A CFT imagery technique for building an inner "anchor" of safety and calm. Unlike the EMDR version, it includes multisensory filling (sounds, smells, tactile sensations, temperature) and a focus on activating the soothing system — not just "safety", but also "warmth" and "calm". Gilbert sees this place as a launchpad for any imagery work in CFT.
Step-by-step guide
- Lead SRB
- Invite "letting an image arise of a place where the client feels calm and safe" — real or imagined
- Unfold the image with questions: what do you see? what do you hear? what is the temperature? what smells are there?
- Ask them to feel it bodily: "What is happening in the body when you are in this place?"
- Invite them to "stay" in this place for 2–3 minutes
- Ask them to invent an "anchor" — a word, a gesture, an image — for a quick return
When to use
- Before working with hard themes — to build a resourceful base
- At acute anxiety, panic in session
- As homework (1–2 minutes morning and evening)
- In PTSD — as a first step of stabilization
Key phrases
Let an image arise of a place — real or imagined — where you can feel calm and safe. When the image appears, tell me — what do you see there?
Follow-up questions
What do you hear? What is the temperature there? What do you feel in the body?
Pick a word or a gesture — to come back quickly to this feeling.
Alternative phrasings
It can be a place from a book or a film — anything, as long as it gives a sense of calm.
Warnings
- ⚠️ If the client cannot find a "safe" place — start from a place "a little less anxious"
- ⚠️ Do not impose a particular image
- ⚠️ With dissociation — watch for signs of a trance state, keep the sessions short
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.