EMDR · Virtual · Serving Ontario
EMDR Therapy Online in Ontario
EMDR by video, anywhere in Ontario, with Mohamad Shabib — a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO. Appointments run to midnight Eastern, seven days a week, so trauma work does not have to compete with your workday.
Free initial consultation · No referral needed · Seven days a week
EMDR online in Ontario, in plain terms
TEO Counselling Services offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy by video to clients anywhere in Ontario. The practice is virtual only — there is no office to travel to. EMDR for Ontario clients is provided by Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), with sessions in English or Arabic. Individual sessions are $150 per 60-minute session, appointments run from 3:00 pm to midnight Eastern time seven days a week, and the first step is a free 15 to 20 minute consultation with no referral needed.
This page covers the Ontario practicalities — who you would see, what it costs, what OHIP does and does not do, and how to start. The full account of what EMDR is and how bilateral stimulation works over video lives on our EMDR therapy page.
Who you would be working with
Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC, founded the practice and is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario — this is his own college's province. As a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) he practises with clinical supervision, an added layer of professional oversight built into your care. He has completed Advanced EMDR training through an EMDRIA-approved programme, alongside Internal Family Systems Levels 1 and 2, the Gottman Method Levels 1 and 2, CBT for Trauma, and DBT training — which matters, because EMDR is rarely used in isolation. Sessions in English or Arabic.
One thing to be plain about: that is completed training, not certification. EMDRIA certification is a separate credential, and it is not claimed here — the training is listed so you can judge it yourself.
Two notes so nothing on this page misleads. Alison Shaji (MA Clinical Psychology, RCC) also offers EMDR at TEO, but she works with British Columbia clients exclusively — if you are in BC, start at our British Columbia page. And Rola Shbib, BSW (Hons), RSW, works with Ontario clients on grief, crisis and addictions but does not offer EMDR. If EMDR is what you are looking for in Ontario, Mohamad is who you would see.
What EMDR sessions look like by video
EMDR over video follows the same eight-phase protocol as EMDR in a room: history and preparation first, then a specific target memory, reprocessing in short sets, and a deliberate closure with grounding at the end of every session. What changes online is how the bilateral stimulation is produced, and it is set up one of three ways: tapping you administer yourself — often the butterfly hug — with your therapist setting the pace and calling the stop; a marker moving left and right on the shared screen that you track with your eyes; or tones alternating between your left and right ear through headphones.
Sessions run on Jane, the same platform used for booking, with Zoom or Google Meet as backup. You need headphones, a private room, and a device propped on something solid — and a fallback, usually a phone call, is agreed before reprocessing starts, so a dropped connection has a plan rather than a panic.
To be straightforward about the evidence: research on remotely delivered EMDR is smaller and more recent than the research on EMDR generally. It is widely practised, with encouraging early findings — which is not the same as proven identical, and we would rather say so. What EMDR actually is, what it feels like, and its honest limits are covered in full on the EMDR explainer.
What it costs, and where OHIP stands
Individual sessions are $150 per 60-minute session; couples counselling is $175. The free consultation is 15 to 20 minutes and needs no referral.
OHIP does not cover psychotherapy in private practice — anywhere in Ontario, for any method, EMDR included. That is the plain answer to the question most Ontario clients arrive with. What often covers part of the fee is an extended health plan through work: many Ontario plans reimburse services from a Registered Psychotherapist. One wrinkle deserves honesty here — Mohamad's registration is in the Qualifying category, and plans differ on whether that category is included. The plan's own wording decides it, so before booking, check your booklet or ask your insurer directly whether a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) is reimbursable under your plan.
TEO does not bill insurers directly. You pay per session through Jane — Interac e-Transfer or credit card — and receive an insurance-ready receipt immediately after every session to submit yourself. Cancellation is free with 24 hours' notice; inside 24 hours, or a missed session, the full fee is charged. A limited number of reduced-fee spots exist — if cost is the barrier, say so at the consultation. The full fee table is on the fees page.
Hours built for after work — 3:00 pm to midnight Eastern
Sessions run from the Pacific coast, and Ontario is three hours ahead. That puts appointments between 3:00 pm and midnight Eastern time, seven days a week.
For EMDR that shape matters more than it first appears. An evening slot means you can finish a reprocessing session, take time to ground, and not have to walk straight back into a workday. Appointments starting at nine, ten or eleven at night are ordinary here, not a special arrangement — which matters if you work shifts, or are only free once the house is quiet.
The honest limit: mornings are not available. Nothing starts before 3:00 pm your time, and if the only hour you can protect is before lunch, this is not the right practice for you.
Common questions
Can I do EMDR therapy online in Ontario?
Yes. TEO Counselling is virtual only, so EMDR is delivered entirely by video to clients anywhere in Ontario — Toronto, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, or a town with no trauma therapist at all. It follows the same eight-phase protocol as in-person EMDR, with the bilateral stimulation adapted for video, and it is provided by Mohamad Shabib, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the CRPO. The first step is a free 15 to 20 minute consultation, and no referral is needed.
Is EMDR covered by OHIP?
No. OHIP does not cover psychotherapy in private practice anywhere in Ontario, whatever the method. Extended health plans often reimburse part of the fee, but plans differ on whether the Qualifying category of Registered Psychotherapist is included — the plan's own wording decides it, so check your booklet or ask your insurer before booking. You receive an insurance-ready receipt after every session.
Can you do EMDR by yourself?
No — EMDR is a clinician-guided therapy, not a technique you run on yourself. The left-right movements are the easy part; the therapy is the preparation before them, the choice of target, the pacing during sets, and the deliberate closure afterwards, and those are the clinician's job. Apps and videos that play alternating tones or a moving dot are not EMDR therapy — EMDRIA, the association that sets EMDR training standards, says plainly that it does not support do-it-yourself virtual EMDR.
Is EMDR effective when done over video?
EMDR is delivered over video routinely, using the same eight-phase protocol with the bilateral stimulation adapted — self-tapping, an on-screen moving target, or alternating tones. On evidence, the honest answer is that research on remote delivery is smaller and more recent than research on EMDR generally: it is widely practised with encouraging early findings, which is not the same as proven identical to in-person delivery. Pacing over video is a matter of attention rather than proximity — your therapist watches your face, breathing and voice, and checks in after every set.
Who would I be working with?
Mohamad Shabib, MACP, CCC — a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. He has completed Advanced EMDR training through an EMDRIA-approved programme, which is training rather than certification, and works in English or Arabic. Alison Shaji, TEO's other EMDR-trained clinician, sees British Columbia clients only, and Rola Shbib, TEO's Registered Social Worker, does not offer EMDR — so in Ontario, EMDR means working with Mohamad.
How do I start?
Book a free 15 to 20 minute consultation — no referral needed — online through Jane or by calling (519) 760-5211. You describe what you are dealing with, and you get a straight answer about whether EMDR looks like a reasonable fit, what preparation would likely involve, and which appointment times work in Eastern time. If another approach, or another practice, makes more sense, you will be told so.
Source for the EMDRIA position on do-it-yourself EMDR: emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy.
Ontario mental health resources
Therapy is not a crisis service. These run around the clock when it cannot wait for an appointment:
- · 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8 (24/7)
- · ConnexOntario — mental health & addictions navigation: 1-866-531-2600 (24/7)
- · Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868
- · Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
Related pages
- Online EMDR therapy — the full explainer: what EMDR is and how it works over video
- Online therapy in Ontario — the whole practice in Ontario, beyond EMDR
- Trauma therapy — when EMDR is one option among several
- PTSD & CPTSD therapy — post-traumatic stress in more depth
- Fees & insurance — the full fee table and receipt details
Book a free 15–20 minute consultation
It is a chance for both of us to see whether EMDR is a reasonable fit for what you are carrying — no pressure, no commitment.
Book Free ConsultationOr call (519) 760-5211