Dual-task prompts

Dual-task prompts are the verbal exercises you read aloud during a BLS set to load working memory in parallel with the bilateral stimulation. They’re the defining feature of EMDR 2.0 versus the Shapiro standard protocol. When you’re in EMDR 2.0 mode and the Workspace is running, a panel surfaces one prompt per set. You read it, the client engages, and the BLS runs in parallel. The combination — BLS + active working memory task — is what the de Jongh / Matthijssen research describes as “working-memory taxation.”

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The research

The dual-task prompt methodology comes from the working-memory taxation research program led by Ad de Jongh and colleagues, and the EMDR 2.0 protocol formalized by Suzy Matthijssen:

de Jongh, A., et al. (2019, 2021). Working memory taxation and EMDR research programme. Multiple papers establish the dual-task working-memory rationale.

Matthijssen, S. J. M. A., et al. (2021). “The current status of EMDR therapy, specific target areas, and goals for the future.” Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 15(3): 105–130.

The clinical claim is equivalent outcomes with fewer sets — not “better than EMDR.” See The research behind EMDR.

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The prompts

The prompts sit in five categories. Cycle through the prompts within a category, or switch categories at any point — including mid-set.

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Backward counting

1. Count backward from 100 by 7s — “While following the butterfly, count backward from 100 by 7s. Say each number out loud. 100, 93, 86 — keep going at your own pace.”
2. Count backward from 50 by 3s — “Count backward from 50 by 3s while tracking the butterfly. Say each number out loud. Take your time.”

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Reverse spelling

1. Spell ‘world’ backward — “Spell the word ‘world’ backward, letter by letter, out loud. Try again with another word: ‘window’. Then ‘kitchen’.”
2. Spell ‘calendar’ backward — “Spell ‘calendar’ backward, letter by letter, while tracking the butterfly. Then try ‘envelope’. Take your time.”

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Category naming

1. Name 10 fruits — “Name 10 fruits out loud, one at a time. After each, take a breath before the next. Track the butterfly throughout.”
2. Name 10 animals starting with B — “Name 10 animals whose name starts with the letter B. Out loud, one at a time. Track the butterfly between each.”

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Opposites

1. Opposites — temperature and size — “I say a word, you say the opposite. Hot. Cold. Big. Small. Bright. Dark. Loud. Quiet. Track the butterfly between each.”
2. Opposites — direction and feeling — “I say a word, you say the opposite. Up. Down. North. South. Happy. Sad. Calm. Anxious. Take your time.”

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Mental math

1. Add 13 + 17, then keep adding 13 — “Start at 30 (13 + 17). Now add 13 to each result, out loud. 43, 56, 69, 82… keep going at your own pace.”
2. Double each number — start at 2 — “Double the number each time, out loud. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128… as far as you can. Track the butterfly between each.”

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How the panel works

The dual-task prompt panel is on your screen only. The client never sees the prompt text — they hear it from you, the way they’d hear any other in-session instruction. The panel shows:

• The current prompt’s title (a short label)
• The full body to read aloud (the verbatim prompt)
• The category pills so you can switch categories with one tap

Default category when you first run a session is Backward counting. The Workspace remembers your category preference across sessions.

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When to use which category

This is clinical judgment territory, not a Rivet rule. A few orienting notes from how the prompts shake out:

• Backward counting — broadly safe, doesn’t require literacy or language fluency in English. Good first-set default.
• Reverse spelling — requires solid English literacy. Skip with clients for whom English is a second language.
• Category naming — opens space for warmer affect than counting. Useful when a client’s distress is high and pure numeracy feels punishing.
• Opposites — fast cognitive switching, light feel. Useful late in a set or for clients who report cognitive fatigue on counting.
• Mental math — heavier cognitive load. Reach for it when earlier prompts feel too easy and the client’s distress isn’t lifting.

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Switching mid-set

Tap a different category pill any time, including while a set is running — the panel swaps to a prompt from that category right away, no need to wait for the set to end. A Next prompt button cycles within the active category if you want a fresh prompt from the same category without switching. This is the titration move EMDR 2.0 depends on: if a client’s affect spikes on backward counting, switch to category naming mid-set and keep going. The Workspace remembers your category choice for next time.

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Turning the panel off

Two ways:

1. In the Configure modal — toggle the Dual-task prompts switch off. Classic mode has this off by default.
2. Mid-session — open Configure again, toggle off, hit Apply changes. The panel disappears for the next set.

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What dual-task prompts are not

• Not a script the client follows. The client hears the prompt from you and engages in conversation; they don’t read it. The panel is your reference.
• Not a transcript. Nothing the client says in response is captured by Rivet. Nothing is recorded and nothing transcribes the session.
• Not a substitute for EMDR training. The prompts are usable because you’re trained in EMDR and know how to introduce, pace, and respond to them. Rivet supplies the prompt; you supply the clinical work around it.

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