Preparation / Resource Clinical consensus

Safe Place Builder

Guided picker for building a calm, safe inner place with sensory details. Phase 2 resource installation made interactive.

This is a reference tool, not a replacement for EMDR therapy. EMDR must be delivered by a trained clinician. If you are using these tools outside of therapy and become distressed, stop, ground yourself, and contact a mental health professional.
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Step 1: Where is your calm place?

Clinical sources

  • Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures, 3rd ed. Guilford Press. (pp. 117–119, Safe/Calm Place protocol.)
  • Korn, D. L., & Leeds, A. M. (2002). Preliminary evidence of efficacy for EMDR resource development and installation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(12), 1465–1487. (Provides preliminary RCT-adjacent evidence for resource installation including safe place.)

What this is

A guided walkthrough of the classic safe-place resource: pick an environment, add comfort elements, describe sensory details, and anchor the experience. Nothing is stored — the exercise is the point.

When to use it

Clinical notes

For in-session resource installation, the clinician may add BLS after the client settles into the safe place. This tool does not provide the BLS — use the Visual BLS or Audio BLS tool alongside.