- Anger
- Anxiety
- Career
- Couple and Marriage
- Depression
- Grief and Loss
- Relationships
- Self-Esteem
- Shame and Guilt
- Trauma
- Stress
- Men’s Issues
A Comprehensive, Integrative Approach at Wellspring Counselling
Are you curious about EMDR therapy? This approach has become known for its effectiveness in dealing with emotional challenges and even received public support from Prince Harry. EMDR helps process traumatic memories, encouraging emotional healing and balance.
Our experienced team can help improve your mental well-being. Contact us today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation and learn about the benefits of EMDR therapy in Richmond.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy created by Francine Shapiro, PhD, in 1989. It helps with emotional and psychological challenges, especially symptoms related to trauma, anxiety, and depression.
EMDR is a respected therapy endorsed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It helps individuals manage stress, improve relationships, and develop self-compassion. This therapy consists of eight phases, allowing individuals to process and move beyond the effects of traumatic experiences actively. Focusing on specific memories, EMDR helps reduce emotional distress and change negative beliefs. Our approach to EMDR therapy includes the following key phases:
EMDR therapy helps people process difficult memories and experiences. During a session, the therapist helps the client focus on a troubling image, emotion, or memory related to trauma. Techniques like eye movements or tapping are used to assist with this process.
This method helps the brain heal naturally, allowing people to move past emotional blockages. It also helps clients develop new insights by connecting past traumatic events with present-day experiences, reducing symptoms like anxiety, depression, anger, and other emotional challenges rooted in unresolved trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is known for helping with mental health issues like trauma, anxiety, and PTSD. Initially created for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, EMDR has also been found to help treat conditions such as depression, phobias, and chronic pain.
Research shows that EMDR helps reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. During the process, individuals focus on specific distressing memories while experiencing bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or tapping. This technique helps the brain reprocess those memories, lessening their emotional impact and promoting recovery, similar to how the brain processes experiences during REM sleep.
EMDR therapy can lead to significant progress and long-lasting relief after just a few sessions. It has also been found to improve overall emotional health, making it a versatile and powerful tool in psychotherapy.
While individual results may differ, more and more studies show that EMDR is effective in significantly helping those dealing with emotional challenges.
EMDR therapy is a powerful method for treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and various mental health concerns. It helps individuals reprocess distressing memories, promoting healing and reducing emotional intensity.
EMDR has helped people become kinder to themselves and improve their relationships, leading to personal growth. It works well for individuals or groups and can be adapted to suit different people. It’s a good option for anyone looking to heal emotional pain and improve their well-being.
A Special Message from the Director
Clients Say
Mr. Gordon is someone that captures the spirit and the heart of active engagement. He is empathic, genuine and incorporates action and creative problem solving into his practice. I have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Gordon as an effective career and personal counsellor.
I had no experience with therapy and was unsure of the whole process. Alistair made everything very accessible and unintimidating. It was clear that he puts quite a lot of effort and preparation into every session. I'm so glad that I decided to do this, and could not have asked for a better person to help me with this. I would highly recommend Alistair to anyone who has ever thought that they might benefit from talking to a professional.
I am a young professional which for a long time now, has struggled with anxiety, insecurity, and difficulty in finding effective life coping mechanisms. Alistair was referred to me by a friend and upon the first meeting, I found Alistair to be empathetic, compassionate and intuitive. I have now been seeing Alistair regularly for 6 months and through that time my anxiety has significantly decreased, I have found effective methods of dealing with stress, found support dealing with identity issues, as well as finding inner strength to get through a tough break up. Alistair again and again, went the extra mile -thank you Alistair for your candor, openness and a safe space to get support. Thank you for playing such a large role in keeping me healthy and positive.
I have been working with Alistair Gordon as my counsellor at Wellspring for almost 6 months now and cannot begin to tell you how far I have come with his help. I have tried working with other counsellors and therapists in the past but never really found one that clicked for me. I always felt judged, unsupported, and rushed at those appointments until I booked my first appointment with Wellspring and with Allistair. To anyone on the fence about booking an appointment or engaging in therapy: if you are willing to do the work, you couldn't ask for a better partner in your healing journey.
When I decided to find a counsellor, I tried to find someone that I could relate to, someone that is like-minded and down-to-earth and with Alistair I really found the right person. He uses an integrative approach, showed me techniques to relax and get aware of my emotions, and helped me see things in a new perspective. Of course this is an ongoing process but I enjoy meeting and working with Alistair every time. The downtown office is a very neutral place - not too intimate, not too clinical - which is helpful to overcome apprehension, especially the first couple of times. What I find remarkable is that Alistair almost always knows what I'm trying to say, even if I can't put it into words. Working with Alistair helped me a lot and it was the right decision to put my trust in him.
Alistair really cares about you the person, and I could really feel him trying to tackle my challenges. He was also very available for off-session contact via text and email. I think he did a great job with confronting me where I needed it. Alistair always could remember the important peoples' names in my personal life, which really helped with talking about my problems. I really felt like I was talking to a friend.
Alistair is an awesome counsellor. He has been so helpful in working with me through some tough times in my life. He's always been available to chat with me in-between sessions. I'd recommend Alistair to anyone - he's really the ideal counsellor in my view.
I enjoy how sessions are collaborative where I can take the lead for the direction of what we talk about, and at the same time I know that Alistair will offer helpful guidance and insight along the way. I also like how we focus on the future instead of just the past. I find this to be empowering and helpful to move forward in life.
Alistair is an awesome counsellor. He has been so helpful in working with me through some tough times in my life. He's always been available to chat with me in-between sessions. I'd recommend Alistair to anyone - he's really the ideal counsellor in my view.
I have always felt very comfortable with Alistair. He has a calming presence, and you can tell he cares about being the best counsellor for you. He helps you with all aspects of your concern, and is always able to help me find a solution to the problem I'm having.
Alistair is an exceptionally talented counsellor and has always demonstrated strong ethics, great compassion, wisdom and respect for others. I highly recommend him as a counselling practitioner.
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If you live in or near Richmond and need EMDR therapy, Wellspring Counselling can help. Our team of certified EMDR therapists offers compassionate support and a safe space to address issues affecting your mental health.
We understand that everyone’s experience with trauma or stress is unique, so we adjust our approach to fit your individual needs.