What Is the VOC Scale in EMDR?

What Is the VOC Scale in EMDR?

Short Answer: The VOC scale in EMDR is a 1-to-7 rating that describes how true a positive belief feels to you when you think about a particular memory or experience. VOC stands for Validity of Cognition. A rating of 1 means the belief feels completely false, while 7 means it feels completely true. EMDR may check the VOC rating at different points to see whether the positive belief feels more believable as the way you experience the memory changes.

Key Takeaways

• VOC stands for Validity of Cognition.
• The VOC scale usually runs from 1 to 7.
• 1 means a positive belief feels completely false, while 7 means it feels completely true.
• The rating is based on how true the belief feels right now, not how true you think it logically ought to be.
• There is no need to force a higher VOC rating.
• VOC and SUD are different: VOC measures the believability of a positive belief, while SUD measures how disturbing a target feels.
• The VOC scale gives you a simple way to notice whether your relationship to a positive belief changes during EMDR.

What Does VOC Mean in EMDR?

VOC stands for Validity of Cognition.

The name sounds technical, but the idea is straightforward.

During EMDR, you may identify a positive belief that you would like to associate with the memory or experience you are working on.

Examples might include:

• “I am safe now.”
• “I did the best I could.”
• “I am capable.”
• “I have choices.”
• “I am worthy.”
• “I can handle this.”

The VOC scale asks you to rate how true that positive belief feels to you right now.

You give it a number from 1 to 7.

How Does the 1-to-7 VOC Scale Work?

The basic VOC scale is:

• 1: Completely false
• 2: Mostly false
• 3: More false than true
• 4: Somewhere in the middle
• 5: More true than false
• 6: Mostly true
• 7: Completely true

You do not need to treat every number as an exact measurement.

If a positive belief feels somewhere around a 4 or 5, choosing whichever number seems closest is enough.

The scale is meant to help you describe your experience, not test your ability to choose the perfect number.

What Are You Rating With the VOC Scale?

The VOC scale is used for a positive belief, sometimes called a positive cognition.

Suppose you are working with a difficult memory and the positive belief you have chosen is:

“I am safe now.”

You would bring the memory and that positive belief to mind and ask yourself how true the statement feels right now.

You might logically know that you are safe today but notice that the statement only feels like a 3.

That is useful information.

The VOC scale is interested in your current felt response—not simply whether you can intellectually argue that the statement is true.

Why Does EMDR Use Positive Beliefs?

Difficult experiences can sometimes become connected with negative beliefs about ourselves.

Depending on the experience, someone might think:

• “I am powerless.”
• “It was my fault.”
• “I am not good enough.”
• “I cannot trust myself.”

EMDR may include identifying a more helpful positive belief that the person would prefer to associate with the experience.

For example:

“I am powerless” might be paired with “I have choices now.”

“It was my fault” might be paired with “I did the best I could.”

“I am not good enough” might be paired with “I am worthy.”

The VOC scale provides a simple way to describe how believable that positive statement currently feels.

Why Does EMDR Measure How a Belief “Feels” Rather Than Whether It Is Logically True?

This is one of the most important parts of understanding the VOC scale.

You may know intellectually that something is true without fully feeling that way when you think about a particular experience.

For example, someone may know:

“What happened was not my fault.”

Logically, they may have no doubt about that.

But when they bring the memory to mind, the statement might not yet feel completely true.

Their VOC rating could therefore be a 3 or 4 rather than a 7.

That does not mean they are confused about the facts. It simply describes their current response when the belief is connected with that particular memory.

Why Is the VOC Scale Used During EMDR?

The VOC scale gives you a simple reference point.

Suppose the positive belief connected with your target is:

“I can handle this.”

Early in the process, that belief might feel like a 3.

Later, when you bring the same target and belief to mind, it might feel like a 5.

Eventually, it might feel like a 6 or 7.

The number provides an easy way to notice that change without requiring you to explain everything you are experiencing in detail.

Is a VOC Rating a Test?

No.

There is no passing or failing score.

You are not supposed to choose a high number because you think that is what EMDR wants from you.

If the positive belief only feels like a 2, then 2 is the useful answer.

If it already feels like a 6, then 6 is the useful answer.

The purpose of the scale is to reflect what you genuinely notice.

Giving the answer you think you are “supposed” to give makes the rating less useful.

How Do You Choose a VOC Number?

Keep it simple.

Bring the target and the positive belief to mind and ask yourself:

“How true does this statement feel to me right now?”

Then choose a number from 1 to 7.

You do not need to analyze every possible reason for your answer.

You also do not need to decide whether something is exactly a 4 rather than a 5.

Choose the number that seems closest and continue.

The VOC scale is a personal estimate, not a precise scientific measurement of a belief.

Can Your VOC Rating Change During EMDR?

Yes.

That is one reason the rating may be checked more than once.

A positive belief that initially feels difficult to accept may feel more believable later.

For example:

At the beginning:

“I have choices now.” — VOC 3

Later:

“I have choices now.” — VOC 5

And later still:

“I have choices now.” — VOC 7

The words have not changed.

What has changed is how true those words feel when connected with the experience you are working on.

Does the VOC Number Always Go Up?

Not necessarily every time you check it.

The VOC scale describes how the positive belief feels at that particular moment.

Sometimes the number may increase clearly. Sometimes it may stay about the same for a while.

You may also notice a change that is difficult to capture perfectly with a single number.

There is no need to force the VOC rating upward.

The purpose is to notice your experience honestly rather than trying to produce a particular result.

Does Your VOC Rating Need to Reach 7?

In standard EMDR, the positive belief is generally strengthened toward a VOC rating of 7, meaning it feels completely true.

But the rating still needs to reflect your genuine experience.

You do not need to tell yourself that a belief is a 7 simply because you think it is supposed to reach 7.

Some situations also have real-world circumstances that affect what feels believable.

For example, a statement such as “I am completely safe” may not fit every situation. A more realistic positive belief may work better.

The goal is not to force yourself to believe something unrealistic. It is to identify a positive belief that fits your situation and notice how true it feels.

What If You Cannot Decide on a VOC Number?

That is fine.

You may think:

“It feels somewhere between a 4 and a 5.”

Choose whichever seems closer.

You are not being graded on the accuracy of the number.

The scale is simply a tool for checking in with yourself.

After using it a few times, you may find that choosing a rating becomes easier.

What Is the Difference Between VOC and SUD?

VOC and SUD are both rating scales used in EMDR, but they measure different things.

VOC asks:

“How true does this positive belief feel?”

It normally uses a 1-to-7 scale.

SUD asks:

“How disturbing does this target feel right now?”

It normally uses a 0-to-10 scale.

A simple way to remember the difference is:

• VOC = How true does the positive belief feel?
• SUD = How disturbing does the target feel?

During EMDR, these two ratings can provide different information about how you are experiencing the same target.

An Example of SUD and VOC Together

Imagine someone is working with a memory connected with feeling powerless.

Their negative belief might be:

“I have no control.”

The positive belief they would prefer might be:

“I have choices now.”

At the beginning, they might rate:

SUD: 7

The memory feels quite disturbing.

VOC: 2

“I have choices now” does not feel very believable when they think about the memory.

Later, their ratings might be:

SUD: 3

VOC: 5

The memory now feels less disturbing, while the positive belief feels more believable.

The two scales are measuring different parts of the experience.

How the VOC Scale Fits Into Self-Guided EMDR

The VOC scale works naturally in a self-guided format because the rating comes from you.

No one else can determine exactly how believable a statement feels to you.

If a structured self-guided EMDR program asks you for a VOC rating, simply bring the positive belief and target to mind and choose the number that best reflects your current response.

You do not need to choose a high number to show that the session is working.

You are simply recording what you notice.

If the rating changes later, you can record the new number.

If it has not changed yet, that is useful information too.

Conclusion

The VOC scale is a simple way to describe how believable a positive statement feels when you connect it with the experience you are working on.

The scale runs from 1, completely false, to 7, completely true.

There is no need to overthink the number or try to produce a particular score. The useful answer is simply the one that reflects what you genuinely notice at that moment.

Along with the SUD scale, VOC gives you another straightforward way to check in with your experience and notice changes as you move through the EMDR process.