Stabilization exercise:
The safe place
The concept of a safe place refers to a place where we feel safe and where we feel well-being. This place is constructed by means of mental imagery, like when we read a good book and our brain makes images.
We will take what we see, hear, feel, and rate it on a scale of 1 to 7.
Indeed, when we are upset, our window of tolerance narrows. Having a safe place can allow us to change our emotional state by helping us move from a negative memory network to a positive memory network, thus promoting a return to calm.
The safe place technique is used in therapeutic work or when we are faced with an event that destabilizes us emotionally.
Some people may have difficulty imagining a safe place. In this case, a variation is to find a safe state, that is, a part of the body where one feels a sensation of relaxation, even minimal.
To create a safe place, we will use, as we have seen previously, the guided imagery technique. It is about finding a positive image from a lived experience, strong enough to replace a disturbing image that destabilizes. The image must not have a negative connotation. For example, the memory of a heavenly beach where we learned bad news is not a good choice to create a safe place.
The process of creating a safe place involves several steps:
1. The search for a positive image,
2. The codification of the image with what we see, what we hear,
3. The positive emotion that comes up,
4. The search for the place where we feel this sensation in our body,
5. And finally, the codification of the whole on a scale of 1 to 7.
2. The codification of the image with what we see, what we hear,
3. The positive emotion that comes up,
4. The search for the place where we feel this sensation in our body,
5. And finally, the codification of the whole on a scale of 1 to 7.
To install the positive feeling, we will cross our arms around our shoulders and perform 3 sets of 4 alternating taps.
Safe Place Setup Exercise
Let a positive image come to you, which can be a real or imaginary place, such as the sea, the mountains, the countryside, a beach, a forest, clouds, a bubble, a tree house, etc. The important thing is that you feel good and safe in this place, and that you can add whatever you need. You can also include imaginary beings, but you must be alone in this place, without the presence of other people.
We will now proceed to a security check.
Check whether you feel completely safe. Whether anything bothers or disturbs you, and whether what you see, hear, touch and feel fits with your sense of safety.
Check if the temperature is comfortable and if you can further increase your feeling of security, as well as where on your body you feel this sensation.
Once you feel completely safe, we will do an anchor to reinforce the feeling.
To do this, you can place both hands on your knees, making 4 alternating taps (like a cat), then take a good deep and pleasant breath, simply thinking of well-being and safety.
And, you can open your eyes at your own pace and come back to the here and now.
This technique is very effective in changing your emotional state and regaining calm. It also helps to strengthen the feeling of security and comfort, and make it more accessible when you need it.
In conclusion, this technique is a valuable tool to change your emotional state and reduce the pressure inside you.
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