BILATERAL

STIMULATION AND
CREATIVITY IN COUNSELING
Yvonne Castillo, Ph.D., LPC-S
Mary Alice Fernandez, Ph.D., LPC-S
Jodi M. Ochoa, M.S., LPC-intern
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Introduction

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

Bilateral Stimulation - part of EMDR
Resource Tapping - what it is, how to do it
Using Resource Tapping in treatment
EMDR and Resource Tapping
Theories about Bilateral Stimulation
Resource Tapping - Basic Principles
Resource Tapping - The Four Main Resources
Activities: Create a sanctuary; listening to music
Resource Tapping steps/demonstrations
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Eye Movement Desensitization and

Reprocessing (EMDR)
Used to help resolve traumatic memories with
the help of trained therapist and the use of
special equipment.
A powerful, well-researched treatment for
trauma that incorporates alternating bilateral
stimulation in a structured therapy.
Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in
late 1980s.
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Shapiro found that people could process a

trauma memory at an accelerated rate when it
was paired with bilateral stimulation.
Founded on the premise that each person has
both an innate tendency to move toward
health and wholeness, and the inner capacity
to achieve it.

Bilateral Stimulation-Part of EMDR

accomplished by moving the eyes from left to
right, by tactile pulsars held in the hands, by
audible sounds in each ear, or by hand taps on
the left and right side of the body (also known
as resource tapping)
used for affect management, ego
strengthening, emotion regulation

Theories about Bilateral

Stimulation
B/S seems to be activating both hemispheres
of the brain
Its similar to REM sleep
Rhythm - the movement of the eyes going back
and forth processing information

EMDR and Resource Tapping

Two hands working together
EMDR - uses bilateral stimulation for trauma
processing (resource installation)
Resource tapping - uses bilateral stimulation
to strengthen and integrate positive resource
the creation of a peaceful place, real or
imaginary (evoking a positive neuropath)
6 - 12 bilateral stimulations seem to
strengthen the image. (A house with many
rooms - b/s opens doors to those rooms)
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Resource Tapping: What it is/

How to do it
A simple, easily learned offshoot of EMDR
Therapy, now a stand-alone technique
independent of EMDR.
Used for accessing and strengthening ones
own innate healing resources.
A tool that can be helpful for stress, anxiety,
depression, or just improving ones overall
sense of well-being.
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Resource Tapping: Basic Principles

We are essentially whole. This wholeness is
our true nature. The expression of our
wholeness is wisdom, compassion, equanimity,
power and joy. (The sun is always shining but
its obstructed by clouds.)
Within each of us is the potential to realize this
wholeness. This wholeness wants to be
realized, impels us to realize it. (Theres this
instinct to heal.)
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We also have within us a reservoir of positive

stored experiences of loving and being loved;
feeling comforted, competent, powerful,
happy, joyful, peaceful, and calm. (These are
part of our neuronet within us.)
We become unhappy when we are not able to
access our wholeness, reservoir of positive
experiences, or when we are out of balance.
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We have a natural healing system that when

accessed and activated by using B/S (tapping)
can restore us to balance.
We can access, strengthen, and integrate our
wholeness and reservoir of resources through
tapping in our resources.

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Using Resource Tapping in

Treatment of Trauma Work
prepares clients
safety net
assessment tool for readiness
regulates intensity, integrates positive
information, and strengthens clients during
treatment
multiple applications: regulates affect, reduces
anxiety, aids in ego strengthening and supports
recovery from addiction
can be taught to clients as a self-help tools

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Tapping In Peace and Calm

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie, where you will
not be disturbed.
Close your eyes. Bring your attention to a quiet, still
place inside yourself. You might begin by taking long
deep breaths and slowing exhaling.
Imagine a peaceful, calm place. This can be
someplace you have been or someplace in your
imagination, like a beach or a meadow. Once you
have a location, bring up as much sensory detail of
the place as you can.
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Notice what you are seeing. Notice what you

are hearing. Notice what you are smelling.
What sensations do you feel on your skin?
What do you taste? What do you feel inside?
You might imagine the time of year, the time of
day, and what you are wearing.
Take the time you need to elicit this
information and fill out the resource.
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When you have a strong sense of the place,

when you can feel its quality, begin to tap on
your knees, right-left, right-left, or do the
butterfly hug, crossing your arms in front of
your chest and tapping on either shoulder. Tap
six to 12 times, then stop and check in with
yourself. If it feels good and the resource is
strengthening, you can tap some more.
The taps can be quick or slow, just find a speed
that a feels best to you.
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Tap as long as it feels positive. If other

memories come to mind that feel good, you
can tap them in also.
Begin to tap at a slow rhythmic pace, and
then nd the pace that feels best to you.
While you tap, focus on the whole feeling
the resource evokes in you, allowing the
feeling to increase. At rst, tap for only a
short Ame - alternaAng right-leC, right-leC,
approximately six to 12 Ames.

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After one round of tapping, stop and check in

with yourself. What are you experiencing? If
the resource is strengthened, tap some more.
You may continue tapping as long as it remains
positive. Some people prefer longer rounds of
tapping. This is fine as long as the place
remains positive.
Many people can only do a few right-left taps
before they begin to commence free-
associative processing.

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For example, sometimes a positive memory

resource will flip to the negative. In the middle
of tapping in the memory of a loving
interaction with your grandfather, your mind
might flash on a loved one who is angry with
you. For this reason, it is best to do short sets
and check in to see how you are feeling.

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If you find yourself tapping a resource that is not

entirely positive, you should stop tapping
immediately and try one of these techniques.
After you have stopped tapping, see if you can
think of another, different place or resource
that is fully positive. It is important that the
resource feel completely positive. If you can
find another one, tap it in, this time tapping for
a shorter duration.

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If a distressing memory has arisen, you can

imagine placing it in a container that can hold
it for you. You might imagine a safe, a vault or
a treasure chest that has a good lock. It is
important that the container have a strong lid.
This imagery can help you consciously
compartmentalize information that is too
much to integrate in the moment. It is a skillful
way to handle material that does not feel
manageable. (Later, if you choose, you can take
the material out of the container and work on
it.) Once you feel the memory is sufficiently
contained, you can return to the original work.
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Tapping steps taken from psychologist Laurel

Parnells Tapping In: A Step-by-Step Guide to
Activating Your Healing Resources Through
Bilateral Stimulation.

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Resource Tapping: The 4 main

resources

Peaceful, safe, calm place or sanctuary

Nurturing Figures
Protector Figures
Inner Wisdom Figures
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Circle of Inner Helper (Team)

Some people have never had these figures and
itll take some work!
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Activities
Create a Sanctuary/Peaceful Place - then tap image in
Bilateral Stimulation with Music
Conflict reimage - petting cat, taking dog for a walk, sitting
having breakfast

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Resource Tapping Steps

Demonstrations for
a peaceful/calm place
nurturing figures
protective figures
inner wisdom figures
circle of inner helpers

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Nurturing Figures
These can be real or imaginary
Spiritual
Animals
their adult self as nurturing
figures from movies or books
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Brainstorm to come up with possibilities; its

best to have more than one.
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Protective Figures

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Inner Wisdom Figures

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Circle of Inner Helpers (Team)

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References & Resources

Parnell, L. (2013). Resource Tapping: Activating Your Healing Resources Through Bilateral Stimulation

Christrup, J. (2012). Resource Tapping for Emotional Healing

Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols and Procedures. (2nd Ed.), NY: The Guilford Press.

Luber, M. (Ed.) (2010). Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Scripted Protocols - Special Populations. NY: Springer Publishing Company.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k2HMSIxK0k
Music with bilateral stimulation Jorge H. Collazo

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KG7mTTTqSk
Bilateral Stimulation Jorge H. Collazo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNuoGeD9Qeo
Cognition Enhancer For Clearer and Faster Thinking - Isochronic Tones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHp1ielut0
Paperboats Guided EMDR meditation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVi7yX9X35A
EMDR plus bilateral sound for racing thoughts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYJdekjiAog
How your brain can turn anxiety into calmness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9bZkCNnppM
EMDR Guided Meditation The Tree
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZUi3XShdqA

Dr. Henry Grayson Teachs A Simple Technique to Create New Neuro Pathways
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5IRwMqZSMg&list=PL1BB9BE00722EC4AE
EMDR Be Positive 2

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