Bilateral stimulation, the alternating left-right tapping, sound or eye movement used in EMDR therapy, is not by itself a trauma treatment: EMDR is recommended as a whole structured therapy, and studies disagree on whether the side-to-side component adds benefit beyond recalling the memory in a guided setting. Alternating taps can be used as a calming exercise, but using them while deliberately recalling a distressing memory alone is unsupported and risky.
Bilateral stimulation is rhythmic alternating sensory input, left then right, used as one element of EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing).
The Therapy Is Recommended; The Taps Are A Component
EMDR is a structured therapy delivered by trained clinicians in phases: history taking, preparation and stabilisation, then recall of a target memory paired with bilateral stimulation, then installation of a positive belief and checks. International guidance, including the WHO’s, lists it among recommended treatments for post-traumatic stress alongside trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (stated from recollection of the WHO’s 2013 guidance). That recommendation covers the whole package, not the tapping.
Whether The Movement Matters Is Unsettled
Researchers have tried to separate the parts. Reviews of “dismantling” studies, which compare EMDR with the same procedure without eye movements, have often found no additional benefit from the movements, and the effect has been attributed to guided recall of the memory in a safe, structured setting, as in other exposure-based treatments. Other work suggests that the movements may tax working memory and make a vivid memory less intense in the moment. Both positions exist in the literature, and a reader who needs a firm conclusion should consult the reviews directly. For this guide the safe reading is: there is no evidence that tapping alone treats trauma.
The Butterfly Hug Is A Self-Soothing Tool
The “butterfly hug” in the parent guide, crossing the arms on the chest and tapping alternately on each side, was developed by a clinician working with survivors of a hurricane in Mexico in the late 1990s (cited from recollection) as a self-soothing technique for use in a community after disaster. It has been used widely in humanitarian settings. Its evidence is limited; as a calming exercise it is low in risk.
Use As Calming, Not As Memory Work
- Anchor it to the present. Tap slowly while naming where you are, or while recalling a calm place or person.
- Keep the pace slow and even, with slow breathing.
- Use it for the moment: panic, jumpiness before sleep, the minutes after a trigger.
- Stop if distress rises. Switch to a grounding exercise; see Grounding Techniques.
Where The Parent Guide Goes Further Than The Evidence
The parent guide instructs people to tap “while thinking about a distressing memory” and to walk while thinking about the trauma. Doing this alone and unprepared removes what makes clinical EMDR safe: preparation, a plan for flooding, and a trained person. Walking while dwelling on an event is rumination with exercise and is not bilateral stimulation therapy. I am reporting this instruction as unsupported and have not repeated it.
Why This Is Hard To Reduce To A Protocol
The therapy’s benefit probably comes from the interaction of safe preparation, a guided recall, and a trained person’s judgement about pace, none of which is portable in a handout. A lay version keeps the visible element (tapping) and drops the parts that carry the safety.
Common Mistakes
- Treating tapping as a trauma cure.
- Using it at night to “process” a memory, which can bring on a wakeful night.
- Using it for a person who dissociates, where rhythmic repetition may deepen the state; use orientation instead.
- Telling someone it “worked” or “failed”. A calming exercise helps or does not.
Reliving risk
Deliberately recalling a traumatic memory without preparation can bring on a flashback or a long spell of distress. If a clinician trained in EMDR is available, this is the right route for memory work.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Containment Visualization — another stabilising exercise
- Combine with: Self-Help Treatment Methods — what can and cannot be done without a clinician