EMDR Therapy in St. Catharines

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In EMDR, you bring a distressing memory to mind for short stretches while also paying attention to something that moves from side to side: your eyes following a moving point, taps that alternate left and right, or tones that alternate between your ears. Between sets, you pause, notice what came up, and say a little about it.

Your therapist doesn't tell you what to remember or what to feel. The work is to notice how the memory, and your body's response to it, shifts or stays the same as you go. You stay fully awake and aware, you stay in charge the whole time, and you can stop at any point.

Nobody can promise what EMDR will change for you, or how long it will take. That is something you and your therapist look at honestly, together, as the work goes on.

• ✻A particular memory still hits as if it is happening now, even years later.
• ✻You understand what happened. You have talked about it, maybe many times. Your body still reacts as if it hasn't heard.
• ✻You avoid certain places, sounds, smells or people, and the list keeps getting longer.
• ✻Sleep is hard. Nightmares, or a body that won't settle, keep pulling you back.
• ✻Your reactions sometimes feel bigger than the moment in front of you, and afterwards you can't quite explain them.

If you recognized yourself here, you are not broken. These are common responses to experiences that were more than anyone could take in at the time. You don't need a PTSD diagnosis to ask about EMDR for trauma.

It may fit if

• ✻A specific event, or a series of events, still feels close and raw.
• ✻Talking about it has helped you understand it, but hasn't changed how your body responds.
• ✻You would like a structured approach with clear steps, where you know what each session is for.
• ✻You are an adult in Ontario and can find a private space for online sessions.

Something else may fit better if

• ✻You are in crisis right now, or you are not safe where you are. Please start with 988 or 911, listed below, before any memory work.
• ✻You are living with ongoing violence or danger. Safety in the present usually comes first, and memory work waits until things are steadier. You can say this privately in the free consultation.
• ✻You need medical, psychiatric or in-person care, or more support than a weekly online session can give. A doctor or local services may need to come first, or alongside therapy.
• ✻You are under 18. Armin works with adults and couples.
• ✻You would rather not focus on specific memories right now. IFS therapy or somatic therapy may suit you better, or skills-based work with Roya Dadollahi Sarab, RP, who brings more than 10 years of experience with ACT, DBT and CBT.
• ✻You have a seizure condition, or eye movements are uncomfortable for you. Mention it in the free consultation so you can talk about whether EMDR fits, and what else can be used for the side-to-side part.
• ✻You want to meet in person. All sessions at NoorMinds are online.

The free consultation

A calm 15-minute conversation, by video or phone. You share a little about what brings you, ask how Armin works with EMDR, and decide whether it feels like a fit. No pressure, no obligation.

Getting ready

Early sessions are about what is happening now, what you want to be different, and how you steady yourself when things get hard. Memory work does not start in the first session. You build ways to come back to the present first, so you have something to lean on.

Processing sessions

By secure video, you might follow a moving point on your screen, tap your own shoulders or knees left and right, or listen to alternating tones through headphones. You stay with a memory for short sets, then pause and check in. You choose how much to say out loud.

Closing each session

Each session leaves time to settle before you go back to your day. You talk about what to expect between sessions and what to do if something stirs up.

Format and pace

Weekly 60-minute individual sessions, $180, by secure video, in English, Farsi or a mix of both. You will need a private space and a stable internet connection. There is no set number of sessions and no minimum commitment, and you review how it is going together.

Armin Ovaisy-Moakhar, RP (Qualifying)

CRPO #18315 · MA, Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University · BSc, York University · English and Farsi (فارسی)

Armin works with adults who look capable on the outside but feel unsettled, disconnected, or stuck on the inside, often without fully understanding why. He is experienced in evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy, and has been practising as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) since 2024. His approach is relational, trauma-informed, and paced with care. He draws from evidence-based trauma therapies, including EMDR, Brainspotting, and parts-based approaches, especially when talking alone hasn’t been enough, along with somatic work, and with couples he uses Emotionally Focused Therapy. His focus includes complex and developmental trauma, shame and identity, anxiety rooted in trauma and attachment, childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, emotional numbness, and relationship and attachment wounds. He sees adults and couples, online across Ontario, with a free 15-minute consultation.

Armin has completed additional training in EMDR, along with additional training in Brainspotting, parts-based work (IFS), somatic approaches, Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, and trauma.

Clinical supervisor: Maryna Svitasheva, PhD, RP (CRPO #002978).

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