Observed & Experiential Integration (OEI)
A trauma therapy that works through the eyes, when talking hasn’t been enough
When You’ve Talked About It and It’s Still There
Some things don’t shift by being understood. You can explain exactly what happened, why it affected you, and what you’d tell a friend in the same spot, and your body still reacts as if it’s happening now. That’s not a failure of insight. It’s how trauma is stored, and it’s why some of the most useful trauma therapies work through the body and the senses rather than through conversation alone.
Observed & Experiential Integration, usually shortened to OEI, is one of those. It was developed here in British Columbia, it’s gentle, and it doesn’t require you to describe the worst of what happened in detail.
Vista Counselling offers OEI online across BC with Roshni Vedamanikam, MA, MSW, a Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2003 who has completed Level 1 training in OEI.
You don’t have to relive it to release it.
How OEI Works
OEI was developed in the early 2000s by BC psychologists Rick Bradshaw and Audrey Cook at Trinity Western University in Langley, who first described it after noticing something odd in their clinical work: when a client looked at a distressing image or memory with one eye covered, and then the other, the level of distress was often different from eye to eye. Working with that difference, and with the small “glitches” in eye movement that show up when someone tracks a slowly moving finger while holding a difficult memory in mind, seemed to settle the body’s reaction faster than talking did.
The working theory is that each eye feeds both sides of the brain unevenly, and that traumatic memory can be held more strongly on one side than the other. Covering and switching eyes, and smoothing out the places where the eyes “catch,” is thought to help the two sides integrate the memory so it stops being re-experienced as present danger. That’s a model, not settled science; what we can say is that the techniques are simple, the effect is often noticeable within a session, and they sit comfortably alongside approaches like EMDR.
In a session, OEI is quiet and physical rather than verbal. You bring a memory, an image, or just a feeling to mind. You’re asked to cover one eye and then the other and notice what changes: in the intensity of the feeling, in your body, in how close or far the memory seems. Then you follow a slowly moving finger across your field of vision, pausing where your eyes hesitate or your distress rises, and you hold there until it settles. You can stop at any time, and you don’t have to say what the memory is if you’d rather not.
What OEI Can Help With
OEI is most often used for:
With more complex or long-standing trauma, Roshni uses OEI as one part of a broader, carefully paced approach rather than on its own. That usually means building a sense of safety and steadiness first, bringing OEI in where a memory or reaction feels stuck, and then taking time to make sense of what has shifted. Because you don’t have to describe what happened, OEI can offer a way in when talking about it feels like too much.
Who Provides OEI at Vista
Roshni Vedamanikam, MA, MSW
A Registered Clinical Counsellor since 2003, Roshni has completed Level 1 training in OEI and uses it as part of her integrative work with clients working through trauma, anxiety and burnout. She works online across BC. RCC #2163.
To book an OEI session with Roshni, or to ask something first, get in touch and we’ll find a time.
What to Expect in an OEI Session
Sessions are 50 minutes and take place online. Roshni weaves OEI into ongoing counselling, alongside the other approaches she draws on, rather than offering it as a stand-alone course.
Is OEI Right for You?
OEI tends to be a good fit if you:
- Have a specific memory or event that still sets off your body
- Have talked about it plenty and it hasn’t helped
- Would rather not go into detail, or can’t yet
- Want something gentle to try before, or alongside, EMDR
OEI is one of several ways we work with trauma. If your main concern is a long-standing pattern in relationships or mood rather than a particular event, or OEI simply doesn’t suit you, we also work with other approaches. Roshni draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative therapy, Gestalt and the Satir model, and Dr. Kevin Klassen works with EMDR, IFS and AEDP, in person in Langley or online.
Because OEI works with where your eyes rest and move, it helps to mention any eye or neurological condition when you first get in touch. Roshni can adjust the techniques to suit you, or suggest a different way to work.
FAQs
Is OEI the same as EMDR?
No, though they’re cousins. Both work with eye movement and both are used for trauma. EMDR uses rhythmic side-to-side movement while you hold a memory and follows a structured protocol. OEI works with the difference between your two eyes and with the specific spots where your eye movement hesitates, and it’s less structured, which makes it easy to combine with other work. At Vista, Roshni offers OEI and Dr. Kevin Klassen offers EMDR.
Do I have to talk about what happened?
No. You need to bring the memory or feeling to mind, but you don’t have to describe it to your counsellor. Many people find that’s the biggest relief.
Is OEI evidence-based?
OEI’s research base is still growing. In a randomized clinical trial published in 2014, people with PTSD who had three sessions of a core OEI technique saw their symptoms drop markedly compared with a group still waiting for treatment. The developers’ 2011 paper describes how the techniques took shape in clinical practice. That trial was small, so larger studies are the natural next step. OEI is generally well tolerated, and there’s a good deal of clinical experience with it here in BC.
Can OEI make things worse?
Distress can rise briefly during a session, as part of how it works, but the technique is designed to settle it before you leave, and you’re in control of the pace throughout. If you have a history of dissociation or an eye or neurological condition, let Roshni know so she can adapt.
Does OEI work online?
Yes. At Vista, OEI is offered online only. Switching and tracking are done over video, with Roshni guiding you.
What does a session cost?
Sessions are 50 minutes and $165 per session with Roshni. Full details, including our cancellation policy, are on our FAQ page.