EMDR Assist Alternative
Free EMDR tools plus a full private-pay EHR
EMDR Assist is a dedicated, protocol-deep EMDR session platform. CoralEHR offers free, no-login EMDR tools plus a full private-pay EHR for the rest of your practice. Here is how to choose, and what you can try free right now.
EMDR Assist (emdrassist.com) bills itself as the integrated clinical platform for EMDR therapists, with the tagline Run the protocol. Hold the client. It is built for trained EMDR clinicians: it guides all 8 EMDR phases with step-by-step prompts, runs visual and audio bilateral stimulation including client-side BLS for telehealth with synced screens, tracks SUD and VOC live with charts, ships a library of 40-plus protocols, scripts, and clinical tips, generates per-session AI summaries, and includes a free clinician community. Pricing runs 20 to 50 dollars per month, with a 7-day full-Clinical trial (no card) and a free tier afterward capped at 1 active client and up to 3 sessions, while bilateral stimulation stays unlimited even on free. It is a session companion built around the EMDR protocol, not a full practice-management EHR.
CoralEHR is a private-pay behavioral-health EHR from 29 dollars per month that bundles free, no-login EMDR tools (bilateral stimulation, a target-sequence planner, Safe Place, and Container) with scheduling, telehealth, Stripe payments, and clinical documentation across every client and modality.
The verdict: If you want the deepest in-session EMDR protocol cockpit, EMDR Assist is purpose-built for exactly that. If you want free EMDR tools you can use today, plus one place to run scheduling, payments, telehealth, and notes for your whole private-pay practice, CoralEHR fits differently.
What EMDR Assist does well
EMDR Assist is a genuinely strong, purpose-built tool, and on the EMDR-protocol axis it is deeper than CoralEHR, intentionally so. Here is what its own site describes (all facts from the emdrassist.com homepage, fetched June 2026):
- 8-phase guided workflow. Step-by-step prompts walk a clinician through all eight EMDR phases: history, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation.
- Target Sequence Plan editor plus Parts mapping. An in-app TSP editor with IFS-informed Parts mapping (a Clinical-tier feature), alongside a cognitive interweave library, a window-of-tolerance indicator, and a library of 40-plus protocols, scripts, and clinical tips.
- Live in-session tracking. Live SUD and VOC tracking with charts and trend visualization for real-time progress capture during processing.
- Bilateral stimulation built for telehealth. Visual and audio BLS, including client-side BLS for telehealth with synced screens, with unlimited BLS access even on the free plan.
- Structured session output. A downloadable PDF report for every session, per-session AI summaries on paid tiers, and a full assessment library (DES-II, PCL-5, ACE, PHQ-9, GAD-7) on the Clinical tier.
- AI Practice Mode. An AI-simulated client for rehearsal, with feedback after a session, a genuinely differentiated training feature that CoralEHR does not offer.
- Community and consultation. A free clinician community for peer support, a directory of EMDRIA-approved consultants and consultation groups, and a public therapist directory for client referrals.
- A conservative, clinician-respecting AI stance. EMDR Assist frames its AI as AI offers guidance. You make the call, with no diagnosis, no clinical decisions, and no autonomous documentation.
Honest takeaway: For in-session EMDR protocol delivery specifically, EMDR Assist is deeper than CoralEHR. That is the whole point of the product. If protocol-cockpit work is what you are shopping for, this is a tool built by EMDR people for EMDR people, and we will not pretend CoralEHR out-specializes it on day one.
Where CoralEHR fits differently
CoralEHR's angle is category fit, not we are better at EMDR. There are three honest axes on which the two tools differ.
1. Free, no-login EMDR tools. CoralEHR's EMDR tools (bilateral stimulation, the Target Sequence Planner, Safe Place, and Container) run in your browser with no account, no client limit, and no trial clock. That is useful if you just want a clean BLS screen or a planner today, or want to try before committing to any subscription. By contrast, and this is a factual difference rather than a knock, after EMDR Assist's 7-day trial its free tier is capped at 1 active client and 3 sessions, with full clinical use at 20 to 50 dollars per month (emdrassist.com, fetched June 2026).
2. Whole-practice continuity. EMDR Assist is a session and case companion; its site does not describe scheduling, calendar, billing, payments, or insurance (absence verified across the homepage, June 2026). CoralEHR is the practice system of record, with scheduling, built-in telehealth, Stripe payments, and clinical documentation across all your clients and modalities, so EMDR work lives in the same chart as everything else rather than a second app you keep open in another tab.
3. Modality breadth. EMDR Assist states it is for trained EMDR clinicians only. CoralEHR serves a private-pay caseload that is usually mixed-modality (CBT, IFS, couples work, and more) with EMDR as one part of the week. If most of your week is EMDR protocol delivery, that specialization is a feature, not a gap, and EMDR Assist may serve you better there. Try the free CBT thought record or the virtual sand tray to see how CoralEHR spans modalities.
On compliance. CoralEHR is HIPAA-compliant and signs Business Associate Agreements. We are not claiming EMDR Assist is less secure: its website simply does not state a HIPAA or BAA posture as of June 2026, so confirm that directly with them before storing client data. We present CoralEHR's posture as a positive fact about our platform, not as a comparison.
CoralEHR vs EMDR Assist at a glance
| Feature | CoralEHR | EMDR Assist |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Private-pay behavioral-health EHR with free EMDR tools | EMDR session platform for trained EMDR clinicians |
| 8-phase protocol guidance | Not a guided protocol engine; free standalone EMDR tools | Yes, guided step-by-step through all 8 phases |
| Bilateral stimulation (BLS) | Free browser BLS tool (visual and audio), no login | Visual and audio, client-side for telehealth, unlimited even on free |
| Target sequence planning | Free Target Sequence Planner | In-app TSP editor plus Parts mapping (Clinical tier) |
| Grounding and resourcing tools | Free Safe Place and Container exercises | Window-of-tolerance indicator, interweave library |
| SUD / VOC tracking | Free SUD/VOC tracker tool (standalone) | Live in-session charts |
| Assessments | PHQ-9 and GAD-7 assessments inside the EHR | DES-II, PCL-5, ACE, PHQ-9, GAD-7 (Clinical tier) |
| Session documentation | Full clinical notes across modalities; AI documentation on Professional | EMDR session PDF reports plus AI summaries (paid tiers) |
| Practice / training simulator | Not offered | AI-simulated client Practice Mode |
| Community / consultation | Not offered | Clinician community plus EMDRIA consultant directory |
| Scheduling / calendar | Included on every plan | Not described on site |
| Payments / billing | Stripe payments included | Not described on site |
| Telehealth (general) | Built-in HIPAA-compliant video for all sessions | Client-side BLS for EMDR telehealth |
| Insurance billing | No, private-pay only (an honest CoralEHR limitation) | Not described |
| Free without a subscription | EMDR tools fully free, no login | Free tier after 7-day trial equals 1 client / 3 sessions |
| Pricing | EHR from 29 dollars per month; EMDR tools free; 30-day trial | 20 dollars per month Pro (up to 8 active clients), 50 dollars per month Clinical (unlimited); no annual option listed |
| HIPAA / BAA | HIPAA-compliant, signs BAAs | Not stated on site (verify directly) |
EMDR Assist details from emdrassist.com's own homepage, verified June 2026. Pricing tiers, client caps, and feature-tier placement reflect that page, which is undated except as of 2026; confirm current details on their site.
Choose EMDR Assist if
- You are a trained EMDR clinician who wants an in-session cockpit that guides all 8 phases.
- You want live SUD and VOC charting, an interweave library, and structured EMDR session reports built around the protocol.
- You want client-side synced BLS designed specifically for EMDR telehealth.
- You want an AI Practice Mode to rehearse the protocol, plus a peer community and EMDRIA consultant directory.
- Your caseload is predominantly EMDR and you already have, or do not need, a separate EHR.
Choose CoralEHR if
- You want free EMDR tools (BLS, target-sequence planner, Safe Place, and Container) you can use today with no login and no client cap.
- You want one private-pay system for scheduling, telehealth, Stripe payments, and documentation, with EMDR as part of a mixed caseload rather than a separate app.
- You want a system of record where EMDR work lives in the same chart as your CBT, IFS, and couples clients.
- You want a HIPAA-compliant platform that signs BAAs as your practice's primary EHR.
An honest note: you can use both
If your goal is the deepest EMDR-protocol in-session experience, EMDR Assist may fit better, and this does not have to be either/or. Many practices could use EMDR Assist for protocol delivery alongside CoralEHR as their EHR. The two solve different jobs: one is the in-session protocol companion, the other is the chart that runs the whole practice. Using both is a perfectly reasonable setup, and often the most accurate way to think about it.
Free EMDR tools you can try now
No login. No client cap. Runs in your browser.
- EMDR Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) - a clean visual and audio BLS screen you can share in session.
- EMDR Target Sequence Planner - map targets, negative and positive cognitions, and the order you will process them.
- EMDR Safe Place Exercise - guided resourcing for the preparation phase.
- EMDR Container Exercise - a closure-phase containment resource.
- Browse all free clinical tools - including the CBT thought record and virtual sand tray.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best EMDR Assist alternative for therapists?
It depends on your goal. EMDR Assist is purpose-built for in-session EMDR protocol delivery for trained EMDR clinicians, with 8-phase guidance, live SUD and VOC tracking, and client-side bilateral stimulation. If you instead want free EMDR tools plus a full private-pay EHR for scheduling, telehealth, payments, and documentation across all your clients, CoralEHR is a strong alternative. Some practices use both: EMDR Assist for protocol delivery and CoralEHR as the chart.
Is EMDR Assist free?
EMDR Assist offers a 7-day full-Clinical trial on signup with no card required, then a free tier limited to 1 active client and up to 3 sessions, with unlimited bilateral stimulation always included. Full clinical use is Pro at 20 dollars per month (up to 8 active clients) or Clinical at 50 dollars per month (unlimited), per emdrassist.com as of June 2026. CoralEHR's EMDR tools, including bilateral stimulation, the target sequence planner, Safe Place, and Container, are free to use in your browser with no login and no client limit.
Does EMDR Assist work for telehealth?
Yes. EMDR Assist provides client-side bilateral stimulation for telehealth with synced screens, per its site. CoralEHR also includes built-in HIPAA-compliant video for sessions, plus a free browser bilateral stimulation tool you can share on screen, and pairs both with scheduling and documentation.
Does CoralEHR replace an EMDR protocol platform like EMDR Assist?
Not exactly, and we will not pretend otherwise. EMDR Assist guides the full 8-phase EMDR protocol in session, which CoralEHR does not. CoralEHR provides free standalone EMDR tools plus a full private-pay EHR. If you want both deep protocol guidance and a complete EHR, you can use EMDR Assist alongside CoralEHR.
How much does EMDR Assist cost compared to CoralEHR?
EMDR Assist is 20 dollars per month (Pro, up to 8 active clients) or 50 dollars per month (Clinical, unlimited), with no annual option listed on its site, per emdrassist.com. CoralEHR's EMDR tools are free; the CoralEHR EHR starts at 29 dollars per month with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required, and adds scheduling, telehealth, payments, and documentation that an EMDR-only tool does not include.
Is EMDR Assist HIPAA-compliant?
EMDR Assist's website does not state its HIPAA or BAA posture as of June 2026, so confirm directly with them before storing client data. CoralEHR is HIPAA-compliant and signs Business Associate Agreements. CoralEHR makes no SOC 2 claims; its posture is HIPAA plus BAA.
Can I use EMDR Assist and CoralEHR together?
Yes, and many practices do. The two solve different jobs: EMDR Assist is the in-session protocol companion, and CoralEHR is the chart that runs the whole practice, including scheduling, payments, telehealth, and documentation across every client and modality. Using EMDR Assist for protocol delivery alongside CoralEHR as your EHR is a perfectly reasonable setup.
Try the free EMDR tools, or run your whole practice
Open the free bilateral stimulation tool in your browser right now, no login required. When you are ready for scheduling, telehealth, payments, and documentation in one place, start a free CoralEHR trial.