Bilateral Stimulation You Didn't Know You Were Doing
In today’s overstimulating world, stress doesn’t just build, it compounds. Between the demands of work, relationships, identity, and sensory overwhelm, it’s no wonder so many of us feel stuck in cycles of tension, anxiety, depression, or trauma responses. If you’ve ever struggled to “just relax” or felt like traditional talk therapy didn’t quite reach the root, you’re not alone.
But what if your body already holds a key to healing… and you’ve been using it without even realizing?
Let’s talk about bilateral stimulation, a powerful tool used in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. It’s not just a clinical technique; it’s something your brain naturally does to process and regulate emotions. EMDR simply harnesses that process in a focused, intentional way to support holistic nervous system healing.
TL;DR
Life is overstimulating—stress, anxiety, and trauma are common struggles, especially for creative AuDHD folks and busy BIPOC professionals.
Bilateral stimulation is a natural brain process that helps regulate emotions and process memories, especially during REM sleep.
You already do it: walking, drumming, swaying, running, biking, and tapping are everyday forms of bilateral stimulation that soothe your nervous system.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation in a structured, focused way to help your brain reprocess trauma, reduce anxiety and depression, and support holistic healing.If you're curious whether this approach fits your needs, a consultation can help you explore your options in a supportive environment.
Bilateral Stimulation: Your Brain’s Built-In Healing Rhythm
Every night, your brain engages in bilateral stimulation during REM sleep. That rapid left-right eye movement isn’t random—it’s your brain’s way of processing emotional experiences, consolidating memories, and regulating mood. Think of it as your internal filing system, sorting through the day’s events and deciding what to keep, what to discard, and what needs healing.
In EMDR therapy, we replicate this natural rhythm while you’re awake and supported. Through guided eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones alternating between the left and right sides of the body, EMDR activates the brain’s innate ability to reprocess distressing memories and reduce emotional intensity.
Everyday Bilateral Stimulation You Didn’t Know Was Therapeutic
You’ve likely already experienced the calming effects of bilateral stimulation in your daily life. Here are a few examples of the natural, accessible ways your body engages in left-right rhythmic movement:
Walking or hiking: The alternating motion of your legs and arms helps regulate your nervous system.
Running or biking: Repetitive bilateral movement can lead to emotional clarity and somatic release.
Swaying: Rocking side to side can mimic the soothing motion of being held.
Drumming or playing percussion: Alternating hands creates rhythmic stimulation that’s both expressive and regulating.
Swaying or rocking side to side: A gentle motion that mimics being held or soothed.
Knitting, crocheting, or sewing: Repetitive hand movements across the body can be calming and meditative.
Dancing: Especially styles that involve cross-body movement or alternating steps.
Foot tapping or finger tapping: A subtle, portable way to self-soothe during overwhelm.
Swimming: Alternating strokes engage both sides of the body and promote regulation.
Playing piano or guitar: Coordinated bilateral hand movement with emotional expression.
Bilateral sound stimulation: Listening to music or tones that alternate between left and right ears (often used in EMDR apps or sessions).
Butterfly hug: Crossing your arms over your chest and tapping alternately on your shoulders—often used in EMDR for self-soothing.
Bilateral drawing or journaling: Using both hands to draw or write simultaneously or alternating sides.
These activities aren’t just hobbies or coping mechanisms—they’re your brain’s built-in way of seeking balance.
Why Bilateral Stimulation Goes Deeper Than Talk Therapy
Talk therapy is powerful—but it often engages the brain’s verbal, analytical centers, which can feel limiting when trauma is stored in the body or when emotions are too overwhelming to articulate. For many AuDHD individuals and BIPOC professionals, especially those navigating chronic stress or systemic trauma, words alone may not reach the root. There’s a good reason many people criticize therapy as less helpful than a good workout.
That’s where bilateral stimulation shines and can naturally merge with verbal processing within a relationship.
By rhythmically engaging both hemispheres of the brain, bilateral stimulation activates deeper neural pathways responsible for emotional regulation, memory integration, and somatic processing. It’s like opening a back door to the nervous system—one that bypasses overthinking and taps directly into the body’s wisdom.
Here’s why this matters:
Deep Information Processing: Bilateral stimulation helps the brain reprocess stuck or fragmented memories, allowing them to be stored in a more adaptive, less distressing way.
Somatic Relief: Trauma lives in the body. Bilateral stimulation can release physical tension, reduce hypervigilance, and calm the fight-flight-freeze response.
Mind-Body Integration: Instead of just talking about your experiences, EMDR helps you feel through them, creating space for emotional clarity, nervous system regulation, and embodied healing.
For those experiencing anxiety, depression, or trauma, this approach can be life-changing. It’s especially impactful for people who feel “stuck in their head,” overwhelmed by sensory input, or disconnected from their body. EMDR therapy meets you where you are—without forcing you to relive everything verbally—and guides your brain toward resolution.
EMDR Therapy: Conscious Healing Through Bilateral Stimulation
EMDR takes what your body already knows and gives it structure. In a 90-minute session or intensive format, you’ll bring your specific mental health goals to a trained therapist. Perhaps you want to sleep more easily, be more comfortable being vulnerable with loved ones, or even stop procrastinating. You’ll discuss in fine detail where it is that you get stuck – those stuck points become your target for EMDR. Then, the therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation while you revisit distressing aspects of experience in a safe, contained way. This process helps your brain reprocess those memories or stuck points so they no longer feel overwhelming or stuck.
Clients often report feeling lighter, more emotionally regulated, and less reactive after EMDR. It’s not about erasing the past; it’s about freeing your nervous system from the weight of it.
For AuDHD creatives, EMDR can offer relief from sensory overload and emotional dysregulation. For BIPOC professionals navigating systemic stressors, it can be a space to reclaim agency and heal intergenerational trauma. EMDR is efficient, empowering, and deeply attuned to your brain’s natural healing rhythm.
Ready to Work With Your Brain, Not Against It?
If you’re curious whether EMDR therapy, in particular 90-minute sessions or intensives, might be the right fit for your healing journey, I invite you to schedule a consultation. Let’s explore how bilateral stimulation can support your mental health in a way that feels structured, holistic, and uniquely yours.
About the Author
Chelsea Adams, LPC is a licensed therapist with over 7 years of experience supporting clients in Pittsburgh. She specializes in intergenerational, relational, religious, and systemic trauma and uses a decolonized model of evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, Somatic Internal Family Systems, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, and therapy intensives to help clients connect to their own wisdom, voice, and power. Chelsea is committed to providing compassionate, expert care online for clients across Pennsylvania.
