EMDR as an Integration within the ShiftGrit Core Method™
Overview
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, phase-based psychotherapy in which a client briefly attends to emotionally disturbing memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, most commonly guided lateral eye movements. It is an established trauma-focused treatment built on the premise that distressing symptoms arise from memories that were inadequately processed and stored.
How it works
Treatment follows a standardized eight-phase protocol covering history-taking, preparation, assessment of target memories, desensitization, installation of an adaptive belief, a body scan, closure, and re-evaluation. While holding a target memory in mind, the client tracks sets of bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones), which is theorized to tax working memory and facilitate reprocessing so the memory is recalled with reduced emotional charge; the Adaptive Information Processing model, proposed by Francine Shapiro, frames this as linking the unprocessed memory to more adaptive information.
What it is used for
EMDR is primarily used and studied for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma- and stressor-related presentations, where it is recognized as evidence-based by bodies including the World Health Organization, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and the US Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense. It has also been applied to other conditions such as anxiety disorders, phobias, depression, and complicated grief, though the evidence base outside PTSD is less extensive.
Origins and evidence base
EMDR was developed by American psychologist Francine Shapiro, who observed the apparent effect of eye movements on distressing thoughts in 1987 and published the first controlled study in PTSD in 1989, later detailing the method in her 1995 text on EMDR principles, protocols, and procedures. It is supported by numerous randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses establishing its efficacy for PTSD; the precise contribution of the eye movement component remains a subject of ongoing research and debate.
Within the ShiftGrit Core Method™
Reconditioning is our mechanism of change within the ShiftGrit Core Method™. It is what every clinician on the team runs, and it targets the limiting beliefs underneath the symptom, not just the symptom itself.
Some of our clinicians also hold EMDR accreditation. Where it fits your goals, they may integrate EMDR alongside Reconditioning rather than as a standalone protocol. The aim stays the same throughout: to help the past stop writing the present, at a pace your nervous system can handle.
If you specifically want it, tell us when we match you and we will pair you with one who holds that accreditation. Our Core Method, built on Pattern Theory™ and Reconditioning, works on the belief loops that anchor the trauma response, paced so the work never overwhelms you.
Illustrative example
Picture someone whose pattern is built around the belief "I am at risk," tied to one specific event, and who notices they feel constantly on guard and avoid anything that reminds them of it. A clinician might use EMDR on that particular memory so it gradually feels less vivid and less intense, which lowers some of the emotional fuel keeping the belief alive. The pattern itself is still resolved by reconditioning the belief underneath, with EMDR helping by easing the memory that kept that belief feeling true.
Based on: Wadji DL, Martin-Soelch C, Camos V. Can working memory account for EMDR efficacy in PTSD? BMC Psychology. 2022;10(1):245. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00951-0. PMID: 36320044. [source]
Clinicians who integrate EMDR
See how we integrate evidence-based modalities within the ShiftGrit Core Method™.
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Find Your PatternTrusted by Leading Psychology & Mental Health Organizations Across Canada
ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling is professionally regulated, certified, and recognized by leading psychology and mental-health organizations across Canada. These associations reflect our commitment to ethical practice, clinical standards, and evidence-informed therapy through Identity-Level Therapy and Reconditioning.
Trusted By Alberta’s Leading Psychology & Mental Health Organizations
ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling is professionally regulated, certified, and recognized by leading psychology and mental-health organizations across Alberta and Canada. These associations reflect our commitment to ethical practice, clinical standards, and evidence-informed therapy through Identity-Level Therapy and Reconditioning.
Regulated and affiliated across Alberta’s leading psychology, counselling, and mental-health organizations.
Regulated and affiliated across Canada’s leading psychology, counselling, and mental-health organizations.
The descriptions and examples on this page are provided for general educational and illustrative purposes only. They explain how this approach may be integrated within the ShiftGrit Core Method™ and do not describe a specific client, represent a testimonial, or promise any particular result. Integrated modalities are offered at the discretion of individual clinicians, and whether any approach is appropriate for you is determined together with your clinician, within their professional judgement and scope of practice.
