Free EMDR Bilateral Stimulation Tool for Therapists
If you are looking for a free bilateral stimulation tool to run EMDR sessions, here is the honest answer to what "free" means with EMDR Mobile — what costs nothing, what your client never pays for, and what the subscription actually covers.
What you can use for free
EMDR Mobile is a therapist-controlled bilateral stimulation (BLS) app. Two things cost nothing:
1. Seven days of full therapist access
Every new therapist account starts with a 7-day free trial that unlocks the complete app — online mode, face-to-face mode, all BLS speed and tone controls, and the macOS and Windows desktop apps. Nothing is held back during the trial, so you can test it in real sessions before deciding.
The trial is set up through the App Store or Google Play, so it follows their standard billing flow. You can cancel from your store account any time before the trial ends.
2. The client side, permanently
Your client never pays and never subscribes. They download the same EMDR Mobile app, tap Client Login, and enter the session credentials you share with them. That mode is free for good — it stays free after your trial ends and after your subscription starts.
In practice this means a full online EMDR session costs your client nothing, and costs you nothing for the first week.
What the subscription covers after the trial
After seven days, therapist-side control moves to a subscription bought through the App Store or Google Play. One subscription covers every platform: iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablet, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10/11. There is no separate desktop licence and no per-seat charge for the clients you work with.
Free browser tools vs. a therapist-controlled app
There are genuinely free browser-based BLS tools, and for some situations they are perfectly adequate. It is worth being clear about where they differ, because the difference is not really about price.
| Situation | Free browser tool | EMDR Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| In-person session, one device and headphones | Works well | Works well, plus saved settings |
| Online session, client on their own device | Client must share their screen or you screen-share audio, which degrades timing | Client runs the app locally; you control it remotely and audio plays on their device |
| Adjusting speed or tone mid-set | Client has to make the change themselves | You change it from your screen; it applies on their device immediately |
| Working without internet | Needs a connection | Face-to-face mode runs offline |
| Moving between clinics and devices | Re-configure each time | Settings follow your account |
The short version: if you only ever work face-to-face with one device, a free browser tool may be all you need. The moment a client is on the other end of a video call, remote control of the stimulation is the thing you are actually paying for.
Why remote control matters more than it sounds
During desensitisation you are reading the client continuously and adjusting as you go — slowing a set down when affect rises, shortening sets when processing is looping, changing tone when a sound becomes aversive. If the client is the one holding the controls, every adjustment becomes an interruption: you describe the change, they find the setting, they restart. Attention leaves the target and lands on the software.
With therapist-side control the adjustment happens without a word. You change speed on your screen and the client's headphones follow within milliseconds. The session keeps its rhythm.
Starting your free week
- Download EMDR Mobile on your phone, tablet or computer and create a therapist account.
- Choose face-to-face mode and plug in headphones, or choose online mode to get a session username and one-time password.
- For online work, send those credentials to your client and have them open the same app in Client Login mode.
- Press Start and adjust speed, tone and set count from your own screen.
Seven days is enough to run it through a normal week of sessions, in both modes, with real clients — which is the only test that actually tells you anything.