I wrote this because I have a lot of clients email interested in EMDR. Some reach out with a sense of urgency, desperate for this particular “therapy”. It’s important to note that EMDR is a technique used within therapy. It is not a stand alone therapy - therefore a person must still go through a regular intake process to discern their readiness for EMDR.
Tuning Into Your Readiness for Trauma Healing
If you’ve been carrying the weight of painful memories, emotional triggers, or a nervous system stuck in overdrive, you might have heard of EMDR therapy. And maybe you're wondering: Is this the right time? Am I ready?
The decision to begin EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a personal and often vulnerable one, especially if you’ve lived through trauma, grief, or chronic stress. This guide can help you understand what “readiness” looks like and how to honour your own pace in the healing process.
What Is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps people process traumatic memories without needing to talk about them in detail. It uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, pulses, or audio) to help the brain reprocess stuck experiences, reduce emotional charge, and build inner resilience.
It’s widely used for:
PTSD and developmental trauma
Anxiety, phobias, and panic
Chronic pain and body-based distress
Grief and loss
Emotional dysregulation
You might be a high-functioning adult, working, caregiving, showing up for others, and still feel hijacked by certain memories, fears, or body responses. EMDR helps your nervous system unlearn survival responses that no longer serve you, so you can meet life from a place of groundedness.
But how do you know you’re truly ready?
Signs You Might Be Ready for EMDR
1. You’re Tired of Talk Therapy Hitting a Wall
Maybe you've done a lot of insight work — but you still feel stuck. EMDR goes beyond the thinking mind to address what’s stored in the body and nervous system.
2. You Feel Safe Enough to Begin Digging Deeper
You don’t have to feel 100% calm or healed. But you should have some sense of stability — enough that revisiting difficult emotions won’t overwhelm you completely. A trained EMDR therapist will assess this with you.
3. You’ve Built Some Coping Tools or Want Support Developing Them
EMDR starts with resourcing. Learning how to ground, soothe, and regulate before going into trauma material. If you're open to learning those tools, that’s a strong sign of readiness.
4. You’re Curious About Healing, Not Just Managing
EMDR isn’t about coping better. It’s about changing how trauma lives inside you. If that idea excites or calls to you, you may be ready for a deeper level of healing.
5. You Feel Safe Enough With Your Therapist
EMDR is most effective in a relationship where you feel seen, heard, and supported. Trust in the therapeutic relationship is a key foundation.
You Don’t Need to Have It All Together
Many people think they have to be “fully healed” or “emotionally strong” before starting EMDR. In reality, therapy is where that strength builds. What matters more is:
A willingness to try
An openness to feeling
An awareness of what calm or neutral feels like in your body, even if it’s only for a few minutes at a time
Pacing is important. Your EMDR therapist will help you understand your capacity.
Still Unsure? That’s Okay.
Sometimes just thinking about EMDR brings up fear, doubt, or overwhelm. That doesn’t mean you’re not ready. It means your protective system is working. In therapy, we honour that protective part and help your more grounded self take the lead.
Let’s Explore Together
As a trauma-informed EMDR therapist practicing in Rossland and Castlegar, I work with adults who’ve been carrying too much for too long. We go gently. We go at your pace. And together, we help your nervous system remember that it’s safe to process things differently.
Curious if EMDR is right for you? Reach out for a free consultation or read more on my EMDR page.