EMDR Worksheet for trauma processing and emotional regulation.

The image you've uploaded is an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Worksheet, a therapeutic tool used in trauma-focused psychotherapy to help individuals process distressing memories. The worksheet is filled out by a client, Erin Rogers, on January 17, 2023, and it captures key components of the EMDR therapy process.

Let’s go through the worksheet step-by-step and explain what each section means, how it contributes to therapy, and what this particular case reveals about Erin's experience.

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🔹 Basic Information

- Name: Erin Rogers
- Date: 17/01/23

This identifies the individual and the session date.

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🔹 Phase 1 – Establish a Checkpoint (Safe Place)

> *"At home with my husband and my dog, laying on the couch with a good book. The sun is shining through the bay windows, and there's not a cloud in the sky. Something good is baking in the kitchen."*

Purpose: This is a grounding exercise where the client visualizes a place that feels safe and calming. It helps regulate emotions and provides a mental "refuge" during therapy, especially when discussing traumatic memories.

Interpretation: Erin has created a vivid, sensory-rich safe place involving loved ones (husband, dog), comfort (couch, book), warmth (sunlight), and pleasant smells (baking). This indicates she has strong emotional connections and resources for self-soothing.

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🔹 Phase 2 – Frame the Presenting Memory

#### ✔ Presenting Image/Memory:
> *"The car coming towards me at a high speed, and the dashboard curling in around me in the collision. I keep thinking of the glass shattering, the sound of the crunch, and pain bursting across my body."*

Analysis: This is the core traumatic memory being processed. Erin recalls a car accident with intense sensory details — visual (car approaching, dashboard deforming), auditory (crunching), tactile (pain), and emotional (fear).

#### ✔ Target Image:
> *"The headlights of the car directly across as it is mere seconds away from crashing into me."*

Significance: This specific image represents the peak moment of fear and perceived danger. It’s the focal point for EMDR processing — the therapist will use bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements, taps) while Erin focuses on this image to reduce its emotional charge.

#### ✔ Negative Cognitions:
> *"I think that I should have done something, maybe swerve out of the way faster. I think that I cannot trust my judgment, and I can't protect myself in any situation. Life is relentless, and I'll never be in control which terrifies me."*

Analysis: These are distorted, self-blaming thoughts common after trauma. Erin feels guilt ("should have"), lack of confidence ("can’t trust my judgment"), helplessness ("can’t protect myself"), and loss of control. These beliefs contribute to ongoing anxiety and PTSD symptoms.

#### ✔ Positive Cognitions:
> *"I can handle this, I know I can. Sometimes when I'm with friends and family I feel positive about life again, and that I have people that I can rely on. I deserve to be happy."*

Analysis: These are the desired replacement beliefs Erin wants to strengthen. They reflect resilience, support, and self-worth. However, they are currently not fully believed.

#### ✔ Validity of Positive Cognition (VOC):
> Rating: 5/7

Interpretation: Erin believes her positive cognition is somewhat true (5 out of 7), but not fully. A score below 7 suggests that the belief isn’t yet strong enough to override the negative ones. This is typical early in EMDR treatment.

#### ✔ Emotion (SUDS - Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale):
> Rating: 7/10

Interpretation: Erin experiences significant emotional disturbance (7/10) when recalling the memory — likely fear, anxiety, or sadness. This level of distress is high enough to warrant processing but not overwhelming.

#### ✔ Sensation:
> *"I can feel the hair standing up on the back of my neck, and a drop in the pit of my stomach. When I think of the incident sometimes I feel my phantom pain from my scars."*

Analysis: Physical sensations associated with trauma are still present — fight-or-flight response (hair rising), visceral discomfort (stomach drop), and even phantom pain from past injuries. These indicate the memory is still physically and emotionally embedded.

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🧠 What This Worksheet Tells Us About Erin’s Experience

Erin has experienced a traumatic car accident that continues to affect her mentally and physically. She carries:

- Guilt and self-blame (“I should have reacted faster”)
- Loss of control and fear of future harm
- Hyperarousal symptoms (physical reactions like goosebumps, stomach drops)
- Persistent emotional distress (SUDS = 7)
- Residual physical pain (phantom pain from scars)

Her positive beliefs are present but not yet firmly rooted (VOC = 5), indicating room for growth through therapy.

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💡 How EMDR Therapy Would Proceed

In subsequent sessions, the therapist would:

1. Use bilateral stimulation (e.g., guided eye movements, tapping, or audio tones) while Erin focuses on the target image.
2. Process the memory to reduce the emotional intensity (lower SUDS).
3. Strengthen positive cognitions so that “I can handle this” becomes more believable (increase VOC toward 7).
4. Reduce physical sensations (like phantom pain) linked to the memory.
5. Revisit the safe place between phases to maintain emotional stability.

Over time, the goal is for:
- SUDS to drop from 7 → 0–1
- VOC to rise from 5 → 7
- Negative cognitions to diminish
- Sensations to fade

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✔ Conclusion

This EMDR worksheet effectively maps Erin’s trauma, emotional responses, and cognitive distortions. It sets a clear foundation for targeted therapy aimed at desensitizing the traumatic memory and replacing maladaptive beliefs with empowering ones.

Therapeutic Goal: Help Erin move from feeling helpless and fearful to believing she is capable, safe, and worthy of happiness — even in the face of past trauma.

If you're working with this client or reviewing this for clinical purposes, this worksheet is a strong starting point for structured EMDR intervention.

Let me know if you'd like a sample script for guiding Erin through the next phase!