EMDR Positive and Negative Cognitions (Self-Beliefs)

Introduction: Understanding EMDR Positive and Negative Cognitions

Cognitions are simply thoughts or beliefs we have about ourselves, others, or our external situations.

In EMDR therapy these are divided into positive and negative.

Our goal is to challenge our negative beliefs and reinforce our positive cognitions in the therapeutic process.

In some cases build new positive beliefs if none existed before.

Background about EMDR

In case you are reading this and have no idea what EMDR is, here is a short explanation

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most effective types of therapy in comparison to other therapeutic models like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or talk therapy.

It uses the brain's inbuilt healing tools to process past traumas. It is used for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)

The Role of Cognitions in the EMDR Therapy Process

Assessment phase

Before we start working on the cognitions it is important to identify them. Some might be easier to identify, whereas others might be more complex. If you are doing self-guided EMDR to Identify the cognitions use the list in the next section as a starting point.

The idea is simple, identify the negative thoughts and disturbing memories that come to mind when you think of a target memory.

A target is a specific traumatic event or experience.

In a normal therapy session, a therapist will ask you to rate the amount of distress that you feel on a scale of 1-10 when you think about the target.

This is called a SUD scale (Subjective Units of Disturbance) to assess emotional intensity.

It is important to do this even when you are doing self-EMDR EMDR as it gives you a yardstick to measure your improvement in that session. It will also allow you to track your progress over a month or so and see how you are improving.

Desensitization Phase

Once we have linked the negative cognitions to a target, we work on processing the target image using the brain's inbuilt healing mechanism. This way traumatic memories and experiences get reprocessed permanently.

This is done using bilateral stimulation which can be done with side-to-side eye movements, audio, or tapping.

An example of targeting negative cognitions can be "I am powerless" or "I am a failure". (More examples of common negative beliefs in the next section)

You should slowly start to notice the target to lose its intensity.

If the memory is getting stuck and you can't seem to make any progress. Try increasing the speed of the visual stimulus(ball or light bar). It has also been noted that bilateral stimulation using visual and audio tends to work better.

Therapists have suggested that for better results on tough memories making the sound more harsh produces a better effect. So see if the software you are using has those settings to change.

Keep trying different sounds, and movement patterns and you will figure out what works best for you.

Ideally, you stay in this phase till the target reaches a 0 on the SUD scale that you did earlier.

It is fine to move to the next phase even if it is not at a 0, but try to reduce it as much as possible.

Installation Phase

Here we work on replacing that negative cognition with a positive cognition.

To do this think about the the opposite of the negative cognition selected in the previous phase.

Say for example you chose "I’m not good enough" as a negative belief.

You can replace that with a positive belief like "I am good enough".

This is an effective treatment for establishing a positive self-statement, which works similarly to visualization but is more effective because we are using bilateral stimulation.

VOC scale(Validity of Cognition scale)

The validity Cognition Scale is a self-reporting tool that you can use to measure how true the positive belief feels.

The scale ranges from a score of 1 to 7. Where 1 indicates that you do not believe the cognition at all, and 7 means you fully believe it.

So After you have selected the positive cognition start another reprocessing phase where you now focus on that positive belief.

Before you start note your VOC score and keep doing the bilateral stimulation till it is believable. It doesn't have to be an exact 7.

Since sometimes it might take multiple sessions to see changes.

The reason why we do this in EMDR is positive outlooks are more likely to solidify in the brain after a traumatic event has been reprocessed

This positive visualization is a core part of trauma therapy and in high-performance fields.

Once you have learned it it can be added to your internal resources toolbelt and can be used outside of EMDR preferably on a daily basis.

Comprehensive List of Negative and Positive Cognitions

This is a generic list of negative and positive beliefs, which can be a good starting point to help you focus on what is related to your target or trigger.

At a high level, they are broken down into four main categories:

1. Responsibility

2. Control/choice

3. Safety/ Vulnerability

4. Perfectionism/self-defectiveness

Here is each of these categories broken down in a single Comprehensive list, keep coming back to this during your healing journey.

Click here to download a more detailed PDF of positive and negative cognitions

Responsibility

• Negative core beliefs (often rooted in past traumatic experiences such as):

  • "I should have done something."

  • "I am weak."

  • "I should have known better."

  • "I did something wrong."

  • "I am shameful."

• Positive beliefs to replace the above:

  • "I did the best I could at the time."

  • "I am strong, survivor."

  • "I could not have known better."

  • "I did not do anything wrong."

  • "I have nothing to be shameful for."

Control/Choice

• Negative core beliefs

  • "I am not in control."

  • "I cannot get what I want."

  • "I am powerless/helpless."

  • "I cannot succeed."

  • "I cannot trust my judgment."

  • "I will fail."

  • "I cannot let it out."

  • "I can't handle it."

  • "I have to be perfect/please everyone."

  
  

• Positive beliefs to replace the above:

  • "I am now in control."

  • "I can get what I want."

  • "I have choices."

  • "I can succeed."

  • "I can trust my judgment."

  • "I will succeed."

  • "I can choose to let it out."

  • "I can handle it."

  • "I can be myself/make mistakes."

Safety/Vulnerability

• Negative self-beliefs

  • "I am not safe."

  • "I am in danger."

  • "I cannot protect myself."

  • "I am vulnerable."

  • "I will get hurt."

  • "I cannot trust others."

  • "I am too weak to handle this."

  • "I must be on guard all the time."

  
  

• Positive beliefs to replace the above:

  • "I am safe now."

  • "I am secure."

  • "I can protect myself."

  • "I am strong and resilient."

  • "I will be okay."

  • "I can trust the right people."

  • "I am strong enough to handle this."

  • "I can relax and feel at peace."

Perfectionism/defectiveness/Inadequacy

• Negative self-beliefs

  • "I am shameful."

  • "I am not lovable."

  • "I am a bad person."

  • "I do not deserve."

  • "I am ugly."

  • "I am stupid."

  • "I am not good enough."

  • "I deserve only bad things."

  • "I am worthless/inadequate."

  • "I deserve to die."

  • "I am insignificant and unimportant."

  • "I am incompetent."

  • "I don't deserve love."

  • "I am a disappointment."

  • "I deserve to be miserable."

  
  

• Positive beliefs to replace the above:

  • "I am honorable."

  • "I am lovable."

  • "I am a good, loving person."

  • "I deserve."

  • "I am good the way I am."

  • "I am intelligent."

  • "I am good enough."

  • "I deserve good things."

  • "I am worthwhile."

  • "I deserve to live."

  • "I am significant and important."

  • "I am competent."

  • "I deserve love; I can have love."

  • "I am okay just the way I am."

  • "I deserve to be happy."

The Goal of EMDR Therapy: Cognitive Transformation

• The ultimate goal is simple, replacing negative self-beliefs with positive and more empowering ones.

• Work towards always having a positive outlook towards whatever scenarios happen in our lives.

• We do not have control over the situations that happen to us. All we have is the ability to interpret the situation.

  
  

The Power of EMDR Cognitions in Trauma Treatment

This is a core part of the EMDR process and will improve your ability to deal with trauma.

Done correctly it can completely change your life.

If you are having difficulties visit a trauma therapist or trained EMDR practitioner for a personalized treatment plan.

Now that you have the list of common negative cognitions whenever you do EMDR or even in your day-to-day life, you will be able to recognize them and make a change.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I do EMDR treatment on myself?

Therapists these days are expensive and have long waitlists, so many people have turned to self-guided EMDR therapy(self-EMDR).

There are expert-guided sessions that take you step by step through the entire EMDR process. This is all done with the help of software.

This way you can pay a fraction of the cost of therapy and still get the same benefits.

2. Can EMDR therapy help with long-standing negative beliefs from childhood trauma?

Yes, although it might take some time it is possible. If you are consistent with EMDR sessions any traumatic memory or negative belief can be overcome

3. How do negative cognitions lead to emotional and psychological reactions in daily life?

Making Fear-Based decisions, lack of confidence in choices, avoiding change even though the current situation is not ideal.

" As you think, so you become"