Free tool
EMDR bilateral sounds, free online
Alternating left and right sounds for calming and grounding. Choose a sound, set the speed, and listen with headphones. It is built to keep playing with your screen locked, so you can use it on a walk, and you can download it to play offline.
Before you start
- This is a calming tool, not EMDR therapy. Use it to relax and settle, not to work through traumatic memories on your own.
- If you start to feel distressed, overwhelmed or numb, stop. Look around you and name a few things you can see.
- On a walk, keep the volume low enough to hear traffic and the people around you. Do not use it while driving.
- Start with a few minutes. Longer is not better.
Tick the box above to turn on the tool.
How to use it
- Put on headphones. The sound alternates between your left and right ear, and a single speaker blends the two sides together.
- Pick a sound. The soft tone and the chime are gentle; the click and the drum are sharper and easier to follow.
- Start slow, around 50 to 60 per minute, and adjust until the rhythm feels comfortable.
- Breathe slowly and let your attention rest on the sound moving from side to side.
- When the session ends, take a moment before you get up.
What bilateral stimulation is
Bilateral stimulation means attention moving back and forth between the left and right sides of the body: a sound in one ear and then the other, eyes following a moving point, or alternating taps on each knee.
In EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), bilateral stimulation is one part of a structured eight-phase approach. A trained therapist uses it while you hold a distressing memory in mind, and only after preparation that gives you ways to stay steady. The sound on its own is not the therapy.
Outside therapy, a slow and steady left and right rhythm can feel settling, in the way a walk or a rocking chair can. That is what this tool is for.
When to work with a therapist
If a memory, a reaction or a pattern in your relationships keeps pulling you back, that is work to do with support rather than alone. EMDR with a trained counsellor includes preparation, pacing, and a steady close to every session.
Mahsa Hamedanizadeh, MCP, RCC, has completed EMDRIA-approved EMDR training. She offers the full EMDR process in person in Langley or by secure video anywhere in British Columbia, in English or Farsi.
Questions about bilateral sounds
- Do I need headphones?
- Yes. Each sound plays in one ear at a time. Through a phone or laptop speaker, the two sides blend together and the left and right movement is lost.
- What speed should I use?
- Whatever feels comfortable. Start around 50 to 60 per minute. If it feels rushed, slow it down; if your mind wanders, try a little faster.
- Will it keep playing if my screen locks?
- It is built to. The sound is made into an audio file on your device, so it plays the way music does and shows play and pause controls on your lock screen. If your phone still stops it, use the download instead.
- Can I download the sound?
- Yes. Download saves a five-minute file with your current settings, which you can play offline in any music app. The file is made on your device; nothing you choose is sent to us.
- Can this replace EMDR therapy?
- No. EMDR therapy is a structured treatment with a trained therapist. This tool borrows one element, the alternating rhythm, for relaxation.
- What if the sound brings up difficult memories or feelings?
- Stop the session. That is not a sign you did something wrong; it is a sign the material deserves support. A counsellor can help you work with it safely.
Sources
- Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2(2), 199 to 223.
- van den Hout, M. A., and colleagues (2011). EMDR: Eye movements superior to beeps in taxing working memory and reducing vividness of recollections. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49(2), 92 to 98.
Talk to someone about EMDR
Free, by phone, with no obligation. Ask whether EMDR fits what you are carrying, and whether online or in person suits you better.
Or get in touch with a question first.