EMDR 2.0
therapy
A more focused, structured approach to trauma processing—grounded in working-memory research and offered with care at BelMind Therapeia.
Book your free consultation ↗A deliberate refinement of EMDR.
If you have been searching for trauma therapy in Thunder Bay, you may already know about EMDR. EMDR 2.0 is its evidence-based advancement, drawing on working-memory research to make trauma processing more focused, more efficient, and—for many people—more tolerable.
At BelMind Therapeia, EMDR 2.0 is offered alongside standard EMDR, somatic approaches, and polyvagal-informed therapy. It is not a replacement for standard EMDR; it is a refinement built on the same proven core, developed by clinical psychologists Ad de Jongh and Suzy Matthijssen.
How EMDR 2.0 works
Your nervous system already knows how to process difficult experiences. EMDR 2.0 is designed to give it the conditions to finally do so.
Hold the target memory
As in standard EMDR, you bring a difficult memory into awareness, including its emotional and sensory details.
Add a demanding dual task
Bilateral stimulation and active cognitive tasks ask working memory to do more than one thing at once.
Reduce its grip
Because working memory has limited capacity, the memory can become less vivid and less emotionally intense while it is being processed.
Keep focus and momentum
Faster stimulation, varied task demands, and a tighter return to the target memory shape the EMDR 2.0 approach.
EMDR 2.0 vs. standard EMDR
Both approaches use dual attention and bilateral stimulation. The distinction is in the intensity, structure, and pace of the processing work.
Standard EMDR
- Follows associative chains between sets
- Uses a slower bilateral stimulation pace
- Usually uses a single modality, such as eye movements or tapping
- May involve longer processing sequences in a session
EMDR 2.0
- Returns to the target memory more quickly
- Uses faster, more demanding bilateral stimulation
- Can combine modalities to increase working-memory load
- Aims for fewer sets to achieve a comparable reduction in distress
“An experimental study in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology found that EMDR 2.0 and standard EMDR produced similar reductions in the emotional intensity and vividness of distressing memories, while EMDR 2.0 reached these results with fewer processing sets in a non-clinical sample.”Matthijssen et al. (2021)
Clear rationale.
Active collaboration.
EMDR 2.0 is intentional without being impersonal. Your therapist explains the process and works with you at a pace that supports safety and meaningful engagement.
Deeper memory activation
You may be guided to engage more fully with the target memory, including sensory details, to support thorough processing.
Increased dual-task demand
Stimulation may be faster, and you may be asked to do more than one task at a time. This is deliberate.
Shorter processing chains
Rather than following every associative thread, the therapist returns to the target memory more quickly.
You are an active participant
You understand the rationale, engage with intention, and remain a collaborator in your own healing.
EMDR 2.0 may be a good fit if you…
A consultation is a space to explore your goals, history, readiness, and the approach that best suits where you are now.
- Have completed or are currently in standard EMDR and want to go deeper
- Found standard EMDR helpful but feel that progress has plateaued
- Are working with a specific traumatic memory that feels stuck or unresolved
- Prefer a more structured, efficient approach with less session-to-session variability
- Are looking for therapy that treats you as an informed, active collaborator
Let’s discuss what support could look like.
Reach out to explore whether EMDR 2.0, standard EMDR, or another trauma-informed approach is right for where you are in your healing.
Book your free consultation ↗Research & further reading
EMDR 2.0 is grounded in peer-reviewed clinical research. These sources are publicly available for anyone wishing to learn more.
Matthijssen et al. — EMDR vs. EMDR 2.0: emotionality and vividness of aversive memories
Published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology. The study found that EMDR 2.0 required fewer processing sets than standard EMDR to achieve the same reduction in emotional intensity.
Take a deeper look ↗Alting van Geusau et al. — The ENHANCE trial
An RCT protocol comparing EMDR, EMDR 2.0, and the Flash Technique in PTSD treatment, published under Creative Commons open access.
Take a deeper look ↗De Jongh and Matthijssen — EMDR 2.0: an enhanced version of EMDR therapy
Presented by the developers of EMDR 2.0, outlining the working-memory theory and clinical rationale behind the approach.
Take a deeper look ↗