EMDR Therapy: Heal Trauma and Anxiety at Soma House

At Soma House Counselling & Wellness in Nanaimo, BC, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy offers evidence-based support for trauma, anxiety, and trauma-related dissociation. Backed by decades of international research and recommended by leading mental-health organizations, EMDR works with the brain and nervous system to process overwhelming experiences so they feel less intense and disruptive—supporting greater grounding, emotional regulation, and connection to self.

Whether you’re navigating PTSD, anxiety, dissociation, or grief, EMDR helps reprocess distressing memories so they become less vivid and overwhelming over time. Sessions are available in person in Nanaimo and virtually across British Columbia and select Canadian provinces.

EMDR is a research-supported psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. Using a structured, eight-phase approach, EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to integrate experiences that may feel “stuck” in the nervous system. 

By employing bilateral stimulation—such as gentle eye movements, taps, or tones—EMDR engages both hemispheres of the brain to facilitate the reprocessing of difficult experiences. This process enables memories to lose their emotional charge, allowing new, adaptive beliefs to take root, promoting anxiety relief.

EMDR does not require you to relive or retell traumatic events in detail. Instead, it works with memories, emotions, body sensations, and beliefs—making it a supportive option for those who feel overwhelmed by traditional talk therapy. EMDR is widely recognized for its effectiveness in treating PTSD, anxiety, panic, and other trauma-related symptoms (Shapiro, 2018; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs & U.S. Department of Defense [VA/DoD], 2023; Cuijpers et al., 2020; Yunitri et al., 2020). 

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation—such as guided eye movements, gentle tapping, or tones—to support adaptive processing. 

EMDR can help by:

• Reducing the emotional intensity of distressing memories 
• Supporting nervous-system regulation 
• Allowing more adaptive beliefs to take root 
• Releasing stored stress and trauma responses
   

Clients often notice:

• Less reactivity to trauma triggers 
• Reduced anxiety, panic, and intrusive thoughts 
• Relief from dissociation or emotional numbness 
• Improved grounding, focus, and sleep 
• Greater calm, clarity, and self-trust
   

Healing unfolds gradually and respectfully—at the pace of your nervous system, not the clock.

EMDR is effective for single-event trauma as well as complex or cumulative experiences. It may be a good fit if you are experiencing:

• PTSD or complex trauma 
• Anxiety, panic, or chronic stress 
• Trauma-related dissociation or emotional disconnection 
• Grief or loss 
• Childhood or attachment-related trauma 
• Medical trauma, accidents, or injuries 
• First responder, military, or caregiver stress 
• A sense of feeling “stuck,” despite other therapies
   

EMDR can be adapted for adults, youth, and older adolescents, and is especially supportive for those seeking a body-based, nervous-system-informed approach.

For many individuals, trauma can lead to dissociation—a protective response where the mind “disconnects” from overwhelming sensations or emotions to survive distressing events. You might feel detached, spaced out, or like you’re watching life from the outside. 

Farnaz understands how frightening and isolating these experiences can feel. Through EMDR, applied within a trauma-informed and somatic framework, clients can gently reconnect with their bodies and regain a sense of safety. This process is particularly beneficial for those seeking anxiety relief. 

By carefully pacing EMDR and integrating grounding, mindfulness, and somatic awareness techniques, Farnaz ensures clients stabilize before reprocessing. This approach supports nervous-system regulation and emotional safety, making it an effective form of trauma therapy.

Farnaz Farrokhi-Holmes, M.A., CCC, RCC, is a Canadian Certified Counsellor and Registered Clinical Counsellor who specializes in trauma therapy and anxiety relief through evidence-based, brain- and nervous-system-focused therapies. Drawing on both neurological and somatic approaches, Farnaz helps clients regulate their nervous system, reprocess trauma, and restore a sense of safety and connection in both mind and body.

Farnaz blends trauma-informed care with EMDR, somatic techniques, and strength- and solution-based strategies to help you heal, regulate emotions, and rebuild resilience. Her approach is grounded in safety, compassion, and the belief that healing unfolds when the mind, body, and story are all honoured.

Her lived experience in war-affected regions and work with emergency responders offer a unique depth of understanding into how trauma shapes both identity and physiology. Clients describe sessions with Farnaz as safe, grounding, and deeply human—a space where healing unfolds at the body’s pace, not the clock’s.

Healing begins with one step — and you don’t have to take it alone. Whether you’re coping with trauma, anxiety, or dissociation, EMDR therapy can provide the anxiety relief you seek and help you find balance, safety, and connection again.

📍 In-person sessions: Nanaimo, BC

💻 Virtual therapy: Available across British Columbia and unregulated provinces Canada-wide (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) for effective trauma therapy.

EMDR International Association
Learn how EMDR works and who it helps
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
 

World Health Organization
EMDR is recommended for conditions specifically related to stress, including PTSD
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MSD-MER-17.5
 

American Psychological Association
EMDR is recognized as an effective treatment for trauma and PTSD
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/eye-movement-reprocessing
 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense
EMDR is strongly recommended for the treatment of PTSD
https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/
 

These organizations highlight EMDR’s effectiveness in helping the brain and nervous system process traumatic experiences so they become less overwhelming over time, supporting symptom relief, emotional regulation, and recovery.

EMDR Related Research 

Chen, Y.-R., Hung, K.-W., Tsai, J.-C., Chu, H., Chung, M.-H., Chen, S.-R., Liao, Y.-M., Ou, K.-L., Chang, Y.-C., & Chou, K.-R. (2014). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLOS ONE, 9(8), e103676. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0103676 PLOS

Cuijpers, P., Veen, S. C., Sijbrandij, M., Yoder, W., & Cristea, I. A. (2020). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for mental health problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 49(3), 165–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2019.1703801 Taylor & Francis Online

Lang, A. J., Hamblen, J. L., Holbrook, A. M., Polusny, M. A., Schnurr, P. P., & the VA/DoD PTSD Work Group. (2024). A clinician’s guide to the 2023 VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for management of posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 37(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23013 PubMed+1

Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. Guilford Press

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, & U.S. Department of Defense. (2023). VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder (Version 4.0). https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/mh/ptsd/ healthquality.va.gov+1

Yunitri, N., Kao, C.-C., Chu, H., Voss, J., Chiu, H.-L., Liu, D., Shen, C.-C., Chang, P.-C., Kang, X.-L., & Chou, K.-R. (2020). The effectiveness of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing toward anxiety disorder: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 123, 102–113. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32058073/