Timelines and Float Back in EMDR Target Selection

When we’re working on an EMDR Master Treatment Plan, one of the most common questions I hear from clinicians is: How do I decide which targets to process first? That’s where EMDR Target Selection and the float back technique become powerful tools. These methods live squarely in EMDR Phase 1: History Taking and Treatment Planning, and they give us a structured way to explore a client’s past, present, and future in a way that sets the stage for effective trauma processing.

In this post, we’ll explore how to use timelines and float back to organize treatment, how these strategies fit into EMDR Target Sequencing, and why research supports their use.

Why Target Selection Matters in EMDR Phase 1

When clients first come in for EMDR therapy, it can feel overwhelming — for them and for us as clinicians. Many have complex trauma histories with dozens of potential targets. Without a plan, it’s easy to get lost in the details, or to focus on the wrong memory and end up with stalled processing.

That’s why EMDR History Taking and Treatment Planning is more than just an intake; it’s the foundation for healing. As Shapiro (2018) reminds us, fewer than two dozen memories often need to be processed for significant symptom reduction. The key is knowing how to identify and sequence them.

Timelines and float back techniques are two of the most useful tools we have to clarify where to begin.

Using Timelines for EMDR Target Selection

A timeline is exactly what it sounds like — a chronological map of significant experiences in a client’s life. In EMDR, we often ask clients to list their 10 most disturbing past experiences and sometimes their most positive experiences as well.

The timeline serves multiple purposes:

• It helps identify early childhood feeder memories (events that laid the groundwork for later beliefs).

• It organizes memories into clusters (for example, losses, medical trauma, bullying, relational trauma).

• It gives us a visual roadmap for sequencing targets in EMDR Phase 1.

Lombardo (2012) described how timelines can be used to place positive experiences above the line and negative experiences below, along with Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs) ratings for each event. This simple visual can help clients see patterns in their history while also offering us, as therapists, clarity about which events may be most significant to process.

Shapiro (2018) emphasized the value of starting with early memories, especially those tied to core negative cognitions like “I am powerless” or “I am not safe.” By resolving these feeder events, we often see symptom generalization across related clusters.

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The Float Back Technique for EMDR History Taking

While timelines help us organize events, sometimes clients can’t recall exact ages or sequences. That’s where the float back technique comes in.

Here’s how it works (Shapiro, 2018; Hofmann & Luber, 2009):

1. Ask the client to bring up a recent or representative memory of a symptom (such as a panic attack or a moment of conflict).

2. Identify the negative cognition that accompanies it (for example, “I am powerless” or “It’s my fault”).

3. Have the client notice the body sensations that arise with that belief.

4. Then ask: “As you notice that image and those feelings, let your mind float back to the earliest time you remember having the same feeling.”

This process often uncovers earlier, foundational memories that might not come up in a straightforward history-taking interview. In many cases, these feeder memories become the first targets in EMDR Target Sequencing.

Clinical Example: Using a Timeline and Float Back

Let’s say a client comes in reporting frequent nightmares and intense anxiety at work. During EMDR History Taking and Treatment Planning, you ask them to list their most disturbing memories. They identify:

1. Their parents’ divorce at age 9 (SUD = 7)

2. Being bullied in middle school (SUD = 8)

3. A recent performance review where their boss raised his voice (SUD = 6)

You help them place these on a timeline, with positive memories (such as winning a school art contest) above the line for resourcing, and negative ones below.

During Phase 1 History Taking, you can use the float back technique. You ask: “When you think of your boss raising his voice, and the thought ‘I am not good enough’ comes up, notice that feeling. Now let your mind float back to the first time you ever felt that way.”

The client recalls being yelled at by their father at age 6. That becomes the earliest feeder memory. Processing that event may lead to significant symptom reduction across both the bullying and workplace triggers.

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Research on Target Selection and Sequencing

Several authors have emphasized the importance of target selection and sequencing strategies in EMDR:

• Shapiro (2018) recommended starting with early childhood feeder events and clustering memories by theme to maximize generalization.

• Hofmann and Luber (2009) outlined a structured timeline protocol for EMDR History Taking, providing scripts to guide the process.

• Lombardo (2012) suggested organizing targets into clusters by cognition, symptom, or body sensation, and sequencing them with both timelines and float back.

This research underscores the importance of building a structured, thoughtful EMDR Master Treatment Plan in Phase 1. By combining timelines and float back, clinicians can create a clear, client-centered roadmap that makes EMDR processing both safer and more effective.

Practical Tips for Clinicians

• Always assess for dissociation before starting float back — some clients may need extended preparation.

• When building a timeline, use visual aids (paper, whiteboard, or digital tools). Seeing their history mapped out can help clients organize and tolerate the process.

• Keep the three-pronged approach in mind: past, present triggers, and future templates. Timelines and float back techniques help you decide where each piece fits.

• Remember that not every memory needs processing. Often, resolving feeder events allows other memories in the cluster to resolve spontaneously (Shapiro, 2018).

Timelines and the float back technique give us practical, research-informed ways to make EMDR Target Selection and EMDR Target Sequencing more effective. By carefully mapping experiences during EMDR History Taking and Treatment Planning in Phase 1, we can uncover feeder memories, organize clusters, and guide clients through a safe and efficient EMDR Master Treatment Plan. These strategies not only strengthen our clinical decision-making but also empower our clients to move through past, present, and future prongs with greater confidence and stability.

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References

1. Hofmann, A., & Luber, M. (2009). History taking: The time line. In M. Luber (Ed.), Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) scripted protocols: Basics and special situations (pp. 11–29). Springer Publishing.

2. Lombardo, M. (2012). EMDR target timeline. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 6(1), 37–46.

3. Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.