in different techniques. Your clinician will regularly coach you towards whatever you are meant to focus on - the level of disturbance you are experiencing, the way you notice the disturbance now, associated concerns, and more. All you need to do is trust the process as best you can. The clinician is with you all the way through - prompting you with questions, asking what you are noticing, and staying with the techniques with you throughout. The process itself is predictable and even repetitive, making it easy to simply go with it. Outside of sessions, the benefits of EMDR are understood to continue, and as the neural pathways shift from the work, you are encouraged to take extra care of yourself - drinking water, resting as needed, nurturing your body and soul in every way. At the same time, you will benefit from paying attention to any new insights, changes in behaviour, new memories or triggers, and even any dreams - you will write these down and bring them back to therapy. Each session, any changes can be reviewed before returning the the target treatment plan your clinician and you prepare early on. EMDR is considered complete when you no longer feel disturbance in your heart, mind, or body, when thinking about whatever bothered you to start.

Many people come to EMDR after finding talking only goes so far. People understand on an intellectual level, but continue to feel stuck emotionally/ physically. This is because traditional, "top-down," therapy focusses on thoughts and insights. EMDR, however, works bottom-up -- helping the body and brain to release the emotions and sensations that words alone cannot always reach. In other words: EMDR doesn't require reliving every detail of your story. It works directly with your natural ability and capacity to heal. It often least to faster and longer lasting relief. If helps your body feel safe (not leaving you rationalizing that you should feel safe).

EMDR requires much less talking than typical therapy. Initially, you will need to be able to talk enough to help your clinician establish what the targets are (usually done in the Mandatory Initial Assessment). Throughout the process, if you are stuck, your clinician may ask you to share more details of what you are noticing. However, EMDR also allows you to stop the therapy at any time - with no justification, and there are many ways to modify to reduce talking as needed.

No; EMDR has been found to help with anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences. In fact, it can be used with anything at all that feels disturbing to you. prefer the comfort of home live outside the Tri-Cities or Lower Mainland area have demanding schedules experience anxiety or panic when leaving home want greater flexibility and accessibility

A 1.5 Hour Session is generally recommended. Following an Initial Intake & Assessment session, your clinician can offer a suggestion on this - Kayda Health offers 1-Hour, 1.5 Hour and 3 Hour sessions as well as longer Intensive EMDR Sessions. EMDR was built on the idea that sessions should be 1.25 hours to 1.5 hours long vs. a standard clinical hour (50 minutes). This gives appropriate time to manage whatever has come up in the session and improves treatment outcomes. Most people will benefit more from a 1.5 Hour EMDR session than they will from a 1 Hour session. 1-Hour sessions are recommended if you have concerns with tolerance/ attention or rely on insurance which does not allow 1.5 hour sessions. 3 Hour sessions are recommended for those who have tried EMDR, have good tolerance and would like to limit the amount of check-in time/ therapeutic interruption by addressing several issues all at once.

EMDR Therapy in Coquitlam, Port Moody & Online Across BC

What is EMDR Therapy?

What Can EMDR Help With?

Who is EMDR For? Why Choose EMDR?

EMDR at Kayda Health

Meet Our EMDR Therapists

Frequently Asked Questions

Can EMDR be done online?

Is EMDR evidence-based?

What is an EMDR Intensive?

EMDR Resouces

Frequently asked questions

What is EMDR? How does it work?

What is the theory behind EMDR?

What Happens During EMDR Therapy?

What's the difference between EMDR vs Talk Therapy?

Will I have to talk about trauma/ disturbing experiences?

Is EMDR only for Trauma?

Can EMDR be done online?

How fast does EMDR work?

What length of EMDR session should I book?

EMDR Therapy in Coquitlam, Port Moody & Online Across BC

What is EMDR Therapy?

​What Can EMDR Help With?

Who is EMDR For? Why Choose EMDR?

​EMDR at Kayda Health

Meet Our EMDR Therapists​

Frequently Asked Questions

Can EMDR be done online?

Is EMDR evidence-based?

What is an EMDR Intensive?

EMDR Resouces

Frequently asked questions

What is EMDR? How does it work?

What is the theory behind EMDR?

What Happens During EMDR Therapy?

What's the difference between EMDR vs Talk Therapy?

Will I have to talk about trauma/ disturbing experiences?

Is EMDR only for Trauma?

Can EMDR be done online?

How fast does EMDR work?

What length of EMDR session should I book?

What Can EMDR Help With?

EMDR at Kayda Health

Meet Our EMDR Therapists