Intrusive Memory Record

The Intrusive Memory Record is a structured worksheet designed to assess and record intrusive memories in clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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Professional version

Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.

Client version

Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.

Fillable version (PDF)

A fillable version of the resource. This can be edited and saved in Adobe Acrobat, or other PDF editing software.

Editable version (PPT)

An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.

Editable version (DOC)

An editable Microsoft Word version of the resource.

Overview

The Intrusive Memory Record helps therapists and clients document the content, frequency, triggers, and emotional intensity of intrusive memories. These involuntary recollections differ from deliberate memory retrieval and are often vivid, distressing, and sensory in nature. Logging these memories over time can support clinical decision-making, guide targeted interventions, and track therapeutic progress in trauma-focused treatment.

Why Use This Resource?

The Intrusive Memory Record supports trauma-informed therapy by:

Supporting clients to develop awareness of memory triggers and emotional responses.
Informing case formulation and treatment planning.
Evaluating changes in the ‘nowness’ and distress of memories over the course of therapy.

Key Benefits

Precision

Clear prompts support developing a detailed account of memory characteristics.

Insight

Identifies sensory and contextual cues that trigger memory intrusions.

Evaluation

Tracks change in memory intensity and emotions during therapy.

Who is this for?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Support in understanding and addressing involuntary trauma-related memories.

Integrating it into your practice

Record

Log each occurrence of an intrusive memory, noting time and context.

Identify

Note triggers or situations linked to the memory.

Describe

Capture sensory and emotional details of the intrusion.

Rate

Assess the memory’s 'nowness' and associated distress (0–100%).

Review

Reflect on shifts in memory processing over time.

Adapt

Use insights to inform treatment focus and therapeutic strategies.

Theoretical Background & Therapist Guidance

Intrusive memories are involuntary recollections triggered by environmental stimuli. These differ from deliberately retrieved memories and often appear in individuals with PTSD as vivid, emotionally distressing, and sensory-laden experiences.

According to Grey, Young, and Holmes (2002), these memories are emotionally charged, insufficiently processed, and fragmented. They are frequently experienced with a sense of vividness or 'nowness' and are often referred to as 'hotspots.' Such moments contribute significantly to the ongoing distress and re-experiencing symptoms characteristic of PTSD.

The Intrusive Memory Record supports clients and therapists in systematically identifying intrusive memories including the context, sensory components, and emotional intensity linked to each memory. This process can reveal patterns of distress, clarify appraisals formed at the time of the trauma, and guide targeted cognitive restructuring aimed at reducing perceived current threat.

Used alongside reliving or imaginal exposure interventions, this resource helps monitor changes in memory intensity and 'nowness' over time. In doing so, it supports the therapeutic shift from overwhelming, disorganised trauma responses to memories that are more coherent, integrated, and manageable.

What's inside

A structured worksheet for recording intrusive memories.
Sections for identifying triggers, sensory details, emotional responses, and ratings.
Guidance for using the tool as part of symptom monitoring, formulation and treatment planning.

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FAQs

An intrusive memory is a distressing, involuntary recollection that often feels vivid and emotionally intense. It may be triggered by sensory cues and feels as if the trauma is happening again.

Clients can be encouraged to complete the record as close as possible to each occurrence. Frequent use provides more reliable data for understanding patterns and informing therapy.

The record provides invaluable data on the frequency, nature, and emotional impact of intrusive memories, which can significantly inform the therapeutic approach and monitor progress.

How This Resource Improves Clinical Outcomes

Improves case formulation and treatment focus by clarifying trauma memory patterns.
Encourages collaboration and shared understanding between client and therapist.
Provides ongoing data to support memory reprocessing interventions.
Helps evaluate progress and inform adaptations to trauma-focused treatment plans.

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References And Further Reading

Brewin, C. R. (2014). Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological Bulletin, 140(1), 69-97. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033722
Brewin, C. R., Gregory, J. D., Lipton, M., & Burgess, N. (2010). Intrusive images in psychological disorders: Characteristics, neural mechanisms, and treatment implications. Psychological Review, 117(1), 210-232. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018113
Ehlers, A., Hackmann, A., & Michael, T. (2004). Intrusive re-experiencing in post-traumatic stress disorder: Phenomenology, theory, and therapy. Memory, 12(4), 403-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210444000025
Grey, N., Young, K., & Holmes, E. A. (2002). Cognitive restructuring within reliving: A treatment for peritraumatic emotional “hotspots” in posttraumatic stress disorder. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 30(1), 37-56. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465802001049
Holmes, E. A., Grey, N., & Young, K. A. D. (2005). Intrusive images and 'hotspots' of trauma memories in posttraumatic stress disorder: An exploratory investigation of emotions and cognitive themes. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 36(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2004.11.002
Michael, T., Ehlers, A., Halligan, S. L., & Clark, D. M. (2005). Unwanted memories of assault: What intrusion characteristics are associated with PTSD? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43(5), 613-628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2004.04.006
Reynolds, M., & Brewin, C. R. (1999). Intrusive memories in depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37(3), 201-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(98)00132-6

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