The Seed-to-Weed Technique: Graphically Illustrating Symptom Etiology, Treatment, and Resolution

This Clinical Q&A article explains the seed-to-weed technique. This strategy offers an opportunity to help a client understand the problem and treatment approach and the ability to see progress in treatment. These crucial areas are important to treatment engagement and success, whether working with children or adults. An illustrated garden metaphor is used to guide a client to look at his or her life experiences and gain an understanding of how events have contributed to the problems and concerns that bring them into therapy. The seed-to-weed technique provides a graphic means of presenting trauma, a treatment plan, introducing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and tracking treatment progress. This article introduces and demonstrates the seed-to-weed technique.