EMDR Matters

EMDR Matters Your one-stop video EMDR app

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Your client still sees you during the BLS

Your video image stays on the client’s screen through the set. The animation runs beside you, not instead of you. The therapist's video remains visible to the client in remote modes to maintain a steady connection. The same BLS controls also work face to face — phone as controller, client screen as display.

All your clients get a single, unchanging link

The client enters your own virtual waiting room and joins the session when you admit them. No install. On first sign in you choose your own unique name for the waiting room.

Smooth screen transitions and BLS animation

As a trauma-focused EMDR app, great care was taken to make the visual experience as smooth and predictable as possible.

Privacy

The app does not store data unnecessary for its function. Only the therapist's login and account have a persistent record. No client data is stored permanently. This was the design philosophy throughout the app development.

Welcome

One app for 1:1 video sessions, remote BLS, and the same tools in clinic

We focus on calm session flow and therapist presence. Face-to-face sessions are free. Online sessions — waiting room, video, and bilateral stimulation — are free for 14 days from your first sign-in, then a subscription. Donations are always welcome. You sign in to get your personal client link. Clients join with their name only — no account for them.

See the app

Video and BLS in one session

Three views from EMDR Matters: therapist controls, client video rapport, then bilateral stimulation on the client's screen.

Therapist view with client video and BLS controls
What the therapist sees BLS mode with speed, pattern, and Start — plus a preview of the client screen. Online EMDR guide
Client view in video mode before animation starts
What the client sees Face-to-face video before you start the set. Client controls their own audio. Waiting room guide
Client view with bilateral stimulation animation
What the client sees — BLS Ball and tones on the client's device while you control speed and pattern remotely. vs screen share guide

Also in clinic

Face to face is free on the same account. No subscription, and no video call in the room.

Face-to-face BLS — phone remote, client screen display

Same patterns, speed, and auto-stop as remote sessions. No video call when you and your client are in the same room — optional USB or BLE tappers on the display computer.

Therapist seated beside a client. The client screen shows a pale yellow field with a green ball. The therapist holds a phone.
In the room You sit with the client. Their screen shows the ball. Your phone runs it.
A hand holding a phone showing the face-to-face controller, with a green ball and a red Stop button.
The phone A remote for the screen beside you. Same sign-in.
The face-to-face controller: speed, direction, tone, colour, and a red Stop button.
The controls Speed, direction, colour, and Stop. The same BLS tools as online.

Simply sign in on two devices, same login. On the client screen open Face-to-face display (for example a laptop or monitor). On your phone open Face-to-face controller — your remote for the set.

Read the face-to-face guide →

EMDR Matters app vs screen sharing apps

Screen sharing compresses fast motion, so a moving ball often looks jerky. EMDR Matters draws the ball and plays audio on the client's device while you control speed and pattern remotely.

Read the vs screen share guide →

Client bilateral stimulation during an online EMDR session
Built by practising EMDR therapists — face to face free, online with a 14-day trial, donations always welcome.

Session flow

EMDR web-app session flow

  1. Your waiting room link — On first sign in you choose your unique Waiting Room Name, e.g. “JohnSmith”, if available. You'll get a link ready to copy and send to your clients, e.g. emdrmatters.com/JohnSmith
  2. Waiting room — Client opens your link, enters their name, and waits until you admit them — like a reception area — you'll find the client waiting there and can start the session in Video mode.
  3. Video mode — This is the familiar 1:1 video call type. Face-to-face visibility. When ready to start the EMDR processing the therapist switches to bilateral stimulation mode (BLS mode).
  4. BLS mode — The client still sees you full screen with their own picture as well. The therapist has the control panel open or hidden to select the functionality of the animation (colour, background, random modes, etc.). Only when you press the START button will the client see the animation. When you press STOP, the client will see you full screen again. These are gentle visual transitions.
  5. Pause and adjust — As therapist you can change the settings during a set. On their side, the client can choose to turn BLS audio on or off. The client also has a button to stop the BLS on their end, but they can’t start it. You can also simply go back to Video mode at the end of the session to have a closing conversation.
  6. End session — When ending the session, temporary session information is removed from our servers.

Face-to-face flow (guide)

  1. Sign in and set room code — Use your dashboard room code (the same code you use for remote sessions).
  2. Open client screen and therapist remote — On the client screen open Face-to-face display. On your phone open Face-to-face controller. Optional Tap USB or BLE tappers connect on the display computer (Chrome or Edge).
  3. Run the set — Start and stop BLS from your phone. End session returns both devices to the dashboard.

Common questions

Online EMDR therapy, trauma video & bilateral stimulation

What is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)?
EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach used to help process distressing memories — widely used in trauma therapy, PTSD, anxiety, and related conditions. Treatment uses structured phases and bilateral stimulation (guided eye movements, sounds, or tapping) so the brain can desensitise and reprocess traumatic material. EMDR Matters does not replace accredited EMDR training; it is the online session technology for licensed clinicians delivering that work remotely.
What is online EMDR trauma therapy?
Online EMDR trauma therapy means delivering clinician-led EMDR over secure video, with the same bilateral stimulation (BLS) you would use in the room — but on the client's own screen for smooth eye-movement tracking. You identify targets and pace the session; the platform handles waiting room, video rapport, therapist-controlled BLS, and explicit session end. Suitable for PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, and other presentations you already treat with EMDR.
Can you do EMDR online?
Yes. EMDR Matters is built for remote EMDR and telehealth video in the browser. You admit the client from a waiting room, talk face-to-face in Video mode, then start bilateral stimulation (BLS) on their screen when you are ready — the usual clinical pacing, without a separate stimulation-only workaround.
Can I use EMDR Matters for face-to-face sessions?
Yes, and face-to-face stays free. Open Face-to-face display on the client screen and Face-to-face controller on your phone — same room code from the dashboard. You keep the same BLS patterns, speed, and auto-stop as remote. Optional Tap USB or BLE tappers connect on the display computer (Chrome or Edge). See the face-to-face guide.
Do I need a video call for face-to-face BLS?
No. Face-to-face mode is controller plus display only — no video call when you and your client are in the same room. Sign in from the dashboard to open both pages.
What is the best way to run EMDR over video?
For many clinicians, the smoothest EMDR video therapy setup is integrated video plus bilateral stimulation (BLS) on the client's device. You keep control of speed, pattern, audio and pacing while the client sees the ball and tones on their own screen.
How does EMDR Matters support bilateral stimulation online?
EMDR Matters connects you and your client with a direct, private video link when the network allows, and shows the ball and bilateral audio on the client's screen. You stay in one flow: waiting room → video call → bilateral stimulation (BLS) mode.
Do clients need to download an app for virtual EMDR sessions?
No install for clients. They open your link (e.g. emdrmatters.com/YourName), enter their name, and wait to be admitted. It works on modern phones, tablets, and desktops — helpful for distance EMDR and clients who are not tech-savvy.
What is bilateral stimulation in online EMDR?
Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is the rhythmic input used during desensitisation and reprocessing — commonly eye movements, auditory tones, or tapping (tactile). In remote sessions the stimulus must stay smooth on the client's screen. EMDR Matters draws the visual ball and plays bilateral audio locally; you control speed, pattern, and when sets start and stop. For in-person clinic sessions, optional USB or BLE tappers can connect on the display computer.
Is EMDR Matters EMDR therapy software for telehealth?
It is a session tool for licensed clinicians already trained in EMDR — not training, supervision, or clinical records. It supports telehealth EMDR workflow: personal client link, practice mode to rehearse layout, direct video between you and your client when possible, and minimal server-side session data (see privacy and compliance & data).
Is it free for EMDR therapists to try?
Face to face is free. Online sessions are free for 14 days from your first sign-in. After that, a subscription is offered the next time you sign in, and online sessions need it. Donations are always welcome. Sign in, try the interactive demo with no client connected, then share your client link when you are ready. We do not sell session recordings or store therapy content on our servers.

Ready to try it?

Face to face is free. Online includes 14 days, then a subscription. Donations are always welcome.

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With thanks to our colleagues

EMDR Matters has been shaped by suggestions from practising therapists and friends: