Safe Place Visualization: Introduction

In this visualization, you use your imagination to create a calm, beautiful, safe-enough space that’s just for you. Your safe space imagery may be inspired by a place you have been to in real life, but remember that you can change anything you want because you are creating this space, for yourself.

This is a space you can return to again and again. Perhaps it will look slightly different on different days. All in all, the more you do this exercise, the stronger it will become inside.

Before we begin: A note on Intrusive Images

Sometimes when we have experienced trauma we will have intrusive thoughts, scary or disturbing images, or memories pop into our inner imagery. If that happens, don’t worry, it’s relatively common. If it happens, you can try two things to see if they work to you:

-Stand up and say “OUT!” very firmly, like you mean business, and point towards the exit. Or something along those lines, like “this is MY safe space!” “Get out!” or “Absolutely not” “No way”. Pairing your action of kicking out intruder material in your intentions, with a strong stance and a motion like the finger pointing towards the exit helps anchor your boundary in the nervous system. You can do this in the middle of your visualization, and many times if needed.

-Alternatively, you can create a “hazardous materials” canister or other type of container that you picture to be inside your safe space. When/if any disturbing material shows up in your inner imagery, visualize putting that material into the hazardous waste can. You can get it into the can however you want, but one action which may work well is to use breath (also blowing out strongly in real life, while you picture this) to visualize that you are blowing the material into the container. Again, pairing with a physical movement is very helpful, so find something you “do” with your physical body, if not the blowing breath, while you visualize disturbing material being put into the container is a good idea.

Now, let’s begin! Remember, this is an experiment, to find out whether this is a tool that works for you and your inner family of parts.

Safe Place Visualization

1. Grounding, Cleansing Breath

Begin with the breath. Bring your hands close to your face. Breathe in, and on the outbreath, blow on your hands, including fingers and wrists, front and back, and just feel it. Do this for a couple of breaths, playing around with the speed and force of your breath. Drop that, and just notice how you’re breathing, for a few breaths, without changing anything.

2. Visualize a Safe Place

Now close or soften your eyes, and begin imagining. Use your inner image-maker to picture a very calm, very relaxing, safe, beautiful space, one that’s just right for you. This might be a place you’ve been to, or it can be completely imaginary, and just remember that, because this is your imagination, you can design this space to be however you want it. Maybe it’s a nature space, or maybe it’s an indoor space, or a combination. Just make a space that feels juuuust right for you today.

3. Orient by Looking Around Within Your Safe Place

Now orient yourself inside your safe place. In your mind’s eye, imagine looking all around you, in every direction. Look to the left and take in everything you see there. Then look to the right, and take in everything you see there. Look behind you, out in front of you, above you, and below you.

Now zoom out, and look at the scene from above - try on any angles you want, to get a full picture of yourself inside this space. Pick a point on the horizon, that is a furthest away point you can still see from within your Safe Place. Notice and affirm to yourself, that everything about this space you created is safe.

4. Take In the Sights

Now that you’ve looked all around, you can start to take in some visual details about this space you created today.

Notice the colors in your space. Notice the relative brightness or dimness of the colors. Look at shapes, negative space. Look with an artist’s eye, to take in all the beauty and details.

Notice the quality of the light, where is the light coming from, what kind of weather is it today?

Look down - what kind of surface are you standing on? What materials can you see?

Are there any living beings in this space? Any animals? What about plants, trees, flowers, or grass? Any safe loving people, or safe loving spirits? Something else?

Just take time inside your safe, calm, beautiful, peaceful space, and take in the sights.

5. Take in the Sounds

Now notice, using your inner hearing, what are the sounds that belong in your safe space? Is there maybe the sound of the ocean waves, or a river moving, a waterfall? Or rainfall, or wind in the trees, or maybe some birds singing. Or something else? Is there music?

See if there is something you can do inside this space, that would make a sound. Something you can tap on, or touch, to make a sound? Something you can hold up to your ear? If you do hear some things, see if you can invite yourself to focus on one sound that you like in your safe space and just listen to it for a few moments.

6. Take in the Textures

Now imagine some sensations of touch in this space. See if there are some objects in your safe space that might be pleasant or soothing to touch, and let yourself explore. What can you touch, and what does it feel like? Maybe there’s the ground beneath you, maybe you can feel it with your feet or hands. Or maybe there are some plants, some animals you can pet.

Or some features of the environment, some stones, or some water. Or maybe there’s just some sunlight, some warmth you can feel, or some coolness. Think about those parts of your body that have a lot of sensation, so your lips, for example, is there something in this space, that you can stroke your lips with?

Maybe there’s something you can put your whole body against, like lying down in some warm sand, or you can nestle into something, like a blanket you can wrap around you, or something you slip inside, like a bath of warm water. Just use your sense of touch inside your safe space, to really feel all the textures inside your safe space, and to let your body create even more sensations of coziness and comfort and safety here.

7. Take in the Scents

Use your power of imagination to sense some aromas in this space. Are there lemons, flowers, cedars? Something else? Something on the wind? Bury your face in something, scratch into something and smell it.

8. Take in the Tastes

Lastly, see if there is something that you are going to want to taste, to put on your tongue. Something you can drink, or eat, or lick, a safe thing to put in your mouth and sense with your mouth.

9. Leave Your Safe Place

It’s now time to leave your Safe Place for today. You can come back as many times as you want to, again and again, but for now we’re going to be closing.

Look around in your Safe Place, and do anything you may like to say goodbye. Is there something you would like to leave there, or something to imagine taking with you? Anything you want to do to fortify the boundaries around this place, such such as closing a door or window, or picturing a protective bubble around the place?

Now slowly let your safe space fade away, and become less vivid, as you remember the room that you’re in in the here and now, where you’re sitting or laying, that you’re going to be coming back to.

10. Back to Here and Now

Take a few more natural breaths and allow some gentle awakening movements. Wiggle your toes, wiggle your fingers, maybe move your face muscles, try on a smile, and open your eyes if they were closed, and focus them if they were just softly focused.

Orient yourself in the physical by allowing your eyes, followed by your head, neck, and maybe even shoulders and torso, to look around the room, wherever they want to go. Let your gaze travel over the room, & notice details close and far. Check behind you, above you, beneath you.

Breathe.

11. Thank Yourself for your Practice

Thank yourself for your practice today, and if it evoked any positive sensations, take a moment to enjoy them. Thank all inner parts of you for letting you do this practice, if they did.

Goodbye for now, thank you for engaging!

The original EMDR Safe Place protocol was recorded as being used by Dr. Neal Daniels. It is also a tool used in hypnotherapy, somatic experiencing, mindfulness meditations, & guided imagery. Credit to all creators and developers of this tool! Thank you for your dedication and work!

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