West Vancouver EMDR Therapy
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Real Relief When Trauma Won't Let Go
You've tried everything. Regular therapy where you talked about what happened until you were exhausted. Self-help books. Meditation apps. Breathing exercises. But that traumatic event - whether it was last month or twenty years ago - still shows up as panic attacks, nightmares, or flashbacks that make your body react like it's happening all over again. When trauma gets stuck in your nervous system and talk therapy isn't cutting it, West Vancouver EMDR therapy offers a different path forward that actually works.
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and yeah, that's a mouthful. What matters is this: it helps your brain finally process traumatic memories so they stop hijacking your life. Creekside Counselling has worked with hundreds of folks across West Vancouver from Eagle harbour to Whitby Estates who thought they'd be stuck forever but found real relief through EMDR therapy.
Benefits of EMDR Therapy
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The thing about trauma is it doesn't live in your thoughts - it lives in your body. That's why you can logically know you're safe now but still feel terrified. EMDR therapy works with how your brain naturally processes information, helping traumatic memories get filed away properly instead of staying stuck on repeat.
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People choose EMDR because it works faster than traditional talk therapy for trauma. Instead of spending years rehashing every detail, most clients see real changes in 6-12 sessions. You don't have to talk through every painful moment out loud either, which matters a lot when the trauma involves abuse, assault, or things that feel impossible to put into words.
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EMDR helps with more than just big-T trauma too. It works for panic attacks, phobias, performance anxiety, grief that won't ease up, and those nagging negative beliefs about yourself that won't budge no matter how much positive thinking you throw at them. We've helped first responders from the West Van fire and police departments process the calls that stick with them, parents dealing with birth trauma, car accident survivors who can't get back behind the wheel, and folks carrying childhood wounds that still hurt decades later.
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The best part? The relief lasts. EMDR doesn't just cover up symptoms - it actually processes the memory so your brain stops treating it like an active threat. Most clients tell us they can finally think about what happened without their body freaking out. They sleep better, have fewer nightmares, stop avoiding places or people that remind them of the trauma, and generally get their life back.
Creekside Counselling's EMDR Process and Approach
We don't rush into EMDR work. First session or two, we're getting to know you, hearing your story, and making sure you feel safe with us. This isn't about diving straight into your worst memories - that actually doesn't help and can make things worse.
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Before any EMDR processing happens, we teach you grounding techniques and coping skills. Think of these as your emotional safety net. If things get too intense during a session, you've got tools to bring yourself back to the present moment. We also identify your resources - safe memories, supportive people, places where you feel calm - that we can use during processing.
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When you're ready, here's how an EMDR session actually works: You'll bring up the traumatic memory while following my finger with your eyes as it moves back and forth (that's the bilateral stimulation part - it can also be done with sounds or tapping). Sounds weird, right? But this back-and-forth stimulation helps your brain reprocess the memory the way it should have originally.
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You're in control the whole time. You can stop whenever you need to. Some sessions bring up a lot of emotion, others feel surprisingly calm. Everyone processes differently and that's completely normal. Between sessions, you might notice dreams changing, old memories popping up, or shifts in how you react to triggers. That's your brain doing the work even when you're not in the office.
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We work at your pace. Some folks want to tackle their trauma head-on and move through it quickly. Others need more time to build safety and trust first. Both approaches work - this is your healing, not ours.
Pricing Information
Individual EMDR therapy sessions are $180 per 50-minute session. Most people see significant improvement in 8-12 sessions for a single trauma, though complex trauma or multiple traumatic events may take longer.
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We don't take insurance directly, but we provide detailed receipts that you can submit to your extended health benefits. Most plans in BC cover registered clinical counsellors. Worth checking your coverage - many West Van employers offer pretty good mental health benefits that people don't even know they have.
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First session is often a consultation where we figure out if EMDR is the right fit for what you're dealing with. No pressure, no commitment - just an honest conversation about whether this approach makes sense for you.
Areas We Serve
We're located right here in West Vancouver and work with folks from all over the North Shore. Our clients come from Horseshoe Bay, Dundarave, Ambleside, Eagle Harbour, Caulfeild, Whitby Estates, British Properties, Cypress Park, Gleneagles, Bayridge, Chartwell, and everywhere in between.
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We also see clients from North Vancouver, Lions Bay, Bowen Island, and even downtown Vancouver or Burnaby when people are willing to make the drive for specialized EMDR work. Virtual sessions available too for those who prefer meeting online or can't make it to the office.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Therapy
Does EMDR actually work or is it just trendy?
EMDR is backed by serious research and recognized by the World Health Organization, American Psychiatric Association, and Department of Veterans Affairs as an effective treatment for trauma. It's been around since the late 1980s and has thousands of studies showing it works. Not trendy - just effective.
Will I have to talk about every detail of my trauma?
Nope. You need to identify the memory we're working on, but you don't have to describe every horrible detail out loud. Some people choose to share more, others keep it private - both ways work fine for EMDR processing.
How is EMDR different from regular counselling?
Regular talk therapy helps you understand your trauma and develop coping skills. EMDR actually processes the traumatic memory in your brain so it stops feeling like it's happening now. Think of talk therapy as learning to manage the symptoms while EMDR addresses the root cause.
Is EMDR safe? Will it make things worse?
When done properly by a trained therapist, EMDR is very safe. You might feel emotional during or after sessions as memories come up, but we prepare you with coping skills first and never push faster than you're ready for. Some temporary increase in dreams or emotions between sessions is normal and actually shows your brain is processing.
How long does EMDR therapy take?
For a single traumatic event, most people see real improvement in 8-12 sessions. Complex trauma or multiple events take longer - maybe 20-30 sessions. Everyone's different though. Some people feel better after just a few sessions, others need more time.
What happens during an EMDR session?
After we check in on how you're doing, you'll focus on the traumatic memory while following bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements). We do this in sets of 30-60 seconds, then pause and talk about what came up. Sessions build on each other until the memory loses its emotional punch.
Can EMDR help with things other than trauma?
Yes. EMDR works great for anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, grief, performance anxiety, and negative self-beliefs. If something from your past is still bothering you in the present, EMDR can probably help.
Do I need to believe in EMDR for it to work?
No. You can be completely skeptical and it still works. Your brain processes memories whether you believe in the method or not. Lots of our clients start out thinking "this seems weird" and end up amazed at the results.