Inner journey journal of EMDR PEPS support
There are journeys we don't choose.
Grief is one of them.
We find ourselves thrown onto a path we have never learned to read, with a bag that is too heavy, a landscape that has lost its landmarks, and a silence that fills the air.
Losing a loved one is not just losing someone.
It is losing an inner presence, a way of loving, sometimes a part of oneself.
And when this loss does not transform, when it remains frozen, the pain can become overwhelming.
It is in these moments that EMDR— and more specificallyEMDR PEPS, my protocol focused on stabilizing the present before any desensitization—can offer gentle, reassuring, and deeply respectful support, even from a distance.
When grief gets stuck: understanding what happens internally
Grief is not linear.
It moves forward, backward, and sometimes freezes.
And when it freezes, it is not a lack of will or a personal failure.
Difficult grief often manifests itself in the following ways:
- thoughts that go round and round in circles,
- intrusive images related to death (announcement, final scene, circumstances),
- persistent guilt ("I should have..."),
- an inability to feel anything other than loss,
- deep emotional fatigue,
- the feeling that time has stopped.
Neuropsychologically, this means that the nervous system has been unable to integrate the loss.
The brain remains fixated on a fragment of the event, as if something still needs to be understood, repaired, or digested.
This blockage is not pathological.
It is an attempt at protection.
Would you like to find out if EMDR en visio is right for you? Let's have a chat together.
Why EMDR really helps people cope with difficult grief
EMDR does not aim to erase the person who has passed away.
It does not sever the bond.
It transforms frozen pain into bearable, integrable pain, which leaves room for other things.
In grief counseling, EMDR acts in particular on:
- traumatic memories associated with loss,
- intrusive images or sensations,
- blocked emotions (guilt, anger, helplessness),
- painful beliefs ("I'll never get over it," "without him/her, I'm nothing").
In my EMDR PEPS approach, which I also teach to professionals, we never start by directly activating the loss.
Grief makes you deeply vulnerable.
Moving too quickly through the pain can be overwhelming.
That's why the work always begins with:
- stabilize the present,
- calm the nervous system,
- restore internal support,
- allow the person to breathe emotionally.
It is only on this solid foundation that desensitization becomes possible, without overflow or reliving.
How video conferencing is changing grief counseling
Grief is not experienced in a therapist's office.
It is experienced in everyday life:
in the home, in objects, in habits, in silences.
EMDR therapy via video allows the person to be where the loss truly resonates.
Video conferencing offers:
- an intimate and familiar setting,
- the ability to express one's emotions without constraint,
- less travel-related stress,
- continuity of monitoring even in difficult times,
- better integration of therapeutic work into real life.
For many people in mourning, video chat becomes a cocoon.
A safe space where pain can be laid bare without having to protect oneself from outside scrutiny.
Contrary to popular belief, the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the effectiveness of EMDR are fully preserved at a distance.
Before you begin: establish a safe environment for grieving
️A safe environment above all else: EMDR grief counseling begins with establishing a supportive and protective environment.
Therapeutic alliance: A strong relationship of trust is essential, particularly when supporting someone through grief.
Respectful protocol: EMDR PEPS favors a gentle approach, without emotional brutality, adapted to the person's pace.
Personalized pace: There is no universal timeline for grief: everyone moves forward at their own pace.
A practitioner trained in trauma and grief
Conclusion
EMDR via video allows you to get through a difficult grieving process without forcing yourself, without forgetting, and without losing yourself.
It helps to:
- relieve pain,
- release what has remained blocked,
- transform the bond with the deceased person,
- regain inner peace,
- gradually re-enter life.
With EMDR—and even more so with EMDR PEPS—this transformation can take place gently, steadily, and safely, even remotely.
Because no one should ever have to bear alone a pain that has not yet found its place.
Would you like to find out if EMDR en visio is right for you? Let's have a chat together.
