Safe Place

A place, real or imagined, where nothing is asked of you. This guided exercise helps you build it step by step, so that you can return to it whenever you need. The Safe Place, also known as the Calm Place, is one of the first resources taught in EMDR therapy. Here it is paired with bilateral stimulation, gentle sound moving slowly from ear to ear, to help the feeling of calm settle in the body. Please use headphones, as the left and right movement is lost without them. This is a stabilisation exercise designed to be learned with a therapist and practised between sessions. It is not therapy and does not replace treatment. If it brings up strong feelings or memories, stop, open your eyes and come back to the room.

Transcript

Welcome to the safe place exercise. A fake warm welcome by me. I'm so glad you're here. The safe place exercise is a powerful guided exercise that can truly help you access feelings of physiological safety. This is an incredibly great exercise for beginning to be a little bit more in the moment and calm down. A safe place may be thought of as an emotional sanctuary, Where a person can internally go to recover stability when feeling stressed. Let's go through it together. So I want you to sit comfortably. Just find a place to meditate. While doing this practice, Pay attention to the sound in the background and notice how you're feeling through. You can lean back. You can relax a little bit. Just take a moment. Take a deep breath. Be comfortable. Make sure you're comfortable. You may lay down while doing this exercise. That's fine as well. And bring to mind the intention that you're practicing feeling safe. When you actually are safe. And one of the best ways to evoke the feeling of safety is to imagine being in a place where you really enjoy being, Where you are really comfortable and safe and calm. So if there is a place in your life right now that you can go to. . . Even if it's occasionally that evokes that feeling of safety. Please bring that place to mind. And if you don't have a place in your life right now, Or you feel particularly safe. Calm. Secure. Float back into your history and find a place and time where you felt safe. Calm. Comfortable. Happy. Peaceful. And okay with yourself. And I'd like you to bring that memory. Or to place into mind as clear as you can. You might not find an experience of feeling of safety ever felt in life. So if you fall into that category. . . I want you to imagine a place where you could feel safe and secure. So just imagine being in a beautiful, Wonderful place that's incredibly safe and secure. So you can use an imaginary place for this exercise as well. This can be a beach. A cabin in the forest. Research. So please bring the safe place to mind. And you can close your eyes if you're comfortable closing your eyes. And I really would like you to read an essence on this place. Notice any sights you see. Notice any sounds that you might hear. Notice any smell that might be there. Notice any taste that might be there. And just really breathe in the calm and comfort of this place. And again with your eyes open or closed. Just really imagining as clearly as you can. As much as 3D as possible. Being in this place where you're comfortable. Home. Happy. And safe. Really take one of those deep breaths. I'm really brave in being in this place. Notice the feelings coming up when you think about this place. Notice the body sensations coming up when you think about this place. What happens in your body? Notice all the things you see, Hear, Smell. Pace. Touch. All the feelings and body sensations. And enjoy the experience of the safe place with the sound in the background. Take a deep breath. And notice how you feel now. Keep going. And take a deep breath again. Notice how you feel. You may practice with your eyes open or shut, However you feel comfortable. Alright. Keep going. Take another deep breath. Look at what is coming now. What do you notice? Welcome whatever you notice right now Enjoy all the sensations and feelings coming with your safe place while paying attention to the sound. Pay attention to how that feels physiologically in your body. And how you're feeling now. When you're ready. Take another deep breath. And let it out. And open your eyes if they're closed. Notice how you're feeling. And how your body is at the moment. Well done for practicing the safe place exercise. You can do this exercise anytime. And as much as you need.