Smucker, Mervin. The creative application of imagery in cognitive therapy to enhance adaptive change.

The use of imagery interventions in cognitive therapy has been an emerging topic among theorists and clinicians in recent years. Clinicians are finding that intrusive, affect-laden images can contribute to significant distress in a variety of psychological disorders, and that using creative imagery interventions to confront and modify upsetting images can be a powerful approach that leads to alleviation of emotional distress. Research has found that emotional memory tends to be visual in nature, and conversely, mental imagery is generally more emotional than verbal processing of the same material.  As such, directly challenging and modifying distressing images appears to be a powerful means of promoting emotional change. In recent years, a number of different cognitive-oriented treatments have emerged that use imagery to promote change with a range of anxiety disorders, depression, and personality disorders.

Mervin R. Smucker