Worksheet
EMDR Tool: Container Exercise
The Container Exercise Worksheet is an EMDR resourcing tool designed to help clients create a symbolic, secure place to hold difficult emotions, thoughts, sensations, or memories until they are ready to process them. This exercise promotes safety, emotional stability, and choice, making it easier to manage distress between EMDR sessions or during moments of overwhelm.
How to Use This Worksheet
Begin by imagining a strong, secure container—realistic or completely symbolic—that can hold anything you choose to set aside. Follow the guided steps to visualize the container, test its strength, and use bilateral stimulation to reinforce a sense of stability. This practice helps clients build distance from distress without suppressing or avoiding emotions, supporting healthy containment and regulation.
Who It’s For
This worksheet is designed for individuals participating in EMDR therapy, clients who experience intrusive memories or emotional flooding, and anyone who needs a reliable technique for grounding and emotional containment. It is ideal for use at the end of EMDR sessions, during periods of stress, or between sessions to maintain stability.
Expected Outcomes
• Increased sense of emotional safety and stability
• Improved ability to set aside distressing material without suppressing it
• Strengthened self-regulation between EMDR sessions
• A reliable method for creating distance from triggering memories or sensations
• Enhanced ability to re-engage with difficult material gradually and with choice
Related Topics
References
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Frequently Asked Questions About EMDR Tool: Container Exercise Resources
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