Bilateralstimulation.io

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are you facing technical issues?
Here are the most common solutions you can try:

*Please note that updating your browser is always a good idea. Many websites do not work on outdated browsers. More importantly, outdated browsers are a security risk, which means that they are much more likely to compromise your data and to endanger client confidentiality.

How does this tool work?

If you are a client please ask your therapist to send you a direct link to their session. The link has the following format: www.bilateralstimulation.io/s/session-name

If you are a therapist, please follow the following steps:

  1. Go to bilateralstimulation.io and click on the "Therapist" button.
  2. Type in a name for the session.
  3. You should now be in a session where you see the bilateral stimulation as well as the therapist panel that allows you to control it.
  4. Initiate a teletherapy session with your client (via a tool like Zoom, Doxy.me, or whichever video program you prefer) in a new window/tab.
  5. Copy the link/URL from your session and share it with your client (here are some instructions on how copy & paste works). Your session link/URL should have the following format: www.bilateralstimulation.io/s/yoursessionname
  6. Resize your video call window and your bilateralstimulation.io window to fit your needs and preferences (here are some instructions on how to do that), e.g. placing them side-to-side (recommended for therapists) or on top of each other (recommended for clients) on your screen so you can see both at the same time.
  7. You can now start your online EMDR session with your client. You can control the session by turning the bilateral stimulation on and off, by changing its speed and color and by changing its audio.

Should I use this tool by sharing my scren with the client?

No. I advise to never use the tool with screen sharing but to always have the client join the session via the session link, as described above. Why? When sharing the screen, the BLS will appear jerky rather than smooth to the client. Also, in the case of bad connectivity it will quickly stop working while sending the link will work even with poor connectivity. Also, the audio will never work properly when sharing the screen.

How does the audio bilateral work?

As a therapist, you can enable audio bilateral by selecting a sound in the "🎧 Select Audio" dropdown in your therapist controls. You and your client can both hear the audio you are selecting so you can choose the one you like the most.

When you start the visual bilateral the audio will play in-sync. Every time the visual bilateral hits the left border of the screen, the sound will play on the left ear. Every time the visual bilateral hits the right border of the screen, the sound will play on the right ear.

Make sure your client wears headphones (preferably wired ones) and is in a calm place. Make sure your client has not muted the volume on their device. Once you initiate audio your client will see a text message on their screen asking them to confirm that they want to allow enabling audio. They need to click on this text message for audio to play on their side.

Your client is fully in control of the volume of the audio via the volume controls of their device.

What does the client see?

The way the session link works is that once you create a session ​you​ will always see the therapist view (until you terminate the session by closing the window/tab).

Other people who click the link, however, will only see the client's view (without the "therapist control panel").

If you want to see the session window as it is seen by the client, you can simulate being a client by opening the session link on a different device or in a different browser. You can then control it on one device/browser and watch it change on the other device/browser.

Can this tool be used on a phone/iPad/tablet?

This tool works on both desktops/laptops/macbooks/computers as well as mobile devices (such as an iPad or iPhone). Some therapists actually prefer to control it from their mobile device to mimic a remote control.

For clients who use a mobile device it is recommended that they hold their device sideways (landscape mode) and that they hold it close to their face to ensure a proper bilateral stimulation across their range of vision.

How close to the display should the client sit?

For optimal outcomes it is recommended that the bilateral covers a large part of the client's horizontal range of vision. This means that the client's face should be significantly closer to the display than usual. In practice, this usually equates to two or three palms wide for normal laptop displays, two to four palms wide for desktop displays and two to three fingers wide for smartphone displays. However, your therapeutic preferences might vary. Vertically, the client's eyes should be aligned with the camera so that the therapist can still monitor their gaze.

Answers to specific technical issues:

The audio does not work/the audio is not bilateral.

Here are some things you can try:

  • Please try a different set of headphones, preferably wired ones.
  • Please try a different browser.
  • Please try a different device.
  • Are you as the therapist using headphones or speakers? Often, therapists who use speakers experience issues because the client ends up hearing the audio BLS through the therapist's speakers and microphone, thus making it unilateral instead of bilateral. So, if you're using speakers try either using headphones or click the "Mute for therapist" button on your control panel.

If that still does not solve the issue please contact me and we can figure it out together: ​ yanick@bilateralstimulation.io

The tool does not work at all for me (the on/off switch does not do anything)

Please contact me and we can figure it out together: ​ yanick@bilateralstimulation.io

How can I use this tool with a video calling software like Doxy.me or Zoom?

What people usually do is to have Doxy.me/Zoom on one part of the screen and bilateralstimulation.io on another part of the screen (side by side or on top of each other). See here for instructions on how to adjust your window size​. An alternative is to switch between the windows/tabs. Clients should make sure to have the full width of their screen available for the bilateral stimulation.

Please note that doxy.me/Zoom are independent organizations - there is no affiliation between them and bilateralstimulation.io

How can I adjust the size of the window?

Here are some instructions​ on how to adjust your window size. Please note that your window size and the client's window size are completely independent of each other - you both can adjust it on your respective end to fit your screen and needs.

When you click the "Copy link" button, your session link should get copied into your device's clipboard. This means that you can go to another application on your device (e.g. doxy/zoom or your email program) and paste it. (​Here is a more detailed explanation of copy & paste on PC/Mac/iPhone/etc.​).

Copying the link and then pasting it is meant to help you with sharing the link with your client (e.g. via Doxy or email). When your client clicks on the link, they will see the bilateral as you see it - but without the "therapist control panel". You can then control the bilateral and they can watch it.

My client can see the therapist controls.

Please ask your client to click the "Terminate Session" button at the bottom of the page and then to click on your link again.

Which browsers does this tool work with?

This tool has been tested with and supports the following browsers:

  • Google Chrome on PC/Mac, version 64 or newer. [Recommended for the best user experience]
  • Safari on Mac, version 11 or newer.
  • Microsoft Edge on PC, version 80 or newer.
  • iPhone & iPad with iOS 12 or newer and with Safari 11 or newer
  • Android with Chrome, unless the device is very very old.
  • Firefox on PC/Mac, version 67 or newer.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer is currently NOT supported. Users who still use Microsoft Internet Explorer are advised to switch to a newer and more secure browser, e.g. Google Chrome.

Therapy preferences:

Can I use this tool in full-screen mode?

Yes! Please click here for instructions on how to full-screen your browser.

Speed: How many seconds does one bilateral pass of this tool take?

The seconds per pass depend on the selected speed level and are as follows:

Speed level Seconds per pass Hertz
0.5 5.5s 0.18
1.0 3.65s 0.27
1.5 3.475s 0.29
2.0 3.3s 0.3
2.5 3.125s 0.32
3.0 2.95s 0.34
3.5 2.775s 0.36
4.0 2.6s 0.38
4.5 2.425s 0.41
5.0 2.25s 0.44
5.5 2.075s 0.48
6.0 1.9s 0.53
6.5 1.725s 0.58
7.0 1.55s 0.65
7.5 1.375s 0.73
8.0 1.2s 0.83
8.5 1.025s 0.98
9.0 0.85s 1.18
9.5 0.675s 1.48
10 0.5s 2

What if my client prefers the bilateral at the top of the page?

Your client can now choose between positioning the bilateral at the top or the center of the page. There is an arrow at the bottom right of their screen that allows them to switch between the two.

I want the audio to be different.

Audio was added recently and I'd be curious to hear your feedback. What do you like? What do you miss? Volume too high, volume too low? Reach out: yanick@bilateralstimulation.io

Can you add different movement patterns, e.g. the ball moving diagonally instead of horizontally?

Please send me a brief explanation of what you would like: yanick@bilateralstimulation.io

I am missing something from this tool / I have a feature request

I always welcome feedback and requests. Just email me: yanick@bilateralstimulation.io

I would like to use this tool across my organization

I would be happy to help you roll it out, e.g. via training sessions and answering questions of your team. Email me your plans (​yanick@bilateralstimulation.io) and we can talk about it.

I would like to use this tool as part of a research study

I would be happy to assist. Email me your plans (​yanick@bilateralstimulation.io) and we can talk about it.

About this website/Who are you?

I'm Yanick. In my day job I am a software engineer.

This tool is my contribution to tackling the Coronavirus crisis. It is meant to help EMDR therapists and their clients continue their work in quarantine.

I am currently paying for the infrastructure and development of this tool myself.

If you like the tool and would like to donate you can do so here: www.paypal.me/yanickjs