Free Online Bilateral Stimulation Tool for EMDR

A moving dot, light bar, two lights, tones or phone vibration for EMDR sets. Send a client link: their screen shows only the stimulus while you control speed, path, sound and sets, and note SUD and VoC between sets.

Adults Teens Trauma & EMDR EMDR

Sets of about 20–40 seconds, within a full EMDR sessionIn person and on videoFor clinicians

Free interactive tool

Made with care by Mentalyc

No sign-upNothing you type is storedIn a Play together room, moves pass through our server only while the room is open.

Use with care

For trained EMDR clinicians only; screen for photosensitive epilepsy before fast or flashing stimulation.

For clinicians

For trained EMDR clinicians, inside the full protocol. Not a self-help or homework tool. Check for photosensitivity, motion sickness, and eye pain or eye conditions before you start.

How to play

Confirm you are the clinician, then press Start (or Space). Speed is on the stage; path, presets, set length, look and sound are under Set up.
The set stops by itself; Stop shows while it runs.
Between sets ask "What do you notice?" and, if you like, tap the SUD or VoC.
To use the client's own screen, press Play together and send the link: they see only the stimulus.
End the session to get a summary you can copy into your note.

About the technique

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing was developed by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s; her first controlled study, with survivors of traumatic events, appeared in 1989 and introduced the Validity of Cognition scale still used today (Shapiro, 1989). In the current eight-phase protocol, sets of bilateral stimulation, originally eye movements and later also tones or taps, are delivered while the client briefly holds a target memory in mind, and between sets the clinician asks what the client notices; when the client returns to the target memory, the SUD scale tracks distress, and during installation the VoC scale tracks belief in the positive cognition (Shapiro, 2018).

EMDR therapy as a whole is recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2013). How much the eye movements themselves add is still debated. A meta-analysis found they added a moderate effect in treatment studies and a larger one in laboratory studies of emotional memories, which fits a working-memory account: holding a memory while tracking a moving target competes for limited attention and makes the memory less vivid and less distressing (Lee & Cuijpers, 2013).

Bilateral stimulation on its own is not EMDR therapy, and this page is meant for clinicians trained in the full protocol, including history-taking, preparation and stabilization (Shapiro, 2018). Take extra care with clients who dissociate, are in acute crisis or lack resources for managing distress between sessions. Screen for photosensitive epilepsy before fast or flashing visual stimulation, and use tones or vibration when in doubt.

For therapists: how to run it

Goal

Give a trained EMDR clinician timed, countable bilateral sets inside the full protocol (SUD down, VoC up).

In session

Best on video: press Play together and paste the link in the chat. The client taps once to turn on sound and full screen; their screen shows only the stimulus, and you control speed, path, color, sound and sets from here.
Run a headphone check with Test left and Test right (it plays on the client's device). Ask which ear heard it; if both, their audio is mono.
In person: put the screen at eye level about an arm's length away and press F (or Full screen). For touch, press Play together, open the link on two Android phones (iPhones can't vibrate from a web page) and set one to Left hand and one to Right hand under Touch and client devices.
Press Start or Space. Stop (Esc) blanks the client's screen at once. Between sets, ask "What do you notice?" and note SUD or VoC if you use them.
End the session for a factual summary (sets, passes, speed, SUD and VoC) to copy into your progress note. Nothing you type is saved.

As homework

Not given as self-guided homework. Use it together in session.

Good to know

For trained EMDR clinicians. Bilateral stimulation is one part of the EMDR protocol, not a treatment on its own. Check for photosensitivity before using the light bar or fast speeds.

Worksheets that pair with this tool

Sources & credibility

Method: Bilateral (eye-movement) stimulation within the EMDR protocol
Developed by: Francine Shapiro
First described: 1987–1989
Approach: EMDR
Evidence: Supported by studies and guidelinesEMDR therapy as a whole is guideline-recommended for PTSD. Bilateral stimulation on its own, outside the full eight-phase protocol, is not a treatment, and how much the eye movements add is still debated.

References

Shapiro F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2(2), 199–223. Source
World Health Organization (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. WHO. Source
Lee C. W. & Cuijpers P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 44(2), 231–239. Source
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

How it was made

Built by the Mentalyc team from the original method and the published sources listed here. Nothing you enter is stored.

Questions people ask

What is an EMDR light bar used for?

A light bar gives the client a moving point to follow with their eyes during the bilateral stimulation phase of EMDR. This tool recreates it on screen, so a trained clinician can run eye-movement sets in person or over video without hardware.

How do you use bilateral stimulation tones?

The client wears headphones and hears a soft tone alternate between the left and right ear. On video, press Play together and send the link so the tones play on the client's own device, then run Test left and Test right to check both ears. Screen-share audio is often mixed to mono, which loses the left-right alternation.

Can I do EMDR on my own at home?

No. Bilateral stimulation is one part of the full EMDR protocol and should be used by a trained EMDR clinician who prepares the client, monitors distress and closes the session safely. This tool is built for clinicians, not for self-treatment.

Who is EMDR not suitable for?

EMDR may need extra preparation or a different approach for people who are not yet stable, for example with active suicidality, severe dissociation or ongoing substance misuse. The treating clinician decides whether and when it fits.

Does bilateral stimulation actually work?

Research supports EMDR as a whole for PTSD, and the WHO recommends it. Whether the eye movements add to the effect on their own is still debated, so treat bilateral stimulation as one part of the full protocol, not a standalone treatment.

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Michael Thompson, MSc

Michael's background combines doctoral training in clinical psychology with research on motivation, learning, and emotional regulation.

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