EMDR Cognition
Card Sort
A simple way to identify the words that fit
Sort through common EMDR negative and positive cognitions to help identify the belief connected to the target you are working on.
How it works
- You’ll see one card at a time. Tap Fits me or Doesn’t fit, or swipe the card right or left.
- When you’ve sorted every card, narrow the ones that fit down to 1 or 2.
- Review your final selection with your therapist and use it as a starting point for identifying the cognition that best fits your target.
55 cards to sort · No sign-up. Nothing you select is saved or sent.
Prefer to review everything at once?
View or print the complete EMDR Cognition Cards list.
View full cognition listPrefer 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.
View the physical deck →Common questions
What are negative and positive cognitions in EMDR?
In EMDR therapy, a negative cognition is a belief about yourself that feels true when you bring a distressing memory or target to mind, such as “I am not safe” or “I am not good enough.” A positive cognition is the belief you would rather hold about yourself in relation to that experience, such as “I am safe now.” Your therapist helps you identify both before processing a target.
Who is this card sort for?
It’s for EMDR therapists and their clients. Therapists can send the link to a client between sessions or use it during telehealth, and clients can sort the cards on their own and bring their selection to their next session.
Is it free? Is anything saved?
It’s free and there’s no sign-up. Your selections stay in your browser while the page is open and aren’t saved or sent anywhere. Use Copy for notes on the results screen if you want to keep them.
Where does the list of cognitions come from?
The 55 cards are the cognitions in the EMDR Cognition Cards deck, inspired by the negative and positive cognitions in Francine Shapiro’s foundational EMDR work. You can see them all on the full cognitions list.
EMDR Cognition Cards is a clinical tool from Values Vault. It is meant to support EMDR therapy with a trained clinician. It doesn’t provide treatment on its own, and it doesn’t diagnose or determine a treatment plan.
Narrow It Down
Select the 1 or 2 that feel most true for you right now.