1

2 Negative
Body
Image Cognition (if NC has not yet been identified)
“Whenyou
When youthink
think
focusofof _____(target)____,
onthe
_____(target)____,
memory and the what negative words Assessment & Desensitization
about
what
feelingyourself
picture cometo
______, comes
where up?”
do mind thatit in your
you feel
represents that moment?
body?

Target:
What 1-2 words could I say that would We are going to begin the EMDR process. I will be checking in with you by asking “what are getting now?” or “What are you noticing
allow you to recall this image? now?”. When I do, tell me the last thing you thought of, felt, saw, or noticed in a word or phrase. It can be a thought, an image, an emotion,
________________________________ or a body sensation. Sometimes you’ll notice something new, sometime you wont. There are no ‘supposed to’s’ in this process. Just tell me
what is coming up for you w/o judging whether it ‘should’ be happening or not, or what you think I’m thinking. Don’t discard anything as
irrelevant; everything is connected for a reason. If at any point you want to stop, raise your hand. Just let whatever happen, happen.

(* if restarting incomplete session: “Now I’d like you to bring up that thing we were working on…notice the emotion that arises, and where you feel it in your body…)
Ok, Now I’d like you to bring up the image ________ and those negative words _____(NC)_____, and notice where you feel it in your body….
Now hold that all together in your mind and …(the buzzies will go back and forth/ follow my fingers/ etc.)

BLS (EMD: ≈ 8-10 EMDr: ≈ 10-20 EMDR: ≈ 24 ,36, 60 )

“Take a deep breath in…..and out.”

“What do you get now?”/ “What are you noticing now?”

If… no new info or change in 2 sets

3 Positive Cognition If… Still on topic: If… veering off topic:
Check SUDS
When you bring up that picture (or that experience), what “Go with that…” “When you go back to ____(target/the “On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is bringing up __(the thing we were
would you prefer to believe about yourself? thing we were working on)___ what do working on/ NC & that thing we were working on)__ and feeling relatively
you get now?” calm or neutral, and 10 is the highest disturbance you can
imagine, how disturbing does it feel now?”
* if SUD may be near 0 say NC with target

Validity of Cognition
When you think of that picture, how true to those words feel PC Installation 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
to you now on a scale of 1-7 …. “Do the words ____(PC)____ still fit or is there another positive statement
that feels more suitable?”
1234567
false true
_________________________________________________________________________________ “Where do you feel it in your “Ok, bring back up the last
body?” or thing you noticed ________ and
“As you think of ___( target/the memory/thing we’re working on)____ and those let’s go with that”
4 Emotion words ___(PC)___, how true do they feel from a 1 to 7 (where 1 is “I wonder what keeps it from
completely false & 7 is completely true)?” being a 0…” * if still here after several
When you bring up that image and those (6+) checks, maybe switch to
words… (NC)…, what emotion(s) do you feel 1234567 “Go with that…” EMD 8-10 BLS or interweave
now? “Go with that…” “Take a breath… bring up the
BLS ___(target)___ ..and how does
it feel on a scale of 0 to 10?”
Now think of the __( target/the thing we were working on)__ & hold it together
5 SUDS “Go with that…”
with the words __(PC)___”
After a few sets ask….
How disturbing does the image feel to you BLS “Has anything changed?”
now? “On a scale from 1-7, how true do the words ___(PC)___ feel now?” “Notice that…"/ “How do you
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 know?”
neutral highest
disturbance
you can imagine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

6 Reassess PC “Go w/ that…” “What’s keeping “Close your eyes and keep in mind the original memory and
(as long as content is on path) it from being a ____PC____. Then bring your attention to the different parts of your
7?” body, starting with your head and working downward. Any place you
Revaluate: On a scale from 1-7, how true do the
words ___(PC)___ feel now?” find any tension, tightness, or unusual sensation, tell me.”
(ANY sensation= BLS- “Go with that”)
* if no decrease since original, explore a better fitting PC

Created by Brittani P. Antunes, MC, LPC, NCC