EMDR Blocking Beliefs Worksheet: Core Belief Barriers

In Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a “blocking belief” acts as a cognitive resistance that prevents a client from fully desensitizing a target memory or installing a Positive Cognition (PC). These beliefs often serve an adaptive, though misguided, protective function—such as maintaining fear to ensure future hyper-vigilance or holding onto guilt as a form of moral penance. The EMDR Blocking Beliefs Worksheet is an evidence-based clinical resource designed to help clinicians and clients identify these internal “stuck points” that stall the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) system during Phase 4 (Desensitization) and Phase 5 (Installation).

This worksheet utilizes the 1–7 Validity of Cognition (VoC) Scale to help clients quantify the “truth” of their resistance. By requiring a granular rating for each potential blocking statement, the tool allows the clinician to perform a forensic audit of the client’s internal objections to healing. Research indicates that when processing “loops” or stalls, the cause is often a hidden belief that changing the core self-view is dangerous or undeserved. This tool provides the structured inquiry necessary to bring these secondary gains and protective beliefs into the therapeutic light, making them targets for specific “cognitive interweaves” or direct reprocessing.

This resource draws significant inspiration from the foundational research of Francine Shapiro and the specialized protocols for managing processing stalls refined by Marilyn Luber and Jim Knipe. By operationalizing the search for “Feeder Beliefs” and maladaptive schemas, the worksheet assists practitioners in guiding clients through the transition from post-traumatic rigidity to cognitive flexibility. This process is foundational for a comprehensive treatment arc, ensuring that the therapeutic journey is not prematurely halted by the very protective mechanisms the client built to survive.

How This Worksheet Can Be Used

Troubleshooting Processing Stalls:
Therapists use the worksheet when a client’s SUD (Subjective Units of Disturbance) scores fail to drop or when a PC remains at a low VoC. It helps identify if there is a belief that “It isn’t safe to let go of this.”

Cognitive Interweave Selection:
By identifying high-VoC blocking beliefs, the clinician can design precise interweaves (e.g., responsibility, safety, or choice-based) to move the processing forward during active bilateral stimulation.

Initial Target Assessment:
This tool can be used during Phase 3 to anticipate future resistance. Identifying blocking beliefs early allows the therapist to address “Ego Strengths” and stabilize the client’s internal relationship before entering deep desensitization.

Benefits of the EMDR Blocking Beliefs Worksheet

• Identifies cognitive “stuck points” and secondary gains that prevent clinical breakthroughs.
• Utilizes the 1–7 Validity of Cognition (VoC) scale for precise empirical monitoring.
• Supports the AIP model by removing internal barriers to adaptive memory integration.
• Reduces “Processing Loops” by making subconscious resistance explicit and workable.
• Covers 3 pages of potential blocking statements to ensure a comprehensive cognitive audit.
• Facilitates a trauma-informed approach to understanding why clients “hold on” to distress.

References

• Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Knipe, J. (2018). EMDR Toolbox: Theory and Treatment of Complex PTSD and Dissociation. Springer Publishing Company. (Providing context on dysfunctional positive affects and blocking beliefs).
• Luber, M. (2009). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Scripted Protocols. Springer Publishing Company.
• Leeds, A. M. (2016). A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors, and Consultants. Springer Publishing Company.