{"id":32614,"date":"2016-08-15T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2016-08-15T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=32614"},"modified":"2018-06-14T09:29:44","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T16:29:44","slug":"using-emdr-to-find-your-safe-place-in-trauma-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/using-emdr-to-find-your-safe-place-in-trauma-recovery-0815164","title":{"rendered":"Using EMDR to Find Your \u2018Safe Place\u2019 in Trauma Recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PersonLife can be stressful for anyone, but for people dealing with the negative effects of trauma<\/a> on top of everyday life, elevated stress<\/a> levels can be much more common. One course of treatment for experiencing a more positive and peaceful life after trauma is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)<\/a>, a methodology originated by Francine Shapiro<\/a>. It pairs specific protocols with bilateral stimulation\u2014back-and-forth eye movements, alternating tones delivered through headphones, and\/or alternating tactile stimulation such as vibrations delivered through hand-held pulsers. Part of the eight-phase EMDR protocol includes teaching the person in therapy a relaxation technique to recall when needed.<\/p>\n

One of the most common relaxation<\/a> techniques for EMDR is known as \u201csafe place,\u201d also referred to as \u201ccalm place.\u201d This technique is part of the second phase of EMDR known as \u201cpreparation.\u201d Prior to this phase, the person\u2019s history is taken, assessments are performed to determine if EMDR is appropriate, and a treatment plan is prepared. This matters because before a counselor proceeds with EMDR, a person must be assessed for physical health, support system, and any tendency to dissociate<\/a>. Therefore, it is imperative that all portions of EMDR protocols are performed only by a trained, qualified EMDR clinician.<\/p>\n

\n\t

Find a Therapist for Trauma \/ PTSD<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSafe place\u201d may be thought of as an emotional sanctuary where a person can internally go to recover stability when feeling stressed. Once the person has successfully learned to perform \u201csafe place,\u201d it is used in the reprocessing phase or to close a session. It is also useful in one\u2019s everyday life between sessions when a person feels stress or a disturbance rising to a point they need to take out and use a coping tool from their internal toolbox.<\/p>\n

\u2018Safe Place\u2019 Protocol in EMDR<\/h2>\n

When \u201csafe place\u201d is taught to a person preparing for EMDR, the counselor will guide the person through the following steps shared by Shapiro (2001):<\/p>\n

\u201cSafe place\u201d may be thought of as an emotional sanctuary where a person can internally go to recover stability when feeling stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The person is asked to picture an image of a place that generates feelings of calm and safety.<\/li>\n
  2. The person is asked to focus on the physical sensations and emotions that are conjured while imagining the \u201csafe place.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. The counselor encourages a sense of security and may add soothing tones, such as ocean waves, to enhance the effect.<\/li>\n
  4. While the person concentrates on the image, sensations, and emotions, sets of eye movements or other bilateral stimulation may be included to \u201cinstall,\u201d or strengthen, the \u201csafe place.\u201d<\/li>\n
  5. The person is asked to think of a word to associate with the \u201csafe place\u201d and add this to the calm, safe image and sensations. Sets of bilateral stimulation are added.<\/li>\n
  6. The person is asked to self-cue the image and feelings.<\/li>\n
  7. The person is asked to think of a minor annoyance and its accompanying emotions. The counselor then guides the person through the exercise until the undesired emotions melt away.<\/li>\n
  8. The person is asked to think of another disturbance and follow the exercise without the counselor\u2019s assistance to ensure the person can perform the exercise unassisted.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The person should be instructed to practice \u201csafe place\u201d daily by retrieving the positive image, emotions, and sensations via the cue word. People can then use \u201csafe place\u201d to relax and reduce stress any time needed. Shapiro believes people preparing to be treated with EMDR can benefit not only the “safe place” visualization but also from listening to guided visualizations such as those included in Letting Go of Stress<\/em> (Miller, 2014), as these may\u00a0increase the the effectiveness of \u201csafe place\u201d as a means of self-control.<\/p>\n

    While \u201csafe place\u201d for EMDR should be taught by a qualified clinician, anyone can access guided meditation\/visualization CDs and podcasts to help to manage stress, fall asleep at bedtime, and promote a positive self-image. These materials may be found for little or no cost through public libraries, iTunes, and online resources. Comments below sharing your favorite guided visualization\/meditation resources are welcome.<\/p>\n

    References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Miller, E. (2014). Letting go of stress. <\/em>San Anselmo, CA: Halpern Inner Peace Music.<\/li>\n
    2. Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures<\/em> (2nd<\/sup>).<\/em> New York, NY: The Guilford Press.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u201cSafe place,\u201d a technique used in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, creates a sanctuary of sorts for people affected by trauma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3014,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542,623,622],"tags":[31,255,226,25,27],"class_list":["post-32614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-issues-treated","category-types-of-therapy","tag-psychotherapy-practice","tag-eye-movement-desensitization-reprocessing","tag-posttraumatic-stress","tag-psychotherapy-issues","tag-psychotherapy-models"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3014"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32614\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}