The transition to online EMDR therapy is changing the way we conduct our sessions. Doing EMDR remotely creates challenges, but creative technological solutions are emerging and making it much easier and more accessible to therapists worldwide.
For example, remotEMDR now offers therapists a holistic solution for conducting highly effective EMDR sessions, including three different types of bilateral stimulation: a visual stimulus of moving elements, an auditory stimulus of sound effects, nature sound or music, and a tactile stimulus generated by specialized bilateral tappers offered by Bi-Tapp.
As you may know, many therapists find using two or even three types of stimulation during their EMDR sessions simultaneously to be very effective. Tactile stimulation can also be helpful when visual stimulation is either not suitable or not possible for the client. Sometimes, switching to bilateral tapping is simply necessary to continue the reprocessing. With the new remotEMDR/Bi-Tapp collaboration, online EMDR therapy can include high-quality tactile stimulation and become an even more comprehensive therapeutic experience with better results than ever before.
What is Bi-Tapp?
Bi-Tapp is an American company that manufactures unique Bluetooth-based tappers designed to give people of all ages access to a powerful resource that can be used anytime and anywhere to reduce stress and anxiety. Bi-Tapp is a product that closely simulates manual bilateral tapping, such as when you tap back and forth on your thighs in an alternating pattern with your hands. As a result, it can serve as a great substitute for manual tapping, which becomes inconvenient in online EMDR sessions.
To use remotEMDR with Bi-Tapp, you or your client will need to buy Bi-Tapp’s kit. Go to Bi-Tapp’s website for more details on making the purchase. The Bi-Tapp-remotEMDR integration works on both iOS and Android devices.
Setting Up the remotEDMR/Bi-Tapp Integration
Before we dive into the setup process – this is the guide’s video version for your convenience:
For those of you who prefer the text version, keep reading:
Before the session, ask your client to install and open the Bi-Tapp app for iOS or Android. Then, go to your client’s profile page on remotEMDR and switch on the Bi-Tapp integration button:
When the session starts, ask your client to do the following:
- Enter the Bi-Tapp app settings and enable Allow Provider Control and Show Provider Setup Code. (Please note that your client will have to repeat this step on every session).
- Send you the five-character code.
In remotEMDR, enter the five-character code you received from your client and click the Pair button.
Working with remotEDMR/Bi-Tapp integration
After setting up the integration, you can use the tappers as part of the BLS set. They will be fully synchronized with the visual and auditory stimuli. Turn the tappers on or off by clicking the Mode button, and control the taps’ intensity by setting their value between 1 and 40.
Adding the option for tactile stimulation to your online EMDR sessions can be incredibly meaningful for some clients.
For more details on Bi-Tapp and its integration with remotEMDR, contact us at info@remotEMDR.com or Bi-Tapp at customerservice@bi-tapp.com.
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