EMDR Therapy in Calgary – Evidence-Based EMDR Treatment for Trauma Recovery
Heal from Trauma with EMDR Therapy in Calgary
If you’re searching for a proven and effective trauma therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offers a transformative path to healing. At BodyMindSpirit Calgary, Psychologist Rea Kowal provides EMDR Therapy to help clients process painful memories, reduce emotional distress, and restore emotional balance—safely and effectively. Rea draws on advanced training to create a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to individual needs.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR Therapy is an eight-phase, structured psychotherapy approach that helps individuals reprocess traumatic experiences. It uses bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones—to help the brain re-integrate distressing memories into healthy neural networks.
Through this process, EMDR reduces the emotional intensity of traumatic memories, allowing individuals to remember events without being overwhelmed by them. Clients often experience relief from symptoms such as anxiety, flashbacks, and emotional numbness after just a few sessions.
The Science Behind EMDR Treatment
EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which suggests that trauma remains “stuck” in the brain when it isn’t fully processed. This prevents integration with adaptive, healthy memory networks. EMDR facilitates the brain’s natural self-healing capacity, helping clients reprocess stored memories and restore emotional balance.
As one of the most researched trauma therapies worldwide, EMDR has been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and numerous mental health associations as a first-line treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related symptoms.
What EMDR Therapy Can Help With
EMDR Therapy is used to support individuals dealing with a wide range of mental health challenges, including:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Depression and grief
- Addictions and eating disorders.
- Phobias and performance anxiety
- Chronic stress and somatic symptoms
Because EMDR addresses the root cause of distress rather than just the symptoms, it has been proven to result in long-lasting emotional healing and increased resilience.
Frequently Asked Questions
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured psychotherapy that helps individuals heal from trauma by using bilateral stimulation to reprocess painful memories.
EMDR activates both hemispheres of the brain through guided eye movements or tapping, helping reprocess stuck traumatic memories so they can integrate with healthy memory networks.
EMDR Therapy is effective for trauma, anxiety, depression, addictions, phobias, and grief. It’s also used for performance enhancement and stress relief.
Most clients experience noticeable improvements within 6 to 12 sessions, depending on the severity of trauma and personal progress. Your therapist will tailor the process to your needs.
Yes. EMDR is one of the most extensively researched trauma therapies and is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychological Association (APA) for its proven effectiveness.