Installation of the Positive Cognition
Once distress has cleared, strengthen the preferred self-belief with bilateral stimulation.
Why it works
After the distress associated with a memory drops to near-zero, the reconsolidation window is open: the memory is active but no longer emotionally hot. Pairing the positive cognition ("I am safe now," "I handled it") with bilateral stimulation during this window is intended to link an adaptive belief to the memory trace during consolidation — replacing the negative cognition that the trauma installed.
How to do it
- Check that SUD is at 0 or 1 before proceeding to Installation.
- Pair the positive cognition with the original memory image and notice how true it feels (VOC).
- Run sets of bilateral stimulation while holding both the image and the positive cognition.
- Continue until the VOC reaches 7 ("completely true") or naturally plateaus.
- Scan the body for any remaining tension — if found, process until clear before closing.
Evidence
Installation is a defined phase of the validated EMDR protocol; outcome studies cover the full protocol rather than isolating this phase. Memory reconsolidation research supports the plausibility of updating a belief attached to a newly reactivated memory. (mechanistic)
No studies have isolated Installation as a standalone procedure; its evidence rests on being embedded in the overall protocol that RCTs support.
Common mistake
Installing the positive cognition before distress has fully cleared — a memory still carrying emotional charge will resist the new belief, and the VOC will stall.
Practice this with IX Coach
7 days free, then $40/month (~$1.30/day).
More practices for EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
- Safe Place Installation
Anchor a vivid, calming mental image you can return to when distress spikes during processing.
- Identifying and Targeting the Trauma Memory
Pinpoint the specific memory, its worst moment (the "touchstone"), and the negative belief it installed.
- Bilateral Stimulation During Active Processing
Hold the distressing memory in mind while tracking rhythmic left-right stimulation — and notice what shifts.
- Body Scan and Session Closure
Sweep attention through the body after processing to catch residual tension before closing the session.
- Cognitive and Somatic Interweaves
When processing stalls, a brief therapist-supplied statement or question can restart the chain.
- Reevaluation at the Start of Each Session
Begin every new EMDR session by checking whether last session’s gains held — and what emerged in between.
Related concepts
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Made Practical
The core techniques, the mechanisms, and where the evidence is strongest
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills, Made Practical
The four DBT skill sets, the mechanisms behind them, and an honest read on the evidence
- Radical Acceptance, Made Practical
Ending the second arrow — RAIN and the skills of accepting what is