The EMDR Protocol With Interweave Guidance cheat-sheet supports clinicians in delivering EMDR therapy through detailed protocol steps and strategies for addressing blocked processing.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
A copy of the worksheet in PDF format.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
This worksheet is a structured support tool designed to assist therapists using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Focusing on phases 3 to 7 of the standard EMDR protocol, it offers step-by-step guidance for assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, and closure phases. Additionally, it provides strategies for managing blocked processing through cognitive interweaves, supporting therapists to navigate challenges that may arise during reprocessing.
This resource is intended to support therapists in delivering structured EMDR sessions, particularly when clients become stuck during reprocessing. It offers:
Supporting the processing of traumatic memories and reducing associated distress.
Choose a specific memory to target.
Clarify the associated image and the client's negative and positive beliefs.
Use VoC and SUDs scales to evaluate cognitive and emotional responses.
Apply bilateral stimulation while tracking changes in affect and cognition.
Embed positive cognitions once distress has decreased.
Guide a body scan to identify residual tension and process any discomfort with bilateral stimulation (BLS).
If needed, use interweaves or closure techniques to process or contain unresolved material.
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) was developed by Francine Shapiro and is based on the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, which proposes that traumatic or distressing experiences can become maladaptively stored in memory networks when not adequately processed at the time of the event. These unprocessed memories are understood to contribute to many psychological symptoms, including those related to post-traumatic stress disorder (Shapiro, 2001).
During EMDR therapy, bilateral stimulation (BLS) — such as eye movements, tones, or tactile taps — is applied while the client focuses on emotionally disturbing material. BLS is thought to reduce the vividness and emotional charge of traumatic memories, possibly by taxing working memory (van den Hout & Engelhard, 2012) or mimicking processes involved in REM sleep and memory reconsolidation (Stickgold, 2002).
Cognitive interweaves are brief, targeted interventions introduced by the therapist when natural reprocessing becomes blocked. Interweaves aim to stimulate the client’s adaptive memory networks by posing reflective questions, introducing new perspectives, or gently challenging maladaptive beliefs. These interventions are grounded in the understanding that some clients — particularly those with complex trauma — may lack sufficient internal resources or adaptive material to resolve a memory without guided support. By offering a minimal but focused prompt, interweaves help to reinstate momentum and allow the processing to continue.
This integration of structured protocol and flexible, responsive techniques supports therapists in tailoring EMDR to individual client needs while maintaining fidelity to the model.
