A Hands-On Way to Find the Words for a Cognition
About the Cards
The EMDR Cognition Cards are a clinical support tool for therapists and clients working in EMDR therapy. Inspired by the negative and positive cognitions in Francine Shapiro’s foundational EMDR work, the 55-card deck puts that language on cards clients can hold, sort, and compare.
Many clients know how a memory feels but find it hard to put the belief about themselves into words. The cards give them more language to choose from than a short standard list, so they can compare similar cognitions and notice which one fits best.
Try Them Online
The free online card sort at EMDRCognitionCards.com uses the same 55 cognitions. There’s no login and nothing to fill in, so it’s easy to send to a client for telehealth or between sessions.
Each card has two sides:
- Negative cognition side: a cool blue-green side with the negative belief.
- Positive cognition side: a warm peach side with the corresponding positive belief.
The deck includes 55 cards, grouped into four themes: Responsibility/Defectiveness, Responsibility/Action, Safety/Vulnerability, and Power/Control/Choice.
How It Works
The cards are most useful during preparation and assessment, when the negative and positive cognitions for a target are identified. They can help therapists and clients:
- Identify a negative cognition when finding the words is difficult.
- Compare similar cognitions and notice which one fits the target best.
- Find the corresponding positive cognition, or a desired one the client would like to believe.
The cards are a clinical support tool. They don’t replace EMDR training, clinical judgment, or the standard EMDR protocol.
Why Use the EMDR Cognition Cards?
- More language to choose from: 55 cognitions go beyond a short standard list, so clients are more likely to find wording that fits.
- Tangible and collaborative: sorting and comparing physical cards makes cognition selection something the client and therapist do together.
- Both sides in one place: each negative cognition is paired with a corresponding positive cognition on the back.
Get Your Deck
Prefer physical cards in session? Order the 55-card deck below.
EMDR Cognition Cards
A hands-on deck for identifying negative and positive cognitions in EMDR therapy. Clients can sort and compare 55 cognitions to find the words that fit, with the corresponding positive cognition on the back of each card.
- 55 two-sided cards: negative cognition on one side, positive on the other
- Inspired by Francine Shapiro’s foundational EMDR cognitions
- Helpful when clients struggle to put a belief into words
- Pairs with a free online version for telehealth sessions
- Comes with a free EMDR sticker pack
In stock