Soft hearts, we discussed EMDR negative cognition last week. Now I’d like to talk about the EMDR positive cognition. Basically, we are supporting you to identify what you want to welcome in. If we go back to my eating/body stuff example from last week we might ask the person (me) to identify what they want in place of the negative cognition. If the person believes an anxiety or trauma experience is their fault or that they are responsible or if the client feels innately unworthy, we’d work with them to identify what the positive thing about themselves is that they’d like to believe.
It can be a little hard to get people to stretch in this way. I like to ask people to dream their biggest dream. I ask them if they didn’t have this stuckness or if they didn’t feel this sadness about themself, what would they believe about themself? I support them in exploring how they might like to show up in the world. Their positive belief might be that they tried their best during the traumatic incident or that it wasn’t their fault what happened to them. In the case of the diet culture/body image stuff I’d say what I’d love to welcome in or invite in as my EMDR positive cognition is that I am whole and worthy. Wow. I am whole and worthy! Well that sure feels pretty true, but I’m still struggling with societal pressures and generations of how a woman’s body is “supposed to be.”
Guess what you are whole and worthy too! I am excited to learn more about whatever you desire to take place of or grow after you lessen your anxiety or trauma through EMDR therapy. What do you welcome more of in your life? What’s your EMDR positive cognition and how much do you believe it today? Tell me more about how you’d love to feel about yourself in your free consultation.
Soft Heart Psychology 