How to Use Bilateral Music in EMDR Sessions

To use bilateral music in EMDR sessions, play it through stereo headphones, start quietly, and let the client choose a speed and volume they find comfortable. Check that left and right are the right way round before you begin. Then use it in the phases of your protocol where you'd normally use bilateral stimulation, with the same stop signal and the same attention to dual awareness.

That's the short version. This guide is for qualified EMDR therapists and trauma-informed clinicians who want to use sound well. It covers setup in the room and online, choosing a track, giving clients audio, and the licence you'll need.

It's not a substitute for EMDR training or supervision. Everything here sits inside your own clinical judgement and your professional body's guidance.

What bilateral music is

Bilateral music is music that moves from one ear to the other at a steady pace. With headphones on, the listener hears the sound travel left, then right, then left again.

In EMDR, it's one way of delivering auditory bilateral stimulation. The other common forms are eye movements and tapping, or tactile buzzers. Some clients prefer sound because it lets them close their eyes. Others find it easier than tracking a hand or a light bar.

Music adds something plain tones don't. It gives a softer, more continuous container around the left and right movement. That can help clients who find beeps harsh or clinical. If you want the background first, we've written a short overview on the bilateral music for therapists page.

Where it fits in EMDR and brainspotting

Use bilateral music wherever your protocol calls for bilateral stimulation. In standard EMDR, that's mainly desensitisation, installation and the body scan.

Many clinicians also use slow, short sets during preparation, for resource work such as a calm or safe place. Slower sound tends to feel soothing. Faster sound is more often used during processing. Follow the speeds and set lengths you were trained to use. The music is a delivery method. It doesn't change the protocol.

Brainspotting practitioners often use bilateral sound too, usually as a steady background while the client holds a brainspot. Here, a long continuous track is more useful than short sets, because the sound runs for much of the session.

What the research does and doesn't show

The evidence for EMDR itself is strong. The evidence for sound as the bilateral element is thinner.

EMDR is recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization (2013) and by NICE in the UK (2018). Those recommendations are based on trials that mostly used eye movements.

One leading idea is that bilateral tasks work by taxing working memory while the client holds a memory in mind. This makes the memory feel less vivid and less charged. Lab studies testing this idea have found that eye movements load working memory more than simple tones do. A study by van den Hout and colleagues in Behaviour Research and Therapy (2011) is one example.

There's very little research on music as the bilateral stimulus. So it's wise to keep your claims modest. Bilateral music is a gentle, acceptable option that many clients like. It may not be the strongest option for every client or every target. Some clinicians switch to eye movements if processing stalls with sound.

When you explain it to clients, keep it simple and honest. "This is one of the ways we can do the left and right part. If it doesn't suit you, we can switch."

Setting up in the room

A good setup takes five minutes and saves a lot of trouble mid-session.

Headphones

Use over-ear headphones that sit comfortably for an hour. Wired headphones are the safer choice. Bluetooth can drop out or lag, and a dropout during processing is disruptive.

Keep a spare pair and wipe them between clients. Some clients will prefer to bring their own.

Left and right

Always check the channels before you start. Play a few seconds and ask the client which side they hear first. Headphones put on backwards are common, and they're easy to miss.

Volume

Start low, then let the client adjust. The sound should be clear but never loud. Clients in strong emotional states can become more sensitive to sound, so a level that felt fine at the start may feel too much later. Check in between sets.

Speed

Let the client have a say. Some clients find a fast sweep agitating, while others find a slow one too dreamy to stay present. If your track has a fixed speed, keep a second option ready, or use other forms of stimulation alongside it.

Dual awareness

Bilateral stimulation works best when the client has one foot in the memory and one in the room. The music should help with that. A steady, plain sound gives the client something present to come back to.

Agree your stop signal before the first set, exactly as you would with eye movements. Make sure the client can take the headphones off at any time.

Setting up online

Online EMDR needs a little more care with sound. The main risk is that the bilateral effect gets lost on the way.

• Check stereo. Many video call platforms send audio in mono by default, which blends left and right into one. Turn on your platform's stereo or original sound setting before you share audio, and test it with a colleague.
• Ask for headphones. The client needs proper stereo headphones. Laptop speakers won't carry the movement.
• Run a sound check. At the start of each session, play a few seconds and ask which side they hear first.
• Have a backup. If the audio fails, switch to tapping. The butterfly hug is a common self-administered option.

Avoid emailing the bare music file for clients to play on their side. Your licence covers recordings you make for clients, but sharing the audio files on their own isn't allowed. More on that below.

Bilateral and binaural: two tools for two jobs

Bilateral music moves sound from side to side. Binaural beats play a slightly different tone in each ear, and the brain hears a slow pulse between them. Both need headphones, but they do different things.

Bilateral sound is the left and right element in EMDR. Binaural beats are used to invite states such as theta or alpha, and people respond to them in very different ways. Don't swap one for the other. If you'd like to use binaural tracks in other client work, our post on using theta waves and binaural beats safely covers the cautions.

Choosing a track: drone or melodic, key and length

For processing, choose a calm drone over a melodic piece. A melody invites the mind to follow it, and that's the last thing you want while a client is working with a memory.

Here's what we'd look for:

• A steady base. A low, stable drone that never swells, so nothing in the music feels like a change in emotion.
• A soft moving layer. The left and right movement should be gentle, and easy to follow without effort.
• A neutral key. Avoid anything that sounds strongly happy or sad. You don't want the music to colour what comes up.
• Enough length. Choose a track that runs longer than the session. A loop or a sudden end can pull a client out of processing.

417 Hz Release was built for this. A soft texture sweeps back and forth over a steady G sharp minor drone, in 15, 30 and 60-minute versions. For the grounding before and after processing, Somatic Safety has no movement at all. It's simply a low, heavy bed that helps the room settle.

Giving clients audio between sessions

Home audio can help some clients, but it's a clinical decision. Think about who it's for and what it's for before you make anything.

Most clinicians keep home audio to calming and resourcing. A short recording of you guiding a calm place exercise, with bilateral music underneath, can help a client settle between sessions. Home processing of trauma memories is a different matter, and most protocols advise against it.

A few practical points:

• Keep recordings short, around five to ten minutes.
• Record your own voice at the start and end, so the client knows what the recording is for.
• Tell the client to use headphones, and to stop if they feel unsettled.
• Note the recording in your clinical records, like any other homework.

Licensing for client recordings

Check that your licence covers the way you'll use the music. Most streaming music and free downloads don't cover clinical use or recordings for clients.

With Melobleep, one purchase covers you and anyone who works in your practice, for good. You can play the music in sessions, in person and online. You can record personal audio for your clients and give it to them. And if you make videos or courses, those are covered too.

What you can't do is share the bare audio files, play the music as all-day background in a waiting room, or use it to train AI. The music has never been registered with a PRO, so there's no extra performance licence to arrange.

For the wider picture, see our simple licensing guide. If you publish any of your work online, our post on YouTube without copyright headaches is worth a read too.

FAQs

Is bilateral music safe to use with clients?

It's gentle and played at low volume, but it belongs inside a proper treatment plan. EMDR should only be delivered by a trained clinician. Start quietly, check in between sets, and stop if a client feels overwhelmed.

Does it work without headphones?

Not really. Room speakers blend the left and right sides, so the movement is mostly lost. Over speakers, a bilateral track still works as a calm background.

What's the difference between binaural and bilateral music?

Bilateral music moves sound from side to side, and it's used for the left and right element in EMDR. Binaural beats play a slightly different tone in each ear to create a slow pulse the brain perceives. Both need headphones, but they do different jobs.

Can clients use it at home?

Some can, with care. Most clinicians limit home audio to calming and resourcing, recorded with their own voice. Home processing of trauma memories is generally best avoided.

What speed should the panning be?

Use the speeds you were trained to use, and let the client have a say. Slower movement tends to feel soothing and suits resource work. Faster movement is more often used during processing.