In prior articles I provided a basic explanation for Imaginal Interweaves in Trauma Therapy (see my articles Imaginal Interweaves - Part 1 and Part 2).
In the current article, I'm taking a deeper dive to explain Imaginal Interweaves, an intervention I often use in trauma therapy.
What Are Imaginal Interweaves in Trauma Therapy?
Imaginal Interweaves are techniques used in trauma therapy.
I learned how to do Imaginal Interweaves in an advanced Attachment Focused EMDR Therapy training about 20 years ago from EMDR expert Laurel Parnell, Ph.D.and I have found them to be an effective way to help clients to heal.
Imaginal Interweaves are techniques used in EMDR and other Experiential Therapies where a trauma therapist guides clients to use their imagination to connect with different aspects of themselves (see my article: Why is Experiential Therapy More Effective Than Traditional Talk Therapy?).
This often includes imagining their younger child self (often called "inner child"). This is especially helpful if clients become stuck when they're processing unresolved trauma.
Examples might be imagining their current adult self:
- Comforting their younger self
- Defending their younger self from someone who was abusive
- Taking their younger self away from an unsafe, abusive environment to a place where their younger self feels safe
Imaginal Interweaves are:
- Specific therapeutic interventions used in trauma therapy, like EMDR therapy, AEDP, Parts Work Therapy and other Experiential Therapies.
- A tool to process trauma when a client gets stuck during the processing
- Guided imagery the therapist facilitates
- A technique for self connection
Imaginal Interweaves work by:
- Helping a client to develop internal and external resources
- Bridging different perspectives including a gap between a more vulnerable part of a client and a more capable adult self
- Facilitating new emotional responses by using the imagination to work through overwhelming feelings related to trauma
What Are Some Examples of Imaginal Interweaves?
There are many different types of Imaginal Interweaves.
Here are examples of a few:
- Adult-Child Interactions: The adult self comforts the child self to provide a sense of present-day safety and reassurance.
- Expressing Anger: The adult self can be imagined as holding the perpetrator so the child self can express anger while feeling safe.
- Direct Communication: After asking the client's permission, the therapist can speak directly to the child self to find out what the child self needs.
Making a Distinction Between What Actually Happened and An Imaginal Interweave
Trauma therapists make the distinction with the client about what actually happened during their trauma and an Imaginal Interweave.
In no way would I try to get a client to believe that something different happened from what actually happened.
The purpose of Imaginal Interweaves is to give clients a new embodied experience using their imagination while continuing to know that what is being imagined didn't actually happen.
An embodied experience means the client experiences a mind-body connection during an Imaginal Interweave which helps with the integration of the new experience.
To help them to experience an embodied experience, I will help the client to have a felt sense where they feel the new imagined experience in their body.
This serves as an anchor for the experience in an embodied way rather than just being an intellectual process (see my article: The Mind-Body Connection: Developing a Felt Sense of Your Internal Experiences).
Using an embodied approach facilitates healing.
How Can Imaginal Interweaves Help to Free You From Your Traumatic History?
By processing unresolved trauma using Imaginal Interweaves, you can free yourself from your traumatic history by:
- Overcoming unresolved trauma that keeps you stuck in your current life
- Overcoming false negative beliefs you have about yourself
- Connecting you to your inner resources
- Integrating various internal parts of yourself to achieve improved mental health
- Gaining self confidence to cope with past, current and future challenges
Getting Help in Trauma Therapy
Traditional talk therapy can help you to gain insight into your problems, but it doesn't always help you to heal from trauma.
Experiential Therapy that includes Imaginal Interweaves provides you with a mind-body oriented experience that is a more holistic way to heal.
Rather than struggling on your own, seek help in Experiential Therapy so you can heal and live a more fulfilling life.
About Me
I am a licensed New York psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT (for couples), Parts Work (IFS and Ego States Therapy), Somatic Experiencing and Certified Sex Therapist.
As a trauma therapist, I have helped many individual adults and couples to work through unresolved trauma.
To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.
To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.



.jpg)










.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)

.jpg)
.jpg)



.jpg)


