Video Rescripting
Video Rescripting is a simple and creative way to change how you feel about a painful memory. It’s based on a method called Imaginary Rescripting. Here’s how it works:
- Think of a memory that still bothers you.
For example: a child who was bullied at school. - Imagine something positive happening instead.
The child could imagine a robot showing up, locking the bully in a cage, and flying the child safely home. - Draw the scenes.
Make simple drawings of the key moments — for example:- The child being bullied.
- The robot arriving.
- The robot catching the bully.
- The child riding home on the robot’s back.
- Record the drawings in a short video.
Show the pictures in order. You can use a phone or tablet to film them like a slideshow. - Watch the video.
When you watch your own story with a new ending, it helps change how the memory feels. You feel stronger, less alone, and more in control.
Why does this work?
- The brain responds to imagined experiences almost like real ones.
- You train yourself to deal with tough memories in a better way.
- You change passive coping (like avoiding) into active coping (like imagining strength and safety).
- Making the video can be fun. You might even laugh — and that helps too!
