> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getrivet.ca/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Dual-task prompts > The working-memory prompts across five categories that distinguish EMDR 2.0 from the Shapiro standard — and the research that put them there. 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." ## 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](/emdr/the-research-behind-emdr). ## The prompts The prompts sit in five categories. Cycle through the prompts within a category, or switch categories at any point — including mid-set. ### 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." ### 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." ### 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." ### 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." ### 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." ## 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## Related articles Shapiro's original protocol, the EMDR 2.0 variant, and where the dual-task methodology comes from. Spacebar start and stop, speed changes mid-set, and how mid-session reconfigure works. Choosing modalities, dual-task category, and pace for a given client.