In this return to our Back to Basics series, we’re diving into one of the most misunderstood—and often over-scripted—parts of EMDR therapy: interweaves.

If you were trained to think of interweaves as something you “pull out of a list” when a client gets stuck, you’re not alone. But what if interweaves aren’t about saying the right thing… and instead about understanding what the system needs next?

In this episode, we explore:

• What interweaves are actually doing in the brain and nervous system
• Why “cognitive interweaves” are only part of the story
• How stuckness in EMDR often reflects deeper relational and developmental patterns
• The difference between interrupting processing vs. supporting movement
• How to move from rigid scripts to relational, somatic, and intuitive interweaves
• Why some interweaves increase distress—and why that’s not a failure

We walk through core categories from Francine Shapiro's EMDR: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (responsibility, safety, and choice), while also expanding into a more integrative framework that includes:

• Somatic interweaves
• Affective interweaves
• Relational and resource-based interweaves

You’ll also hear real clinical reflections on:

• Why “I’m confused…” doesn’t always land
• How metaphor, imagery, and even humor can unlock stuck processing
• When to stay out of the way… and when your presence matters most

Ultimately, this conversation reframes interweaves not as a technique—but as a relational intervention grounded in attunement, timing, and case conceptualization.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking:

“What do I say right now?”

This episode will help you shift toward:

“What does my client’s system need right now?”

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What happens when one of the most meaningful seasons of life—pregnancy and early parenthood—collides with trauma, grief, and attachment wounds?

In this episode of Notice That, we sit down with perinatal mental health specialist Bethany Warren to explore how EMDR therapy can be used safely and effectively with pregnant and postpartum clients—and why so many clinicians have been taught otherwise.

Together, we unpack:

• The most common myths about EMDR in pregnancy (and what the research actually says)
• Why “just resourcing” may unintentionally limit healing
• How attachment wounds, identity shifts, and grief show up in the perinatal period
• The difference between trauma and the deeper layers of loss
• How EMDR helps untangle both present-day distress and long-standing relational patterns

We also explore the emotional reality of becoming a parent—the unexpected grief, the vulnerability of attachment, and the ways our own histories come alive in this stage of life.

This conversation is both clinically rich and deeply human—an invitation to rethink how we approach trauma, healing, and development in one of the most transformative seasons of life.

Whether you’re an EMDR clinician or simply someone navigating parenthood, this episode offers a powerful lens into what it means to heal while becoming.

Connect with Bethany Warren:

• Website: https://bethanywarrenlcsw.com/
• Perinatal EMDR Training (HAP): https://www.traumarecoveryhap.org/course/warren-perinatal-clients

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Becoming a parent is often described as one of life’s most joyful milestones. But what happens psychologically, relationally, and neurologically during the transition into parenthood is far more complex — and far less discussed — than many clinicians realize.

In this episode of Notice That: An EMDR Podcast, Bridger and Jen sit down with psychologist and EMDR consultant Dr. Nirit Gordon to explore the profound developmental, attachment-based, and trauma-related shifts that occur during the perinatal period. Drawing from feminist theory, attachment research, evolutionary anthropology, and clinical EMDR practice, this conversation reframes the transition to parenthood as a sensitive developmental stage comparable to adolescence — a time marked by identity reorganization, heightened emotional activation, relational stress, and the resurfacing of unresolved attachment wounds.

Together, we explore:

• Why perinatal mental health is one of the most under-recognized areas in trauma treatment
• How attachment memories and developmental trauma networks reactivate during pregnancy and early parenting
• The concept of matrescence and its implications for case conceptualization Why fathers and partners undergo neurobiological and hormonal shifts during early parenting
• How modern parenting culture conflicts with evolutionary caregiving needs
• The myth of constant parental attunement and what attachment research actually shows
• Birth trauma and systemic gaps in trauma-informed obstetric care Using babies as resources in EMDR therapy
• The clinical importance of including perinatal experiences in Phase 1 history taking How therapists can support identity transformation during early parenthood

This episode invites clinicians to expand their understanding of trauma, development, and relational memory — and to consider the perinatal period not simply as a life event, but as a critical neurobiological and psychological window for therapeutic intervention. Whether you work directly with parents or not, this conversation offers a powerful lens for understanding how attachment, trauma, and identity evolve across the lifespan.

To follow Nirit's work, check out her website at niritgordonphd.com and her training offerings at touchstoneinstitute.org

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