Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Savyn product offerings are digital therapies based on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and written exposure therapy, which is digitized and adapted versions of existing therapy protocols provided in person to heal trauma and PTSD. Savyn’s platform and products offer access to patients and clients who have PTSD but cannot get the help they need due to a shortage of therapists, higher costs, and geographic barriers (most therapy is only available in big cities). The aim of Savyn’s platform is to heal trauma, especially for those from marginalized communities. Three million Canadians have lifetime PTSD including 570,000 immigrants and refugees. Thirty-five percent will not get better because of lack of access, and cultural and language barriers, making them 15 times more likely to die by suicide. We are removing these barriers to accessing PTSD therapies by digitizing and bringing virtual therapies with proven efficacy in patient populations, in multiple languages on our platform, thereby reducing Canada’s mental health burden. EMDR is a proven clinical intervention used in refugee camps and recommended by the US department of war veterans. Savyn’s EMDR offering is currently undergoing clinical validation with PTSD clients at Sick Kids Research Institute, in collaboration with the Principal Investigator, Professor Ben Dunkley at the University of Toronto. Savyn’s current study has passed REB at the Sick Kids Hospital. The studies so far already show promising results to the patients using the digitized EMDR by improving distress levels and improving PTSD symptoms by fifth and sixth sessions. It is anticipated the result of this project will inform current clinical research on adapted eye movement therapy, to conduct even more effective research to use the platform to benefit survivors of trauma across all of Canada.