What is Observed Experiential Integration (OEI) therapy?

Observed Experiential Integration (OEI) therapy is a trauma treatment developed in Vancouver that helps your brain process and resolve overwhelming workplace experiences.

Unlike standard EMDR and traditional talk therapy, which requires you to recall and revivify painful, personal details about your pst, OEI works through your visual pathways to reach the parts of your brain where trauma memories are stored.

You don’t have to remember to recover.

How trauma gets stuck in the brain and body

When something traumatic happens, your brain becomes overwhelmed and traumatic memories get stuck in a raw state—sensory fragments, without language, without context, and full of emotion.

That’s why trauma survivors may feel like the past is still happening in the present moment.

You might experience vivid flashback and intense bad feelings in your body, feel numb, anxious, triggered AF.

These are signs that the experience was not fully processed into the past, into memory.

How OEI therapy works

OEI therapy uses eye movements to access trauma memories stored in your brain.

Because your visual system can access traumatic memories better than by verbal pathways (talking about trauma), your brain is able to integrate them.

This process allows your brain to process the memory and file it away—as something that happened in the past—so the emotional intensity starts to move further away into the past.

Most clients notice a reduction in symptoms within just one to three sessions.

OEI therapy for simple and complex trauma

OEI therapy can help with both single-event trauma and long-term, complex trauma.

Simple trauma often comes from one event, such as a car accident, injury, or natural disaster. These cases can resolve quickly.

Complex trauma develops from repeated or ongoing experiences, often starting in childhood—such as abuse, neglect, or betrayal trauma. While more sessions are needed, most clients experience rapid relief and steady progress.

What OEI therapy can help with

Research and clinical practice show that OEI therapy supports recovery from:

Workplace trauma
Betrayal trauma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety and panic attacks
Sleep issues
Weight issues
Depression
Lack of motivation
Grief and loss
Narcissist abuse
Toxic relationships
Nightmares and flashbacks
Low self-worth and negative self-talk

Why choose OEI therapy in Vancouver

OEI therapy is gentle, trauma-informed, and neuroscience-based. It works directly with both brain and body, helping you release stored trauma patterns without forcing you to remember and revivify the past.

OEI therapy can provide relief, even if you’ve tried other approaches but nothing has worked.

Whether you are healing from workplace trauma, betrayal, or years of unresolved stress and anxiety, OEI therapy offers a well-travelled pathway back to safety and a sense of self.