EMDR Creating a Safe Place Script: Grounding & Emotional Stabilization

The “Safe Place” (or Calm Place) intervention is a cornerstone of Phase 2 (Preparation) in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. This worksheet provides a structured clinical script designed to help clients establish a reliable internal “Safe Base” before proceeding to the intensive reprocessing phases. By guiding the client through vivid imagery and multi-sensory enhancement—incorporating sight, sound, smell, and tactile sensations—the clinician facilitates the neurological installation of a calm state. A critical clinical component of this tool is the integration of short sets of Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) to strengthen the associative pathways between the safe image and the client’s parasympathetic nervous system response.

The structured layout follows an 8-step sequence that moves from initial visualization to “Self-Cueing” under minor distress. Research in EMDR suggests that the effective installation of a safe place significantly increases a client’s “Window of Tolerance” and provides a vital safety valve for Phase 7 (Closure). By developing a specific “Cue Word” and testing the sanctuary against low-level disturbances (SUD 1-3), the worksheet ensures that the skill is not just a passive visualization but a functional tool for real-world emotional regulation. This approach supports the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model by building the “ego strength” necessary to manage traumatic material without dissociation or flooding.

This clinical resource draws significant inspiration from the foundational stabilization protocols established by Francine Shapiro and the standardized scripts for resource installation refined by Marilyn Luber. By operationalizing the Safe Place script into a manageable, step-by-step format, the worksheet assists practitioners in equipping clients with a portable “internal sanctuary.” This process is foundational for ensuring that the therapeutic journey is characterized by safety, containment, and the client’s reclaimed ability to return to a state of peace at will.

How This Script Can Be Used

Phase 2 Resource Installation:
Therapists use the script early in treatment to identify and “lock in” a calm state. It serves as a diagnostic tool to ensure the client can successfully access and maintain positive affect before starting trauma reprocessing.

Testing Affect Regulation:
Steps 7 and 8 are utilized to practice “Active Regulation.” By bringing up a small annoyance and then using the Safe Place to neutralize it, the client proves to themselves—and the clinician—that they can influence their own internal state.

Inter-Session Self-Soothing:
Clients are encouraged to use the “Cue Word” developed in this worksheet as a grounding anchor between sessions. When facing daily stressors, the cue word acts as a rapid shortcut to the installed calm sensations.

Benefits of the EMDR Creating a Safe Place Script

• Provides a standardized, evidence-based script for establishing an internal sensory sanctuary.
• Utilizes 5-sense enhancement to maximize the vividness and stability of the safe image.
• Integrates Bilateral Stimulation (BLS) to “install” and strengthen the positive physiological state.
• Supports the AIP model by reinforcing positive memory networks and neural resilience.
• Includes structured “Disturbance Testing” to ensure the skill works under emotional pressure.
• Develops a “Cue Word” shortcut for rapid, real-time grounding in daily life.

References

• Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Luber, M. (2009). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Scripted Protocols: Basics and Special Situations. Springer Publishing Company.
• Leeds, A. M. (2016). A Guide to the Standard EMDR Therapy Protocols for Clinicians, Supervisors, and Consultants. Springer Publishing Company.
• Korn, D. L., & Leeds, A. M. (2002). Preliminary evidence of efficacy for EMDR resource development and installation (RDI) procedures. Journal of Clinical Psychology.