The Safe Place technique is one of the tools used in psychological therapy, aimed at regulating emotions and managing stress. This method helps patients create a mental space that provides a sense of safety, calm, and comfort. It can be used in various therapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). This technique is particularly useful when working with individuals experiencing anxiety, trauma, or excessive stress.
Description of the Technique
A Safe Place is an imagined or real space where the patient feels completely safe, calm, and comfortable. It can be a place the patient has visited in the past, provided it is associated exclusively with positive emotions. Alternatively, it can be a completely imaginary place created by the patient in their mind. An important aspect of this technique is that no people or animals the patient personally knows can be present in the Safe Place. However, wild animals that symbolize peace and harmony, such as birds, deer, or dolphins, are acceptable.
Criteria for Creating a Safe Place
While working on creating a Safe Place, the therapist guides the patient to choose a space that meets specific criteria:
No negative associations: The place cannot be connected to any negative memories, even if positive emotions are dominant.
No connection to substances: It cannot be a place associated with parties, alcohol, or other psychoactive substances.
No familiar people or animals: No people from the patient’s life or their domestic animals can be present in this place.
Preference for nature: Patients often choose places related to nature, such as beaches, mountains, forests, or meadows, which foster a sense of peace and relaxation.
The Process of Creating a Safe Place
Introduction and relaxation: The therapist introduces the patient to a state of relaxation, asking them to close their eyes and focus on their breathing.
Visualization: The patient imagines a place that meets all the above criteria. The therapist may ask questions to help solidify the visualization, such as: “What does this place look like?”, “What sounds do you hear?”, “What scents do you notice?”
Engaging the senses: The therapist encourages the patient to engage all their senses to make the visualization as realistic as possible.
Anchoring emotions: The patient identifies the emotions associated with the Safe Place, such as calm, safety, and comfort, and learns how to recall these feelings in stressful situations.
Returning to reality: After completing the visualization, the therapist helps the patient gradually return to the present, maintaining the sense of calm and safety.
Your Space
Application of the Technique in Therapy
The Safe Place technique is widely used in trauma therapy, anxiety treatment, and work with individuals experiencing intense stress. It can be employed as a supportive tool during challenging therapy sessions, helping the patient regulate emotions and regain a sense of control. In EMDR therapy, the Safe Place is often used as a preparatory technique before processing difficult memories.
Through regular use of this technique, patients learn how to independently evoke a state of calm in everyday stressful situations. This can significantly improve their ability to manage difficult emotions and increase their sense of safety in daily life.
Benefits of the Safe Place Technique
Reduction of stress and anxiety: Regular use of this technique helps lower levels of stress and anxiety.
Strengthening the sense of control: Patients learn that they have tools to regulate their emotions independently.
Improvement in sleep quality: Visualizing the Safe Place before bedtime can aid in falling asleep and improving sleep quality.
Support in trauma therapy: This technique is extremely helpful when working with individuals experiencing PTSD and other trauma-related disorders.
Inspiration
Creating a Safe Place can be easier when patients draw inspiration from beautiful images of nature that stimulate the imagination and help visualize peaceful, harmonious spaces. Landscape photography and nature visualizations available online can be excellent sources of inspiration. It’s worth exploring the works of artists who specialize in capturing the majesty of nature. For example, Max Rive's work showcases spectacular mountain landscapes that can inspire visions of wild, isolated places filled with tranquility. Lars Van de Goor creates magical images of forests bathed in light and shadows, fostering a sense of safety and calm. Meanwhile, James Tralie specializes in visualizing planetary landscapes and fantastical environments, perfect for building entirely imagined Safe Places.
To find inspiration, patients can use search engines (like Google) by typing in the names of these artists or visiting platforms such as Pinterest, Unsplash, or Instagram, which offer extensive collections of nature photography. It’s helpful to focus on images depicting secluded beaches, serene lakes, mountain valleys, or vast meadows—anything that evokes feelings of peace and harmony.
How to Use the Technique?
The Safe Place technique can be successfully practiced independently, outside of therapy sessions. It is enough for the patient to mentally transport themselves to their Safe Place for a few minutes each day to strengthen their sense of calm and emotional stability. This is especially helpful during moments of heightened emotional tension, stress, or anxiety. In such situations, the patient can close their eyes, focus on their breathing, and vividly imagine all the details of their Safe Place—colors, sounds, scents, and even tactile sensations. Regular practice of this technique increases its effectiveness, allowing the patient to recall a state of calm more quickly and easily during challenging moments.
Conclusion
The Safe Place technique is an effective tool for supporting emotional regulation in psychological therapy. Thanks to its simplicity and flexibility, it can be tailored to the individual needs of the patient, making it a universal tool in therapeutic work. Regular use of this technique allows patients not only to cope with difficult emotions during sessions but also in everyday life, strengthening their mental resilience and sense of safety.
Sources:
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. Guilford Press.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delacorte.