Kati Dobrei Psychotherapy

EMDR

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured form of psychotherapy that helps re-process distressing experiences and reduce their emotional impact. EMDR works with memories and their associated thoughts, emotions, and body sensations to help past experiences feel less distressing and have less influence on the present.

EMDR is best known for treating PTSD, and is also used to support people with concerns such as:

Childhood trauma and painful relationship experiences
Anxiety, panic and phobias
Intrusive memories and nightmares
Grief and loss
Shame and negative self-beliefs

A blue EMDR book on a wooden table with a coffee cup and plant.

How does it work?

What can I expect?

You briefly bring a specific experience to mind while following guided side-to-side eye movements or using alternating tapping motions. Between short sets, we pause to notice what comes up for you.

Through this process facilitated by the therapist, the memory may become less emotionally charged, and painful beliefs can begin to shift, making room for more compassionate and balanced beliefs about yourself and the world around you.

My favourite metaphor for EMDR is a filing cabinet. Imagine a distressing memory as a file that hasn’t settled into its place in your history. It sticks out, easily opened by something happening in the present. EMDR can help you process that experience and file it alongside the rest of your past. The memory is still there, but you can access it without its contents and influence spilling into the here and now.

What can I expect?

We begin with conversation like any other therapy type. What brings you to therapy, what you’d like help with, and what feels important for me to understand. Early sessions include developing grounding tools, building trust, and making a plan together. There’s no expectation to begin processing difficult memories right away.

When we begin processing, I’ll guide you through each step and check in regularly. You don’t need to tell your story in detail, re-live your trauma, or make something happen. You can ask questions, take breaks, and let me know if we need to change the pace.

Sessions can bring up a range of emotions, and we leave time toward the end to ensure you feel settled and regulated before returning to your day. We’ll also discuss anything you notice between appointments and use that to guide our next steps. As the work unfolds, it always remains a collaborative process.

My qualifications

I completed Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR (SAFE) training through the Personal Transformation Institute (PTI) (EMDRIA-approved). This approach integrates EMDR with attention to the body, early relationships, and the ways we’ve learned to find safety and connection. Patterns are met with curiosity and compassion for how they may once have helped us cope. In our work, this means noticing what comes up in the present and building a supportive relationship where those responses can be understood and new possibilities explored.