A Therapist's Guide to EMDR: Tools and Techniques for Successful Treatment

by Laurel Parnell

Neglecting to use interweaves to close sessions. If you are running out of time, or cannot get the SUDS down below a 2, begin to use interweaves proactively to link networks together. Clients will do much better between sessions if you do

INTERWEAVE STEPS The client is looping or stuck. Stop BLS and ask the client what is happening. The client responds. You can do one or more of the following: (a) Return to target and check it, (b) look for blocking beliefs, (c) look for blocking images, (d) check for feeder memories, (e) look for client fears, (f) look for blocking body sensations, (g) get oriented in place and time, (h) check other senses, (i) talk to the child self (e.g., What does the child need?), (j) consult the inner adviser or wise self. For example, if the client said she was afraid of the perpetrator, the blocking belief is “I’m not safe.” The therapist constructs an interweave. In the above example the therapist might ask the client, “Where is the perpetrator now?” The client responds to the therapist’s inquiry. For example, “He’s dead.” The therapist says, “Go with that,” and adds BLS.

“Look at the Scene. What Do You See? What Do You Understand?”

will agree with them that we cannot change the past, but add that we can change how the past is stored in our nervous system. I encourage