Slowing down and deepening the emotional experience by focusing attention on bodily sensations and inviting the client to "give the feeling more room".
Step-by-step guide
- Notice the beginning of an emotional shift: change of voice, tears, a pause
- Slow down: "Stay with this… Don't rush…"
- Focus on the body: "Where do you feel it? Describe it…"
- Invite deepening: "Give this feeling more room"
- Stay in silence if the client is going down
- When the wave passes: "What are you noticing now?"
When to use
- When the client touches feelings but quickly moves away
- When the emotion is surface-level and there is a sense that something deeper is waiting
Key phrases
Stay with that — don't rush past it. Let the feeling have a little more room. We have time.
Follow-up questions
Where in your body is it showing up?
If the feeling had a size or a shape, what would it be?
What is underneath the first emotion?
Can you let this be, without explaining it?
Alternative phrasings
Slower — one breath at a time.
If it grows, we stay with it together. If it softens, we notice that too.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not push. Deepening is an invitation, not a demand.
- ⚠️ If the client is not ready — return to safety.
Source: Fosha, 2000; Greenberg, 2002
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.