Detailed EMDR Cheat Sheet

Distress Scale

Negative Cognitions

  • I am a bad person.

  • I am a burden.

  • I am a disappointment.

  • I am a failure.

  • I am broken/defective.

  • I am different.

  • I am going to die.

  • I am in danger.

  • I am inadequate.

  • I am insignificant.

  • I am invisible.

  • I am not allowed to make mistakes.

  • I am not good enough.

  • I am not in control.

  • I am not safe.

  • I am out of control.

  • I am permanently damaged.

  • I am powerless.

  • I am shameful.

  • I am stupid.

  • I am terrible.

  • I am too much.

  • I am ugly.

  • I am unimportant.

  • I am unloveable.

  • I am weak.

  • I am worthless.

  • I cannot be trusted.

  • I cannot get what I need.

  • I cannot get what I want.

  • I cannot handle it.

  • I cannot let it out.

  • I cannot protect myself.

  • I cannot stand it.

  • I cannot stand up for myself.

  • I cannot succeed.

  • I cannot trust anyone.

  • I cannot trust my judgement.

  • I cannot trust myself.

  • I deserve only bad things.

  • I deserve to be miserable.

  • I deserve to die.

  • I did something wrong.

  • I don't belong.

  • I don't deserve love.

  • I don't deserve to express myself.

  • I don't deserve to feel safe.

  • I have to be perfect.

  • I should have done something.

  • I should have known better.

  • It's my fault.

  • It's not okay to express my emotions.

  • It's not okay to feel my emotions.

  • It's not okay to show my emotions.

  • It's not safe to be authentic.

  • It's not safe to express myself.

What Are You Noticing?

What’s Coming Up For You?

  • Beliefs

  • Breathing

  • Environment

  • Feelings

  • Ideas

  • Images

  • Memories

  • Self-talk

  • Sensations

  • Thoughts

Positive Cognitions

  • I (can learn) learned from it.

  • I am (can learn to be) healthy.

  • I am (good) enough.

  • I am a good person.

  • I am adequate.

  • I am allowed to make mistakes.

  • I am beautiful.

  • I am beginning to heal.

  • I am capable.

  • I am healing.

  • I am honorable.

  • I am important.

  • I am loveable.

  • I am now in control of myself.

  • I am okay as I am.

  • I am significant.

  • I am strong.

  • I am trustworthy.

  • I am worthy.

  • I can (learn to) cope.

  • I can (learn to) handle it.

  • I can (learn to) protect myself.

  • I can (learn to) trust my judgement.

  • I can (reasonably) protect myself.

  • I can be myself.

  • I can choose to let it out.

  • I can choose who to trust.

  • I can get what I want.

  • I can have/ask for what I want/need.

  • I can learn who to trust.

  • I can make my needs known.

  • I can safely feel/show my emotions.

  • I can set healthy boundaries.

  • I can succeed.

  • I deserve good things.

  • I deserve love.

  • I deserve my needs to be met.

  • I deserve to be happy.

  • I did the best I could.

  • I have choices.

  • I matter.

  • I survived.

  • I was just a child.

  • It's not my fault.

  • It's over, I am safe now.

How True Does It Feel?

On a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is totally false and 7 is completely true,
how strongly do you feel this belief to be true?

Image featuring a scale from 1 to 7 with phrases expressing varying levels of belief. 1 reads 'Nope, it's not true at all.' 2 reads 'I doubt it is true, I am not sure I can believe it.' 3 reads 'Part of me believes, but mostly no.' 4 reads 'Sometimes I believe it and sometimes I don’t, depends on how I feel.' 5 reads 'Generally I believe it is true on some level.' 6 reads 'It feels true and correct.' 7 reads 'It feels true to the core of my being.'