Bilateral Stimulation Research-backed

Visual Bilateral Stimulation

Horizontal-moving dot for eye-movement bilateral stimulation. Adjustable speed, size, color. Use fullscreen for in-session delivery.

This is a reference tool, not a replacement for EMDR therapy. EMDR must be delivered by a trained clinician. If you are using these tools outside of therapy and become distressed, stop, ground yourself, and contact a mental health professional.

Before you start

  • Photosensitive epilepsy warning: this tool uses sustained horizontal motion.
  • Not recommended for home use without clinician supervision.
Open in fullscreen
⚠ Photosensitive epilepsy warning: this tool uses sustained horizontal motion.
0 / 24

This tool uses motion by design. If that's uncomfortable, consider the audio-only or butterfly-hug tool instead.

Clinical sources

What this is

A horizontal-moving visual stimulus for eye-movement bilateral stimulation during Phase 4 desensitization or Phase 5 installation. Dot moves edge to edge at a configurable speed.

When to use it

Clinical notes

Shapiro’s published guidance describes speed as “as fast as the client can comfortably track” rather than a fixed Hz value. The 1.0 Hz default (one full left-right cycle per second) is a reasonable middle estimate from EMDR training materials; adjust freely per client tolerance and response. Sets of ~24 passes are a commonly taught starting point; shorter or longer sets are appropriate depending on the session. Faster movement is generally used for desensitization, slower for installation. Use fullscreen mode to remove visual distractions and give the client clean tracking.

Parameter defaults