My Safe Place
A Trauma Technique
In my practice, I follow Judith Herman's model of trauma, which proposes that there are three stages involved in trauma recovery – (1) Safety and Stabilization, (2) Remembrance and Mourning, (3) Reconnection and Integration. A traumatic event can shatter a person's sense of safety, creating heightened symptoms of anxiety, anger, or even dissociation.
A guided meditation called the Safe Place Visualization is a powerful technique that can be used to self-soothe and create a stronger sense of safety for trauma survivors. It works by reducing stress and calming the body's physical responses to trauma. The technique involves closing your eyes and imagining a peaceful place that makes you feel safe. This place can be real or made up. The meditation encourages you to get in touch with your imagined senses of vision, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Effectively establishing safety and stabilization can take some time, but it is an essential step in working through and resolving your trauma.
My favourite audio for the Safe Place Visualization that I use during sessions can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPBxNLpOLNU