What Are Interweaves in EMDR Therapy? A Practical Guide for EMDR Therapists
What Are Interweaves in EMDR Therapy? A Practical Guide for EMDR Therapists
If you’ve ever sat with a client during EMDR processing and felt “stuck,” you are not alone. If you sat through Basic Training and didn’t understand what an interweave even was, you are not alone and you’re definitely in the right place. Many EMDR therapists eventually encounter moments when reprocessing slows down, loops, or simply does not shift. This is where EMDR interweaves can become incredibly helpful.
At the EMDR Confidence Lab, we believe interweaves are not about “doing EMDR correctly enough.” We are learning how to thoughtfully support our clients when processing becomes blocked, overwhelmed, avoidant, dissociative, or rigid.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
What EMDR interweaves are
When to use them
Common types of interweaves
How interweaves relate to complex trauma and dissociation
Mistakes therapists often make
How to build confidence using interweaves in clinical practice
What Is an Interweave in EMDR?
An EMDR interweave is a strategic clinical intervention used during reprocessing when the client’s processing becomes blocked or unable to move forward naturally.
In standard EMDR processing, the therapist attempts to stay out of the way as much as possible (anyone else struggle with this or is it just me?) and allow the client’s adaptive information processing system to do the work. However, there are times when processing becomes stalled or dysregulated. You’be been there, this is where we really start to panic. The client is staring at us looking for guidance and help and we are screaming internally! Interweaves help “unstick” the process without taking over the client’s experience.
Interweaves are not scripts. They are intentional clinical interventions designed to:
Increase adaptive information
Support nervous system regulation
Address blocking beliefs
Reorient the client to the present
Strengthen dual awareness
Increase access to adult perspective or Self-energy
Help clients move through looping, avoidance, shame, fear, or dissociation
Done well, interweaves feel collaborative, attuned, and minimal.
Signs a Client May Need an EMDR Interweave
Not every pause in processing requires intervention. Often, the best clinical move is to wait and allow processing to continue. However, interweaves may be helpful when you notice:
Repetitive looping with no movement
“I don’t know” responses repeatedly
Intellectualization without emotional connection
Increasing dissociation or hypoarousal
“Stuck” processing
Avoidance of affect or memory channels
Rigid negative beliefs
Strong shame responses
Child parts without access to adult resources
Inability to generalize adaptive information
Many therapists struggle with timing. New EMDR clinicians often intervene too early because of their own anxiety in the room. Other therapists wait too long, hoping processing will spontaneously restart. This is where we need to attuned with our clients, be in our own Self-Energy and use our clinical intuition. This is relying on our clinical intuition (yes, you have it, I promise) and not just relying on a script.
Learning interweaves involves developing clinical discernment, nervous system attunement, and trust in the process.
Types of EMDR Interweaves
There are many styles of interweaves, and experienced EMDR therapists often integrate interventions from other modalities while remaining grounded in the EMDR model.
Cognitive Interweaves
Examples include:
“How old are you now?”
“Who was responsible?”
“What would you say to a child in this situation?”
“What does your adult self know now?”
“What are the options today that were not available then?”
Cognitive interweaves can be especially helpful when clients remain developmentally locked in traumatic experiences.
Somatic Interweaves
Examples include:
Noticing body sensations
Orienting to the room
Using breath intentionally
Encouraging movement or posture shifts
Tracking activation and settling
Somatic interweaves are often essential when working with complex trauma, shutdown states, or clients who become disconnected from their bodies.
Attachment-Based Interweaves
Examples include:
“What did you need to hear?”
“What should have happened?”
“Can you imagine someone being with you?”
“What would supportive protection look like?”
Attachment-focused interweaves can be especially powerful in developmental trauma work.
Parts-Based Interweaves
These interventions may involve:
Speaking directly to protective parts
Helping fearful parts step back
Increasing Self-energy
Building internal cooperation
Identifying concerns about processing
Examples include:
“What is this part afraid would happen if processing continued?”
“Can the protector simply observe for now?”
“How does your Self feel toward this part?”
Parts-informed interweaves are especially useful with dissociation, internal conflict, and chronic self-protection patterns.
Reality and Present-Orientation Interweaves
Examples include:
“Is this happening now?”
“What tells you you’re safe today?”
“Can you notice the difference between then and now?”
These interventions can help reduce flooding and support regulation during intense processing.
EMDR Interweaves and Complex Trauma
Interweaves become increasingly important when working with:
Complex PTSD
Developmental trauma
Dissociation
Attachment trauma
Chronic shame
Emotional neglect
Highly defended systems
Clients with complex trauma often require more preparation, pacing, and flexibility during reprocessing. Processing may not move linearly, and therapists may need to frequently support:
orientation
containment
dual awareness
affect tolerance
internal cooperation
nervous system stabilization
Common Mistakes Therapists Make With Interweaves
Intervening Too Quickly
Sometimes the client simply needs more processing time. Therapists often intervene to reduce their own discomfort rather than because the client truly needs support. More on our own parts coming!
Over-Talking
Interweaves should be brief and strategic. Long explanations often pull clients out of processing. This turns EMDR into talk therapy. And in IFS, it pulls us out of Self.
Trying to “Fix” the Client
Interweaves are not about rescuing or convincing clients. The goal is to facilitate adaptive processing, not force insight. We don’t “fix” our clients, their adaptive information does.
Using Scripts Instead of Clinical Attunement
Memorized interweaves are less important than understanding:
Why processing is blocked
What function the block serves
What the nervous system needs in that moment
Missing Dissociation
Some therapists mistake dissociation for resistance or avoidance. Effective interweaves often require recognizing nervous system shutdown rather than pushing harder.
How Therapists Build Confidence Using EMDR Interweaves
Confidence with interweaves develops through:
Consultation
Case conceptualization
Watching demonstrations
Practice and reflection
Understanding attachment and dissociation
Learning to tolerate silence and uncertainty
Tracking nervous system states in real time
Clinical confidence
One of the biggest shifts for EMDR therapists is realizing that interweaves are not about having the “perfect” intervention. They are about staying regulated, curious, and attuned enough to help the client reconnect with adaptive information and processing.
Final Thoughts
Interweaves are one of the most nuanced and relational aspects of EMDR therapy. They require more than memorized phrases. They require attunement, pacing, conceptualization, and trust in the client’s system.
As therapists grow in confidence, interweaves become less about “what do I say?” and more about:
What is happening in the nervous system?
What is blocking adaptive processing?
What does this client need right now?
That shift changes everything.
If you’re curious about exploring this more, I offer drop-in consultation groups and individual consultation. Additionally, this is also a presentation available for additional information. More information on current offerings are here. And if you haven’t joined the EMDR Confidence Lab, please click the link below to join the Lab and grow your confidence!
Confidence Happens in the Lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to feel confident in EMDR?
Many clinicians feel more grounded after consistent consultation and repeated case exposure, often over months, not days or weeks.
Is it normal to feel anxious doing EMDR?
Yes. EMDR involves intensity, uncertainty, and complexity. We may have been therapists for a while but learning this and implementing it can really activate our parts!
Does EMDR consultation really help?
Absolutely. Consultation is where most therapists learn how to apply EMDR thoughtfully, not just follow protocol. I am where I am because of consultation.
Why do I feel less confident after training?
Because training increases awareness of complexity. This is often a sign of growing clinical insight, not regression. It reminds me of sitting down after we first graduate with our very first client!
Ready to Build Confidence That Feels Grounded?
EMDR Confidence Lab is consultation for trauma therapists who want:
✓ clinical clarity
✓ nuanced case conceptualization
✓ support with stuck processing
✓ confidence with dissociation and attachment work
✓ thoughtful, relational consultation
✓ real skill development, not rote protocol