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Chapter 264 - 262 [Emotion Memory Rewrite Method]

Chapter 264: Chapter 262 [Emotion Memory Rewrite Method]

"Today’s consultation is to consolidate the changes in your cognition."

"The method we’ll be using is called Emotion Memory Rewrite Method."

Nan Zhubin sets today’s theme first.

Li Minglu nods repeatedly.

What Nan Zhubin refers to as "cognition" at the moment isn’t Li Minglu’s underlying cognition of "hoping to restore the previous family."

But rather Li Minglu’s views on other problems encountered in life.

Or more directly, it’s the direct cognition that triggered Li Minglu’s suicidal behavior.

"You mentioned before that the day you felt the impulse to ’do something foolish’ was because some ’things’ happened, which led to many bad ’thoughts’."

Li Minglu nodded.

Nan Zhubin elaborated: "And surely those ’thoughts’ also brought along some bad emotions that made you feel ’uncomfortable’."

Li Minglu continued nodding.

"Okay, then we need to start recalling some memories." Nan Zhubin began the first step of today, "Among those things that made you feel ’uncomfortable,’ which was the most distressing?"

Upon hearing this, Li Minglu’s atmosphere around him quickly plunged.

[Eyes unfocused, starting to recall.]

[Pressing lips, clenching fists, neck muscles tense—beginning to re-experience emotional impressions, and they are unpleasant ones.]

"It was... before going out, when I was having breakfast..." Li Minglu said hesitantly.

His throat made swallowing motions: "At that time, I saw my son and daughter... feeling very uncomfortable, and my wife was scolding them... I felt it was all my fault, that I made the family dull, even affecting the kids."

"Just thinking... if I’m not around, at least wouldn’t the kids be better off."

Since facing Nan Zhubin, Li Minglu, though fragmented, still managed to utter these words.

But it’s evident that Li Minglu found it very challenging to say this.

For an average consultant, having a client with depression recall their experiences and re-trigger suicidal thoughts—the step carries risk.

Because a consultant must possess the ability to promptly extract the client from their emotions.

Fortunately, Nan Zhubin is adept at this.

"Having such thoughts also aligns with the impression you’ve consistently established with me—you’re a person with a strong sense of family responsibility."

"And being able to recall such distressing thoughts in consultation is also a significant advancement for our consultation."

Nan Zhubin skillfully provided Positive Attention and Support.

Meanwhile, his tone carried a hint of admiration and genuine joy at advancing the consultation progress.

[Emotional Infection] simultaneously initiates.

—Just immediately.

The emotional baseline that just dropped for Li Minglu was accurately anchored by Nan Zhubin’s joy and pulled back.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, seemingly also pleased with his progress.

Seeing this, Nan Zhubin also smiled.

Indeed, the ability of Emotional Infection proves exceptionally effective in consulting for clients with depression.

When Nan Zhubin initially gained this ability, he immediately thought of using it in the current scenario.

"Since the ’breakfast’ scene felt the most distressing to you, we’ll mark it as Scale 10."

Nan Zhubin guided patiently: "Next, I hope you identify from all the distressing thoughts of that day, an event of Scale 5. We’ll use it to train today’s Emotion Memory Rewrite."

It’s another technique to prevent clients from overly immersing in negative emotions, a method even without Emotional Infection can be executed—using numbers like Scale 10, Scale 5, to abstract and textualize a vivid feeling.

This can effectively prevent excessive experience while allowing a somewhat objective perspective on one’s emotions.

"And simultaneously—"

Nan Zhubin’s gaze scanned Li Minglu’s wrist area.

Last time, when Nan Zhubin was confirming whether Li Minglu had self-harming situations, he noticed Li Minglu had the habit of wearing a bracelet.

This time, he’s still wearing the same bracelet as the last visit.

Woven hemp rope, coarse texture, with some wooden-looking perforated pendants on it unfamiliar to Nan Zhubin.

"Last time I forgot to ask, what’s the story behind your bracelet?"

The topic jumped a bit, Li Minglu was startled but quickly caught up with Nan Zhubin.

"This is a birthday gift I made for myself when I turned 20. The wood here is my first drawing board, later became too old to use, so I hand-sawed the relatively intact parts and polished them into small pieces, strung them up like crafts, forming a bracelet..."

It’s not valuable but is a very sentimental personal adornment.

"You often wear it?"

"I wear it every day, never switched."

Nan Zhubin nodded satisfactorily: "Very well, now when you recall Scale 5’s emotional event, I hope you can touch the small wooden pieces on the bracelet."

The wooden pieces on Li Minglu’s bracelet are very small, they can’t be polished like beads.

But at this moment, as Li Minglu touched and rubbed these small wooden pieces, he inexplicably felt a sense of calm coming from his fingertips.

When recalling negative emotions, those bad memories cover one’s heart like a gray curtain; and at this moment, the sense from his fingertips seemed like an anchor from heaven, always retaining an opening over the gray head.

Nan Zhubin did not interrupt Li Minglu verbally during this process.

"As for Scale 5’s event..." Li Minglu slowly recalled.

"It was when I tried to paint that day, but lacked inspiration. Then, I went to review past chat logs with Old Xue—Old Xue is my editor, my submissions and communications are usually through him."

Li Minglu explained and continued: "I was reviewing those chat logs, feeling really sorry for Old Xue. I reckon my illness surely troubled Old Xue, then I felt what I paint now is actually garbage, Old Xue intentionally collecting these poor works just to help me."

"Therefore, I thought—if I’m not around, wouldn’t Old Xue be better off."

"And since I kept thinking about this, I didn’t draw a single stroke that day."

After saying this thought, Li Minglu smiled at Nan Zhubin: "Of course, I certainly know these thoughts are wrong now..."