COMET, Competitive Memory Training
Your good sides are really there. But sometimes they fade so far into the background that you no longer see them. COMET helps you find them again and form a fairer picture of yourself.
What is COMET?
COMET stands for Competitive Memory Training. The method aims to make positive memories and self-images so strong that they outweigh negative beliefs.
Your self-image has several layers. You may see yourself as a good friend, a creative thinker and as someone who often makes mistakes. With a low self-image that balance shifts: the negative labels claim all the attention, while the positive ones fade into the background. COMET trains your brain to restore that balance.
Scientific basis: COMET was developed by Korrelboom et al. on the basis of research into memory and self-evaluation. Studies show that COMET significantly improves self-worth in people with depression, an anxiety disorder, an eating disorder or a personality disorder (Korrelboom et al., 2009, 2011, 2012, Journal of Behavior Therapy). COMET is used as an additional module within an ongoing treatment, not as a standalone primary therapy.
Who is COMET for?
COMET is suitable for people whose negative self-image gets in the way of recovery or daily functioning. That is the case with many mental health complaints:
Thoughts such as 'I am not good enough' lower the motivation to recover.
Self-criticism strengthens anxious feelings and makes them harder to break.
Self-image is often directly bound up with body image and eating behaviour.
Deeply rooted negative beliefs about oneself stand in the way of recovery.
How does COMET work?
You work with a provider through seven steps. The process always begins with insight: how do you look at yourself, and where does that come from? After that you actively practise shifting that view.
Introduction: exploring whether COMET fits you and what you want to achieve.
You map out the negative beliefs you hold about yourself.
For each negative self-image you formulate a positive counterpart.
You call up vivid memories of moments when you showed those positive sides.
You practise intensively with those positive memories until they become automatic.
You learn to use your positive self-image in daily life.
Closing: you receive tools to hold on to your new self-image in the long run.
An example of an exercise
You remember a moment when you did something for someone else that mattered. You bring that memory to mind as vividly as possible: what did you see, what did you feel, what did the other person say? By calling up and strengthening this memory regularly, you train your attention to see the positive sides of yourself as well. Saying your good qualities out loud afterwards gives you noticeably more energy.
A COMET module takes 5 to 12 sessions on average. COMET is an additional module used alongside an ongoing treatment such as CBT or schema therapy, not as a replacement for it.
Related complaints
Related treatments
Frequently asked questions
Getting started
Your good sides are really there.
Book an intake with a provider who has experience with COMET. Together you will explore whether this approach fits your situation.
Sources: Korrelboom et al. (2009, 2011, 2012), Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · Trimbos Institute