As EMDR Therapists, we recognize the value of knowing how to use interweaves to support effective and efficient reprocessing with our clients — especially our more complex cases.

Almost every EMDR therapist would agree that learning interweaves is not easy.

When I first got trained in EMDR Therapy, I created a little game to make it easier to come up with useful interweaves in real-time. 

The Interweave Game

Playing the Interweave Game essentially means that you are planning ahead and drafting interweaves that might prove useful before you ever need them.

I say “might prove useful” because you’re creating interweaves before they are actually needed. You may never use a specific interweave with that client or memory — and that’s okay. It is not wasted effort.

How to Play

We can play the Interweave Game during the following phases of standard protocol:

• Phase 1: History Taking
• Phase 3: Assessment
• Phase 4: Desensitization
• Reviewing reprocessing transcripts

Phase 1: History Taking

As you take a history and learn about the client — their memory networks and target memories — listen carefully to the maladaptive ways the client speaks about:

• thoughts
• beliefs
• behaviors
• emotional reactions
• experiences

As these come up, begin imagining interweaves you might eventually use with this particular client. You won’t be using them yet because you’re still in history taking, but after the session, you can review your notes and begin drafting interweaves by theme. Common themes include:

• self-worth
• inappropriate responsibility
• safety
• powerlessness or control

For example, if you learn that a client struggles with self-worth, you can review self-worth interweaves and imagine which might be useful when you begin reprocessing.

If a client carries excessive responsibility for things that don’t belong to them, you can think about responsibility interweaves.

The point is that — even before reprocessing begins — you can start imagining which kinds of interweaves may eventually prove useful.

Not only does this help you have a list of interweaves on hand, it also trains your brain to think in terms of interweaves.

 

Phase 3: Assessment

When you begin reprocessing a target memory, begin anticipating possible interweaves directly from Phase 3 information.

You can anticipate self-compassion interweaves if the negative cognition reflects defectiveness or shame:

• “I am worthless.”
• “I am bad.”
• “I’m not enough.”
• “There’s something wrong with me.”

You may anticipate responsibility interweaves with negative cognitions such as:

• “I’m a failure.”
• “I am responsible.”
• “I should have known better.”

Safety interweaves may be needed with negative cognitions reflecting danger:

• “I am in danger.”
• “I will be hurt.”
• “I’m going to die.”
• “I’m not safe.”

And power and control interweaves may be useful with negative cognitions such as:

• “I am not in control.”
• “I am powerless.”
• “I am helpless.”
• “I can’t get what I want.”

From this Phase 3 information, and based on what you also know about the client and the target memory, begin drafting possible interweaves before you ever need them. You can do this while the client is moving through their first few sets of BLS — writing down interweave options will help you commit to wording.

 

Phase 4: Desensitization

As the client reports between sets of BLS, listen carefully for what remains maladaptive. Track the client’s reports, watching for places where they become stuck or repetitive.

I strongly recommend keeping near-verbatim transcripts. I use them in my own clinical work with every client, and find them very helpful to be able to track maladaptive stuck-points and, from there, to create effective interweaves.

For example, after a set of BLS a client reports: “I should have done more to protect my mom from the abuse.” If I hear that same maladaptive loop about responsibility for two or three sets, I know an interweave will probably be needed.

But I don’t want to start thinking about which interweave to use after the third repetition. Instead, I am playing the Interweave Game with every client report. 

• First report
  Say: “Notice that and follow.” (Add BLS)
  During BLS: begin imagining a responsibility interweave 
• Second report of the same thought
  Say: “Notice that and follow.” (Add BLS)
  During BLS: draft and refine the wording of the interweave.
• Third report of the same thought
  Use the interweave: “I’m confused. Who is responsible for protection in a family — the child or the adult?”

As another example, if a client (who is now a parent) repeatedly says: “I wasn’t important enough for my parents to change.” I will begin playing the Interweave Game after the first report.

• First report
  Say: “Notice that and follow.” (Add BLS)
  During BLS: begin imagining a compassion interweave 
• Second report of the same thought
  Say: “Notice that and follow.” (Add BLS)
  During BLS: draft and refine the wording of the interweave.
• Third report of the same thought
  Use the interweave: “What if this happened to your child? Would you believe they weren’t important enough, or would you believe differently about them?”

The takeaway here is to get ahead of the need by writing down possible interweaves to use IF the client remains stuck. And if they don’t? You’ve still benefited from having practiced your ability to draft interweaves in real-time. It’s a win-win!

 

Reviewing Reprocessing Transcripts

Another great way to play the Interweave Game is after the reprocessing session — once the client has left and you have the time and space to think more clearly. After the session:

• Get comfortable 
• Review your transcript
• Play the Interweave Game — look for moments where interweaves may have been useful and write out exactly what you would have said. Actually script the wording. This process trains your brain to think more quickly and effectively during future sessions.

 

Final Thoughts

Playing the Interweave Game means planning ahead from the very beginning of therapy — identifying themes during history taking and, once reprocessing begins, drafting interweaves before you ever need them.

This trains your brain to have interweaves ready and available.

Even the interweaves you never use still become part of your growing internal library, and will be more readily available when you need them in the future. With time, you will become an interweave pro! 

 

Interweave Training Information

At the EMDR Education and Training Center, we offer an on-demand advanced training specifically focused on EMDR interweaves.

The training is designed to help clinicians deepen understanding of why, when, and how to create powerful interweaves during reprocessing. We break this down into a three-step formula for creating interweaves that has been very effective.

To learn more about this 4 hour training, click here. 

 

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