Find the place
“Bring up an image of a place where you feel calm and safe. It can be real or imagined.”
A place the client links only with calm. If a real place carries mixed memories, an imagined place works just as well.
EMDR safe place script
A free, fillable script for installing a safe or calm place in Phase 2. Eight steps, from finding the place to testing it with a small disturbance, with the words to say and what to watch for.
Free, no account needed. Fill it in on screen or print it.
What the safe place is for
The safe or calm place is a resource the client can return to when distress rises. It is usually installed in Phase 2, before any processing, and you can come back to it at closure or whenever the client needs a break.
Many therapists say calm place rather than safe place, because safety can be a loaded word for clients who have rarely felt safe. The steps are the same. Installing it also tells you something: a client who cannot hold any calm place may need more preparation before processing.
The safe place script, step by step
Read each line slowly and wait for the client before you move on. If your training uses different wording, use that.
Notice it with every sense
“What do you see there? What can you hear, smell and feel? Notice the temperature and the light.”
Reflect the details back in the client’s own words. The richer the image, the easier it is to return to.
Feel it in the body
“As you are there, what do you notice in your body? Where do you feel the calm?”
A pleasant sensation in the body tells you the resource is landing. If the client feels nothing, add detail or try another place.
Strengthen it with short sets
“Stay with the place and that feeling, and follow the movement.”
Short, slow sets. Ask what the client notices after each one, and keep going only while it stays pleasant.
Give it a word
“Is there a word that fits this place? Think of the word and the place together, and follow the movement.”
One word the client chooses, such as the name of the place or a feeling. It becomes the way back in.
Bring it up on your own
“Now say the word to yourself, and notice how the place and the feeling come back.”
The client brings the place up without your guidance. This is what they will do between sessions.
Test it with something small
“Think of something mildly annoying from this week. Notice how it feels. Now bring up your word and your place, and notice what happens.”
Choose something small, never a target memory. Guide the client back to the place until the calm returns.
Do it on your own
“Think of something small that bothers you, and bring back the place with your word, on your own this time.”
The same test, led by the client. When it works, the resource is ready for use between sessions and at closure.
When it does not work
If something negative comes in
Stop the BLS. Use the container for what came up, then choose another place or an imagined one.
If the BLS keeps pulling in other material, practice the place as imagery only, without BLS, and come back to it later.
If the client cannot find a place
- No place feels safeUse an imagined place, or a calm moment instead of a place.
- A place, but no feelingAdd detail with the senses, or try a different place.
- It only works with you thereRepeat the self-cuing in session until the client can bring it up alone.
Wording for each age
The opening line EyeMove uses in Adult, Youth and Child mode, with one tip for each.
Adults
“Bring up an image of a place where you feel calm and safe. Notice what you see, hear and feel there.”
Let the client choose whether it is a calm place or a safe place.
Teens
“Picture a place where you feel calm and safe. What do you see and hear there?”
Let them pick the place, even if it seems ordinary to you.
Children
“Think of a place where you feel safe and happy. It can be real or made up. What’s there?”
Drawing the place first helps many children hold the image.
EMDR Safe / Calm Place
Short, slow sets1
Find the place
“Bring up an image of a place where you feel calm and safe. It can be real or imagined.”
2
Notice it with every sense
“What do you see there? What can you hear, smell and feel? Notice the temperature and the light.”
See
Hear
Smell
Feel
3
Feel it in the body
“As you are there, what do you notice in your body? Where do you feel the calm?”
4
Strengthen it with short sets
“Stay with the place and that feeling, and follow the movement.”
Short, slow sets. Ask “What do you notice now?” after each one, and continue only while it stays pleasant.
5
Give it a word
“Is there a word that fits this place? Think of the word and the place together, and follow the movement.”
6
Bring it up on your own
“Now say the word to yourself, and notice how the place and the feeling come back.”
7
Test it with something small
“Think of something mildly annoying from this week. Notice how it feels. Now bring up your word and your place, and notice what happens.”
8
Do it on your own
“Think of something small that bothers you, and bring back the place with your word, on your own this time.”
If something negative comes in
Stop the BLS. Use the container for what came up, then choose another place, an imagined one, or practice the place as imagery only, without BLS.
NotesResponse, and practice between sessions
From eyemove.app. Free to copy and use in your own practice.EMDR Safe / Calm Place script
A completed example
A fictional client in a preparation session, the same client as in our Floatback and Phase 3 examples. The notes in gold explain the choices.
EMDR Safe / Calm Place
Fictional example1
Find the place
“Bring up an image of a place where you feel calm and safe. It can be real or imagined.”
A cabin by a lake in summer
A real place the client links only with calm.
2
Notice it with every sense
“What do you see there? What can you hear, smell and feel? Notice the temperature and the light.”
See
Still water, pine trees
Hear
Birds and the wind
Smell
Pine and coffee
Feel
Warm sun on my face
Reflect the details back in the client’s own words.
3
Feel it in the body
“As you are there, what do you notice in your body? Where do you feel the calm?”
Lighter in the chest
4
Strengthen it with short sets
“Stay with the place and that feeling, and follow the movement.”
Short, slow sets. Ask “What do you notice now?” after each one, and continue only while it stays pleasant.
5
Give it a word
“Is there a word that fits this place? Think of the word and the place together, and follow the movement.”
Lake
6
Bring it up on your own
“Now say the word to yourself, and notice how the place and the feeling come back.”
7
Test it with something small
“Think of something mildly annoying from this week. Notice how it feels. Now bring up your word and your place, and notice what happens.”
A late train this morning
Something small, never a target memory.
8
Do it on your own
“Think of something small that bothers you, and bring back the place with your word, on your own this time.”
If something negative comes in
Stop the BLS. Use the container for what came up, then choose another place, an imagined one, or practice the place as imagery only, without BLS.
NotesResponse, and practice between sessions
Calm came back after two rounds of step 7. Practice daily with the word this week.
From eyemove.app. Free to copy and use in your own practice.EMDR Safe / Calm Place script
Safe Place in EyeMove
Safe Place is one of the session types in EyeMove, for Phase 2 resourcing. You read the prompts from your phone, and the client follows on their own screen.
- 1
A session type of its own
Prompts draw out what the client sees, hears and feels in their place.
- 2
Short, slow sets
The BLS is set up for resource work, so the client stays with the calm.
- 3
Stabilizing tools one tap away
Box breathing, the butterfly hug, 5-4-3-2-1 grounding and the container, on the client’s screen.
Session data is encrypted in your browser and deleted within four hours. Nothing is kept as a client record.
30-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Questions about the safe place
Reviewed by Bjarne ØverlandClinical psychologist, specialist in psychotherapy, and founder of EyeMoveLast updated October 2026
What is the safe place exercise in EMDR?
A Phase 2 resource. The client brings up a place linked with calm, strengthens the feeling with short, slow sets of BLS, links it to a cue word, and practices returning to it on their own.
Should I call it a safe place or a calm place?
Either. Many therapists prefer calm place, because safety can be a loaded word for clients who have rarely felt safe. The steps are the same.
How long should the BLS sets be?
Short and slow, so the client stays with the pleasant feeling rather than starting to process. Check after each set, and continue only while it stays positive.
What if negative memories come up during the safe place?
Stop the BLS, use the container for what came up, and choose another place or an imagined one. If BLS keeps bringing in other material, practice the place as imagery only.
What if the client cannot find a safe place?
Try an imagined place, a calm moment instead of a place, or more sensory detail. A client who cannot hold any calm place may need more preparation before processing.
Can children do the safe place exercise?
Yes. Keep the words simple, let the place be real or made up, and let the child draw it if that helps them hold the image.
Is the script free and fillable?
Yes. The PDF can be filled in on screen in most PDF readers, or printed. No account is needed.
How does the safe place work in EyeMove?
Safe Place is its own session type. Prompts draw out what the client sees, hears and feels, and the BLS runs in short, slow sets. Session data is encrypted in your browser and deleted within four hours.