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What should EMDR therapists do when a client’s positive cognition changes during processing?

In this video, Elena Engle, EMDRIA-approved EMDR Trainer and Consultant, shares a clinical moment that highlights an important principle of EMDR therapy: trusting the client’s natural adaptive shifts during reprocessing.

During the session, the client began with a familiar negative cognition: “I can’t handle it.” Her initial goal was simply to move toward the belief “I can handle it.”

As the processing continued and installation began, something interesting happened. The client realized that an even more meaningful belief was emerging for her. Instead of simply believing she could handle the situation, she noticed a deeper shift: the experience was helping her grow.

As the reprocessing continued, another powerful realization surfaced. The client recognized that she had been carrying a long-standing sense of responsibility for making sure everyone else was okay. In that moment, a new adaptive belief emerged naturally: it was not her job to take care of everyone.

This is one of the reasons EMDR therapists are encouraged to check the validity of the positive cognition during installation. Sometimes the client’s system identifies a belief that feels even more true and adaptive than the one originally identified.

When therapists allow the process to unfold organically and follow what arises naturally, the client’s brain often moves toward exactly the belief that needs to be installed.

For EMDR therapists, moments like this can be powerful reminders to trust the reprocessing process and follow the client’s authentic adaptive shifts.