A "Dip Your Toe In" Approach to Sensory Grounding

Trauma has the potential to promote disconnection from the present, from experience, from the body, from the self, and from more full engagement with the broader world. These responses were in the service of survival. They may have been essential. Sensory grounding is a go-to resource in trauma work because our senses bring us home. They can help bring us into the “safety” of the present when we want to be or when we need to be more present.

Sensory grounding is a needed resource in trauma work, where we ask clients to “glance” at a traumatic memory, but advise them not to fall into a memory. Sometimes, simply interacting with the memory in any way can cause it can cause us to fall or dissociate into it. Sensory grounding in the present brings you home. It brings you into a place where the bad thing isn’t happening right here, right now.

Script: When we have difficult experiences, those experiences may be stored in the part of the brain that doesn’t or can’t know that the experience is over. Sometimes, accessing a memory takes us out of the present and puts us into an experience when we did not feel safe. I’d like to show one strategy that you can use to find your way back into the present. Often the present may not feel “safe,” but it is likely to be safer than the experience from the bad memory. The exercise will ask you to very briefly engage your senses, one at a time. We will spend only a few seconds at a time getting information from each of the senses. If we keep it very brief, many people are able to tolerate this exercise well. If anything difficult comes up, we can stop. Is this an exercise that any part of you might object to, assuming that we do it quickly and that you can stop anytime you like?

If there is an objection. Stop and explore that objection. See if there is a way to do this that is not objectionable to that part that allows us to continue. Otherwise, full stop (parts will need to know that they can stop).

Vision: I invite you to look around the room and notice several things you see. Notice several objects and notice the color of those objects. Also notice that if you were to go up and touch these objects, would they be hard, soft, or some other texture? [Wait 5-10 seconds]

Touch: Place an open hand on the table or furniture next to you for just a moment and notice if it is colder, warmer, or the same temperature as your hand. [Wait 2-5 seconds] Good. Move your fingertips across the surface and notice if it is completely smooth or has a texture. [Wait 2-4 seconds] Good. Move your fingertips across the texture of that surface and just notice if the temperature changes as you move. [Wait 2-5 seconds] Good.

Hearing: I’m going to be very quiet, notice whatever you hear in order of loudest first. [Wait 5-8 seconds] Good.

Smell: I’ll give you a few moments to smell the essential oil [or other object] that you selected. [Wait 5-10 seconds] Good.

Taste: I’ll give you a few moments to taste, smell, or feel the temperature of the drink that your brought to session. [Wait 5-10 seconds] Good.

How was that? [explore] What was your experience with that exercise? [explore] Which of those senses seemed to be the most helpful in bringing your awareness more into the present? [explore]

As with all resources with client with complex trauma, send the client home to practice first at their baseline and not when something has happened that has severely triggered them. Once the nervous system becomes comfortable with this resource, then use it as a fire extinguisher.