EMDR Therapy in Ottawa
Evidence-based eye movement therapy that helps process traumatic memories and reduce distress, including specialized applications for performance and sport.
About EMDR
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help individuals heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that result from disturbing life experiences. Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro and recognized by the World Health Organization and the American Psychiatric Association, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements, taps, or tones) to help the brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer feel overwhelming in the present.
Who Can Benefit?
EMDR is widely used to treat trauma, but its applications extend well beyond PTSD. It can help individuals struggling with:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma
- Single-incident trauma (accidents, assaults, medical events)
- Childhood adversity and attachment wounds
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
- Grief, loss, and unresolved bereavement
- Performance anxiety and persistent self-doubt
- Distressing memories that intrude on daily life
- Symptoms tied to a specific event you can't seem to "move past"
You don't need a formal diagnosis to benefit. If a memory or experience continues to affect how you feel, think, or relate to others, EMDR may help.
Our Approach to EMDR
At Culminate Therapy, EMDR follows the standard eight-phase protocol, paced carefully to your comfort and stability. The phases include:
- History & Treatment Planning: Understanding your story and identifying targets for processing.
- Preparation & Resourcing: Building grounding skills and internal resources before processing begins.
- Assessment: Identifying the specific memory, image, belief, and body sensation to target.
- Desensitization: Using bilateral stimulation to reprocess the memory and reduce its emotional charge.
- Installation, Body Scan, Closure & Reevaluation: Reinforcing adaptive beliefs, ensuring residual distress is resolved, and consolidating gains between sessions.
We never push you past what feels safe. Stabilization comes first, and processing only begins once you have the tools to manage it.
Benefits of EMDR
EMDR is recognized for producing meaningful change, often without requiring detailed verbal recounting of the trauma:
- Reduced intensity of intrusive memories, flashbacks, and nightmares
- Lower emotional reactivity to triggers and reminders
- Faster results than many traditional talk-therapy approaches for trauma
- Shifts in self-limiting beliefs toward more adaptive perspectives
- Improved sleep, focus, and emotional regulation
- Lasting relief: gains generally hold beyond the end of therapy
- Restored sense of safety, agency, and connection
Your Path to Healing
Difficult memories don't have to define your present. Our trauma-informed therapists offer EMDR in a compassionate, paced way, helping you process what's been holding you back and move forward with greater ease. Reach out to learn whether EMDR is the right fit for you.
EMDR for Performance & Sport
The same mechanism that helps the brain reprocess trauma can also clear the mental blocks that hold high performers back. EMDR for Performance & Sport applies the standard EMDR protocol to the specific pressures faced by athletes, coaches, performers, and professionals operating in high-stakes environments. The goal is not to treat illness, but to remove what's getting in the way of confident, sustainable performance.
It can help with:
- Performance anxiety, competition nerves, and pre-event overthinking
- Performance blocks, slumps, and the "yips"
- Recovery after injury, accidents, or fear around return-to-play
- Loss of confidence or self-trust following a setback or public mistake
- Intrusive memories of a specific game, event, or moment that keep replaying
- Identity shifts around injury, role change, retirement, or transition
As with all EMDR work, we build stabilization and resourcing first, then reprocess the target memories or beliefs so they no longer hijack focus under pressure. Many people notice a calmer baseline, sharper concentration, and a restored sense of self-trust.
EMDR for Performance & Sport is a clinical service delivered by a registered psychotherapist. It pairs naturally with the non-clinical Performance Under Pressure coaching offered through Culminate Performance. Together, therapy clears what's stuck and coaching builds what's next.
Is EMDR Right for You?
Our Ottawa therapists are experienced in working with a wide range of concerns and will help determine if this approach is the best fit for your situation. Book a free consultation to discuss your specific needs, in person at our Hintonburg office or virtually anywhere in Ontario.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does EMDR therapy cost in Ottawa?
EMDR is provided within standard individual sessions, so fees follow our standard individual rates: $170 to $185 for a 50-minute session, depending on the therapist. Psychotherapy and counselling services are HST-exempt, so no tax is added.
Do I have to describe my trauma in detail for EMDR to work?
No. One reason many people choose EMDR is that it does not require detailed verbal recounting of the traumatic experience: the processing happens through bilateral stimulation while you hold the memory in mind.
Does EMDR work over video?
EMDR is offered both in person at our Hintonburg office and virtually across Ontario, using screen-based bilateral stimulation. Your therapist will confirm during your consultation whether a virtual format is a good fit for your situation.
How many EMDR sessions will I need?
It depends on your history and goals: a single-incident trauma generally takes less time than long-standing or repeated experiences, and stabilization always comes before processing. Your therapist will map out a plan with you and review it as you go.
Is EMDR covered by insurance?
EMDR delivered by a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) or Registered Social Worker (MSW, RSW) is typically claimed as psychotherapy under extended health plans, and many of our therapists offer direct billing to major insurers. Confirm with your insurer which designations your plan covers.
How do I get started with EMDR?
Book a free 20-minute consultation through our consultation page or directly at culminategroup.janeapp.com. Your therapist will assess whether EMDR is the right fit and explain exactly what the process would look like for you.