Understanding Your Options: Different Forms of Bilateral Stimulation in EMDR Therapy

You've done your research on EMDR therapy. You've read about how it can help heal trauma, especially childhood trauma, sexual assault, and complex PTSD. You're ready to take that brave step toward healing. But then a question pops up: What will EMDR actually feel like? What's this bilateral stimulation thing, and how does it work?

If you're wondering about the practical details of EMDR therapy in Cincinnati, you're not alone. Many women we work with at Therapy Cincinnati ask these same questions before their first session. They've heard about eye movements, lights, sounds, and even vibrating buzzers—and they want to know what to expect.

Here's the thing: bilateral stimulation (BLS) is a crucial part of EMDR therapy, but it's also surprisingly flexible. There are several different methods, each with its own benefits and considerations. At our Cincinnati therapy practice, we primarily use tactile buzzers for bilateral stimulation, and we'll explain exactly why in this post.

Whether you're dealing with childhood trauma, recovering from sexual assault, or managing complex PTSD symptoms, understanding your options helps you feel more prepared and empowered as you begin trauma therapy. Let's demystify the different forms of BLS and help you understand what your EMDR experience might look like.

The Three Main Types of Bilateral Stimulation in EMDR

Bilateral stimulation is the cornerstone of EMDR therapy. It involves stimulating both sides of your brain in an alternating pattern while you process traumatic memories. But here's what many people don't realize: there are multiple ways to create this bilateral effect, and they all work similarly well for trauma processing.

Eye Movements (Visual BLS)

Eye movements are the original form of bilateral stimulation—the method that Francine Shapiro discovered when she developed EMDR therapy in the late 1980s. With visual BLS, you follow your therapist's fingers or a light bar as it moves back and forth across your field of vision, creating that side-to-side eye movement pattern.

How it works: Your EMDR therapist moves their hand or uses a light bar, and you track the movement with your eyes while simultaneously thinking about the traumatic memory you're processing.

The advantages: This method follows the traditional EMDR protocol exactly as it was originally developed. Some clients also appreciate the active focus it requires.

The potential drawbacks: Here's where things get real. Eye movements can cause significant eye strain, headaches, and even trigger migraines—especially during longer EMDR sessions. For women dealing with trauma who also experience chronic headaches or migraines (which is incredibly common), this can make EMDR hard. Visual BLS can also be challenging if you tend to dissociate, have vision issues, or find it difficult to maintain that kind of sustained visual focus when you're already emotionally activated.

This is why we generally avoid eye movements at Therapy Cincinnati. We want your EMDR therapy experience to support your healing, not add physical discomfort to the process.

Tactile/Vibration Stimulation (Buzzers/Tappers)

Tactile bilateral stimulation uses small, handheld devices that vibrate alternately in each hand. At Therapy Cincinnati, these buzzers are our go-to method for EMDR therapy, and our clients consistently report positive experiences with them.

How it works: You hold a small buzzer in each hand—they're about half the size of a computer mouse. The devices gently vibrate back and forth: left, right, left, right, creating that bilateral stimulation pattern through touch rather than sight.

The sensory experience: The vibration is gentle and rhythmic. Most clients describe it as a soft pulsing sensation—nothing jarring or uncomfortable. We can adjust the speed and intensity to whatever feels right for you.

Why buzzers work so well: Tactile stimulation is incredibly grounding, which is essential when processing trauma. The physical sensation helps keep you anchored in the present moment, which is particularly important for childhood trauma survivors and those with complex PTSD who may struggle with dissociation. The buzzers are also less distracting than eye movements, allowing for natural eye contact with your therapist and the ability to close your eyes if you need to go deeper into your processing.

Research consistently shows that tactile BLS is just as effective as eye movements for trauma processing—you get the same healing benefits without the headaches.

Auditory Stimulation (Bilateral Sound)

The third option for bilateral stimulation in EMDR therapy involves sound. With auditory BLS, you wear headphones that play tones or music that alternates between your left and right ear.

How it works: You'll hear sounds that move back and forth between ears, creating bilateral stimulation through your auditory system while you process traumatic memories.

When it might be preferred: Some clients find auditory BLS soothing, especially if they're particularly sensitive to visual or physical stimulation.

Considerations: While auditory BLS can be effective, some trauma survivors find it less grounding than tactile methods. The headphones can also create a sense of isolation from your therapist during processing, which isn't always ideal when you're working through difficult trauma memories.

Why We Primarily Use Tactile Buzzers for EMDR

After years of providing EMDR therapy in Cincinnati and working specifically with women healing from childhood trauma, sexual assault, and complex PTSD, we've developed preferences based on what we've seen work best. Here's why tactile buzzers have become our primary method for bilateral stimulation.

Buzzers Are More Grounding

When you're processing trauma, staying grounded in the present moment is crucial. This is especially true if you experience dissociation, that "floaty" feeling, or a sense of being disconnected from your body—all common responses to trauma, particularly childhood trauma and complex PTSD.

Tactile stimulation through buzzers provides a consistent physical anchor. That gentle vibration in your hands reminds your nervous system that you're here, now, in this safe therapy space—not back in the traumatic event. For many of our clients dealing with sexual assault trauma or complex PTSD, this grounding quality makes a significant difference in their ability to process difficult memories without becoming overwhelmed.

The physical sensation helps you stay present while still allowing deep emotional processing to happen. It's a both/and rather than an either/or.

Buzzers Are Less Distracting

Here's something that surprised us when we first started using buzzers more consistently: clients could go deeper into their trauma processing because they weren't expending energy on following eye movements or focusing on external sounds.

With tactile BLS, you can maintain natural eye contact with your EMDR therapist, which strengthens the therapeutic relationship and helps you feel supported during difficult moments. You can also close your eyes whenever you need to, allowing you to turn inward and focus on your internal experience.

There's no need to track movements, no worry about "doing it right," no eye strain pulling you out of the moment. Just gentle bilateral stimulation happening in the background while you do the important work of healing.

Buzzers Work Just as Effectively

You might wonder: if eye movements were the original method, are buzzers really just as good? The answer, backed by research on EMDR therapy, is a resounding yes.

Multiple studies have shown that the specific form of bilateral stimulation doesn't significantly impact treatment outcomes. What matters is the bilateral stimulation itself—the alternating activation of both sides of your brain while processing traumatic memories. Whether that happens through eye movements, buzzers, or sound, your brain processes trauma the same way.

At Therapy Cincinnati, we've seen consistently excellent results with tactile BLS. Our clients successfully process childhood trauma, heal from sexual assault, and work through complex PTSD symptoms using buzzers just as effectively as they would with any other method.

Buzzers Are Flexible

People often think the only way to feel the buzzers is to hold them in your hand. Over the years, we've found that some of our clients like to try different ways of holding buzzers. Some put them under their feet, others tuck them under their thighs while sitting, and some prefer placing them in their pockets or against their legs under a blanket.

The vibration works just as effectively regardless of where you place the buzzers on your body. What matters is that you're receiving bilateral stimulation in a way that feels comfortable and supportive for your healing process. Your EMDR therapist at Therapy Cincinnati can help you experiment with different placements until you find what works best for you.

Buzzers Are Migraine-Friendly

Let's talk about something that doesn't get discussed enough: the overlap between trauma and chronic pain, especially headaches and migraines. Many trauma survivors—particularly women—also struggle with migraines or chronic headaches. There's actually a strong connection between PTSD and migraine disorders.

Eye movements in EMDR can trigger or worsen headaches and migraines. We've heard from clients who tried EMDR therapy elsewhere and had to stop because the eye movements gave them terrible headaches.

Tactile buzzers eliminate this concern entirely. No eye strain, no headache triggers—just effective trauma processing that doesn't leave you reaching for pain medication afterward.

Buzzers Are Accessible for Everyone

Tactile bilateral stimulation works regardless of vision differences, hearing differences, or sensory sensitivities. This accessibility is important to us as a trauma therapy practice in Cincinnati that serves diverse clients with different needs.

Your EMDR Experience at Therapy Cincinnati—We're Flexible

While we primarily use tactile buzzers for bilateral stimulation in our EMDR therapy sessions, here's something important to know: your comfort always comes first.

Client Preference Matters

We believe that effective trauma therapy happens when you feel safe, heard, and in control of your healing process. If you have a strong preference for a different form of bilateral stimulation—whether that's auditory BLS or eye movements—we're absolutely willing to accommodate that.

Maybe you've done EMDR therapy before and already know what works for you. Perhaps you have a sensory preference that makes one method more comfortable than another. Or maybe you just want to try different options to see what feels right. All of these are completely valid reasons to explore alternatives to our standard approach.

BLS Is Just One Piece of the Puzzle

Yes, bilateral stimulation is a crucial component of EMDR therapy. But it's only one element of a much larger, more complex healing process. What really drives trauma recovery is the overall EMDR protocol, the safety you feel in the therapy relationship, and your ability to process traumatic memories at your own pace with proper support.

Think of bilateral stimulation like the steering wheel in a car. It's important, but it's not what makes the car run. The engine—the real power behind your healing—is you, your resilience, your courage, and the therapeutic relationship you build with your EMDR therapist.

Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?

If you're considering EMDR therapy for childhood trauma, sexual assault, or complex PTSD, you're in the right place. Choosing therapy takes courage, and at Therapy Cincinnati, we specialize in helping women heal from trauma.

Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation

We offer a no-pressure consultation call where you can share what you're struggling with, ask questions about EMDR therapy and bilateral stimulation, learn about our therapists, and see if we're the right fit. There's no obligation—just an honest conversation about how we can help.

Ready to take the next step? Click the orange "Contact Us" button on the top of the page to schedule a free consultation call with us right now on our website. You can also fill out our contact information page, and we usually get back to people within 24 hours. Let's talk about how EMDR therapy can help you reclaim your life from trauma.

You don't have to carry this alone anymore. Healing is possible, and we're here to support you every step of the way.