← EMDR Cognition Card Sort
EMDR Negative and Positive Cognitions List
All 55 cognition pairs from the EMDR Cognition Cards deck, grouped by theme. Each negative cognition is shown with its corresponding positive cognition. The list is a starting point: clients and therapists often adjust the wording so it fits the target.
| Negative cognition | Positive cognition |
|---|---|
| Power / Control / Choice (9) | |
| I am a failure. I will fail. | I can succeed. |
| I am helpless. | I am capable. |
| I am not in control. | I am now in control. |
| I am powerless. | I now have choices. |
| I am weak. | I am strong. |
| I cannot change anything. | I have the power to change. |
| I cannot handle it. | I can handle it. |
| I cannot get what I want. | I can get what I want. |
| I have to be perfect. (to please everyone) | I can be myself. I can make mistakes. |
| Responsibility / Action (5) | |
| I am inadequate. | I am adequate. |
| I did something wrong. | I learned from it. I can learn from it. |
| I should have done something. | I did the best I could. |
| I should have known better. | I do the best I can. I can learn. |
| It’s my fault. | I did the best I could with what I knew. |
| Responsibility / Defectiveness (23) | |
| I am a bad person. | I am a good person. |
| I am a disappointment. | I am okay just the way I am. |
| I am different. | I am okay as I am. |
| I am incompetent. | I am competent. |
| I am insignificant. I am unimportant. | I am significant. I am important. |
| I am invisible. | I am seen and valued. |
| I am not good enough. | I am good enough. |
| I am not lovable. | I am lovable. |
| I am permanently damaged. | I am healthy. I can be healthy. |
| I am shameful. | I am honorable. I am worthy. |
| I am stupid. I am not smart enough. | I am intelligent. I can learn. |
| I am terrible. | I am fine as I am. |
| I am ugly. | I am fine. I am attractive. I am lovable. |
| I am worthless. | I am worthy. I am worthwhile. |
| I deserve only bad things. | I deserve good things. |
| I deserve to be miserable. | I deserve to be happy. |
| I deserve to die. | I deserve to live. |
| I do not deserve __________. (fill in the blank) | I deserve __________. (fill in the blank) |
| I don’t belong. | I do belong. |
| I don’t matter. | I do matter. |
| I have to be perfect. (out of inadequacy) | I am fine the way I am. |
| I must perform to be accepted and loved. | I am accepted and loved as I am. |
| My body is hateful. | My body is worthy of love, care, and acceptance. |
| Safety / Vulnerability (18) | |
| I am alone in this. | I am supported. I am not alone. |
| I am going to die. | I am safe now. |
| I am in danger. | It’s over. I am safe now. |
| I am not safe. | I am safe. |
| I am too much. | I am just right as I am. |
| I am trapped. | I have options. |
| I am unprotected. | I am safe and protected. |
| I cannot be trusted. | I can be trusted. |
| I cannot let it out. | I can choose to let it out. |
| I cannot protect myself. | I can (learn to) take care of myself. |
| I cannot stand up for myself. | I can advocate for myself. I can make my needs known. |
| I cannot trust anyone. | I can choose whom to trust. |
| I cannot trust my judgment. | I can trust my judgment. |
| I cannot trust myself. | I can trust myself. I can learn to trust myself. |
| It’s not okay to feel my emotions. | It’s okay to feel my emotions. |
| It’s not safe to show my emotions. | I can safely show my emotions. |
| My needs don’t matter. | My needs matter. |
| The world is not safe. | I can create safety in my world. |
Prefer to sort them one at a time?
The free EMDR Cognition Card Sort shows one card at a time, then helps you narrow the ones that fit down to one or two. No sign-up, and nothing you select is saved.
Prefer physical cards in session?
The 55-card EMDR Cognition Cards deck gives clients a tactile way to sort, compare, and identify cognitions together in the therapy room.
EMDR Cognition Cards · A clinical tool from Values Vault · emdrcognitioncards.com