The client builds a mental image of a place of complete safety — real, imagined, or a mix. The image is filled in with sensory detail: colors, sounds, smells, textures, body sensations. Several sets of bilateral stimulation are then applied to consolidate the image, and an anchor word is chosen (for example, "calm", "I am safe"). In difficult situations the client can use the anchor for a quick return to the calm state.
Step-by-step guide
- "Close your eyes. Picture a place where you feel completely safe"
- Fill in the image: "What do you see? Hear? What smells, textures? What do you feel in the body?"
- Have the client hold the image and the bodily sense of calm
- Apply the Butterfly Hug or another BLS, 6–8 repetitions
- Ask: "What is happening?" — strengthen with another 1–2 sets if the image is stable
- Pick an anchor word: "What will you call this place? What word describes it?"
- Practice: "Say the word and see whether the image returns"
When to use
- Anxiety and panic at the start of a session
- Preparation for trauma reprocessing (Phase 2)
- Activation during a session — to calm the client quickly
- Closing an incomplete session (Phase 7)
- Work with children and adolescents
Key phrases
Close your eyes. Picture a place where you feel completely safe. It can be a place where you have already been, or a place you make up. Nature, a room, even a fantastical place. What do you see?
Follow-up questions
When the image is clear — start to breathe slowly, feel the calm. Now we will do the movements to strengthen this feeling
What do you feel in the body when you are in this place?
What word best describes this place?
Alternative phrasings
If a place is hard to come up with — is there a person near whom you felt safe?
Picture an ideal place of rest — what would it be?
Warnings
- ⚠️ With high dissociation — grounding first (feet on the floor, objects in the hands)
- ⚠️ If the image cannot form — switch to a sensory anchor: a word, a sensation in the body
- ⚠️ Do not use images with other people — they can become triggers
Source: Shapiro, 2001, 2018
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.