Maxwell Maltz
Imagery Rescripting
“Change your mental imagery, and the feelings will take care of themselves.”
Clinical Overview & Scientific Approach
Imagery rescripting is a psychological intervention that targets distressing memories by helping individuals vividly imagine and alter the course or outcome of these memories in a therapeutic context. Through guided imagery, patients revisit problematic or traumatic experiences and then actively modify elements of the memory — such as introducing protective figures or changing the narrative — to fulfil unmet emotional needs and foster new, adaptive perspectives.
The evidence for imagery rescripting is robust and growing, especially for disorders rooted in aversive or traumatic memories. Recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews consistently reveal that imagery rescripting is effective in reducing symptoms across a wide range of mental health conditions.
Clinical Applications and Research Evidence
Imagery rescripting has proven efficacy in treating social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, nightmare disorder, test anxiety, health anxiety, and generalised anxiety disorder. Randomised controlled trials have shown that the technique delivers comparable benefits to traditional evidence-based interventions and, in some cases, offers additional advantages when patients have not adequately responded to conventional methods.
Research also suggests that imagery rescripting elicits strong emotional and physiological responses, with brain activation during imagery closely mirroring actual experiences, potentially enhancing therapeutic impact. While further studies continue to refine techniques and understand underlying mechanisms, imagery rescripting is recognised as a promising, evidence-based approach for treating distress associated with aversive memories.
Consultants Delivering This Service
Our accredited psychologists and psychotherapists experienced in this clinical area.
Wajih Sheikh
Consultant Psychotherapist
Senior psychotherapist with extensive clinical experience in CBT, imagery rescripting, and trauma recovery.
Dr Joyce Blake
Consultant Psychologist
Consultant psychologist specializing in young people (10-17) and adult psychotherapeutic interventions, CBT, and EMDR.
Dr George Fieldman
Consultant Psychologist
Senior consultant psychologist specializing in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), evolutionary psychobiology, and executive consultation.
Session Attendance Policy for Minors
We work with adults from 18 years of age, and with young people aged from 10 to 17. For children aged 10 to 15 years, a second responsible adult must be in attendance during sessions.
Begin Consultation with Clear Thinking Clinic
Contact our confidential reception to discuss availability, fees, or to arrange an initial session for imagery rescripting.