Eye Movement
Desensitization And Reprocessing
EMDR therapy is a relative newcomer to therapy approaches that has proven extremely successful.
Your past doesn't define you
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing or EMDR is a therapy method used to treat conditions caused by memories from traumatic events in your past. The approach involves having you move your eyes a specific way while you process traumatic memories.
The goal of EMDR is to heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. The first clinical trial investigating EMDR was in 1989 and dozens of trials since have shown this technique is effective and relatively quick. It is known for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but its use is expanding to treat other conditions.
In fact, it can help people with a wide range of mental health conditions, and it can be effective for children, adolescents, teenagers and adults of all ages.
Therapy solutions for trauma.
Better Life Counselling & Therapy
Unraveling Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offers a distinctive therapeutic approach aimed at easing the emotional weight of trauma, spanning from acute incidents like accidents to enduring stressors such as persistent conflict or childhood neglect. At the heart of this therapy lies the restoration of a sense of safety, often diminished by traumatic experiences.
Trauma shapes our emotional terrain not solely through the events themselves, but also through our responses to them. EMDR creates a secure, controlled space where individuals can confront these reactions. Through the use of rapid eye movements, EMDR replicates the psychological conditions of REM sleep, thought to be pivotal in processing emotional memories. This process seeks to deactivate the persistent survival mechanisms that fuel trauma symptoms, potentially alleviating conditions like PTSD, and fosters a natural psychological healing journey.
What happened to you is not your fault and you do not have to face the healing process alone.
PTSD & Trauma Therapy In BC
Symptoms of Trauma
In the example of post-traumatic stress disorder, an event or events may cause you to experience
Trauma and PTSD can affect cognitive functions, making it hard to concentrate or make decisions. This can impact their job performance and daily functioning.
These symptoms are not a sign of weakness but are normal reactions to abnormal circumstances.
Therapy can help.
Michelle Rahn
Registered Clinical Counsellor
About Us
Why Choose Better Life Counselling & Therapy?
At Better Life Counselling & Therapy, our approach centres around the belief that you are already whole – it is our job to provide the support and guidance you need to bring forth the best version of yourself.
We help you connect with the right therapist for your needs in a safe and welcoming environment. Our experienced team provides the support, tools and evidenced-based treatments to build a life that feels better. We provide in-person therapy in Victoria and Coquitlam, and virtual therapy across British Columbia. Our convenient appointments include options for evening and weekend sessions and no wait list.
We want to help you build confidence, connect with yourself, and strengthen your relationships.
We provide therapy that is:
Authentic
We believe healing requires a genuine connection between a therapist and client. We provide you with a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Individualized
Evidence-Based
Even in the most stuck places – relief is possible. Our integrative approach combines the most effective therapies to create lasting change.
Practical
The skills and strategies you will gain from working with us can be used immediately after each session to help you feel better faster.
Better Life Counselling & Therapy
Therapists Offering EMDR Therapy
We help you connect with the right therapist for your needs in a safe and welcoming environment. Our experienced team provides the support, tools and evidenced-based treatments to build a life that feels better.
EMDR Therapy In BC
How Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing Works
Focus on healing
Trauma can be from a single event or prolonged experience. Struggling with a past experience or traumatic event can hold you back from fully living. You are not broken or damaged. You’re just hurt. Healing from trauma isn’t just about symptom relief. Healing also involves understanding your experience and navigating the emotions, triggers and environments that are keeping you from moving forward.
What makes the event traumatic is not the event itself, but your emotional experience of it. The brain’s reaction to trauma can be thought of as a survival mechanism, protecting us from perceived threats. When this survival response doesn’t switch off, trauma symptoms continue, and PTSD may develop.
That’s when EMDR can help. Rather than talking in detail about the trauma, EMDR focuses on changing your emotions, thoughts or behaviors that result from it. This allows your brain to resume a natural healing process.
EMDR can also be used to treat anxiety disorders, depression disorders, eating disorders and more.
Do you still have questions about EMDR? Contact us for help. With over 40 years of private practice experience, our approach at Better Life Counselling & Therapy centers around the belief that you are already whole. It is our job to provide the support and guidance you need to bring forth the best version of yourself.
Better Life Counselling & Therapy
What You Can Expect
Depending on your unique circumstances, attending therapy for trauma can be a transformative journey. You may notice a decrease in trauma-related symptoms, increased resilience, and improved functioning in daily life, as well as being able to:
Live with more confidence
Have an easier time making decisions
Regulate your emotions
Deepen existing relationships
Form new connections
Develop healthy coping mechanisms
Get Started With Better Life Counselling & Therapy
We Make Getting Started Easy
Book An Appointment
Book A Free Consultation
Contact us today to find out more about our Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy.
If you have questions about therapy, our services, or would like to get in touch for other reasons, please submit a message via our contact form. We will respond within the same day (Sundays excluded).
Better Life
Counselling & Therapy
Better Life
Counselling & Therapy
Trauma may be part of your life story but it does not define who you are now or in the future.