OEI is a gentle, visually-guided approach to trauma. By working with one eye at a time, it helps your brain revisit a difficult memory at a pace your nervous system can tolerate — so the charge it still carries can begin to settle.
You don't have to retell the whole story to begin.
SWITCHING · LEFT → RIGHT
OEI was developed in the 1990s by Canadian counsellors Audrey Cook and Rick Bradshaw, drawing on ideas related to EMDR. It works through the visual system: by covering and uncovering one eye at a time while you hold a specific memory in mind, it invites both hemispheres of the brain to process an experience that has felt stuck.
Because the work happens through what you see and sense rather than through detailed retelling, many people find it gentler than traditional talk therapy — and a way to reach material the thinking mind tends to circle around.
We begin with grounding, so your nervous system feels safe enough to work. You set the pace, and nothing moves faster than you're ready for.
Together we identify a specific moment — a "target." You don't need to narrate it in detail; holding it lightly in mind is enough.
Covering and uncovering each eye in turn, guided by gentle movements, invites the two hemispheres to re-integrate the fragmented experience.
As integration happens, the sensations tied to the memory often soften, and its emotional intensity begins to change.
Clients often describe the shift as going from a lion in the living room to a lion at the zoo — the memory is still there, but it no longer feels like it's in the room with you.
As a memory surfaces, it's common to notice physical sensations: a tight throat, a fluttering stomach, shallow breath, tingling, or a wave of drowsiness. These aren't setbacks. They're your nervous system engaging with something it has been holding.
Your therapist stays with you through all of it, keeping the work inside what you can tolerate. Nothing is forced, and you remain in control the entire time. If it becomes too much, we slow down or pause — the pace always belongs to you.
OEI is one of several trauma-focused methods our RCCs are trained in. Depending on what suits you, it's often woven together with EMDR or Somatic Experiencing rather than used alone. In your first conversation, we'll talk through which approach fits where you are right now.
Both use the visual system to help the brain reprocess trauma, and OEI grew out of the same family of ideas. The main difference is that OEI works with one eye at a time — covering and uncovering each eye — rather than side-to-side movement across both. Many people find it gentler and more contained.
No. OEI works through what you notice and sense, so you can hold a memory in mind without narrating it out loud. For many people, that's a relief — it's a way to work with an experience without having to relive it in words.
That depends on you and what you're working through — everyone's timeline is different. Rather than promise a number, we'll build a plan together and check in as we go, so the pace stays right for you.
Sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor are covered by many extended-health plans. We don't direct-bill, but we provide receipts you can submit to your insurer. If you're unsure about your coverage, we're happy to help you check.
Leave your details and a Lighthouse therapist will reach out personally — no intake gauntlet, no pressure. Just a real conversation about whether we're the right fit.
Prefer to reach out directly? Call or text 604-809-5848 — whichever feels easier. There's no wrong way to start.
It can start with one quiet conversation, whenever you're ready.
