Grounding techniques help individuals reconnect with the present moment, particularly beneficial for those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or dissociation.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
Grounding techniques are helpful interventions for clients with PTSD or dissociation, where intrusive memories or dissociative episodes can disconnect them from their present reality. Grounding can involve sensory stimulation (like smells and textures) or cognitive affirmations to bring focus back to the here-and-now.
Grounding techniques are a helpful therapeutic tool for managing dissociative states and intrusive trauma memories.
Helps manage and reduce the impact of intrusive memories and flashbacks.
Assists individuals in regaining awareness of their surroundings and the present moment.
Provides tools to counteract anxiety-triggered episodes by grounding in reality.
Introduce sensory stimuli like essential oils or textures to aid grounding.
Guide clients through calming breath exercises to slow down physiological arousal.
Encourage the use of grounding statements affirming current safety and distance from past trauma.
Adapt and personalize techniques to fit client's preferences.
Dissociation is a common response to trauma, often involving shifts in awareness that pull a person away from the present moment and into memories, sensations, or states associated with threat. These experiences can include flashbacks, depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, or identity confusion, and may occur along a spectrum of severity (Holmes et al., 2005; Kennerley, 2009). Dissociative responses can be understood as adaptive survival strategies — particularly when escape from trauma is not physically possible — but they can become disruptive when generalized to non-threatening situations (Herman, 1992).
Trauma therapy often begins with stabilization, including the development of skills to manage dissociation and re-establish safety in the present. Grounding techniques are can support this goal (Kennerley, 1996; Fisher, 1999). These strategies work by helping clients shift their attention back to the present moment — whether through sensory input, cognitive reframing, or physical engagement with their environment.
The term grounding originated in Alexander Lowen’s (1976, 1993) bioenergetics model. In this context, grounding was seen as a way of connecting physical and psychological energy to the earth, allowing for emotional regulation and a sense of embodied presence. In contemporary psychological practice, grounding is frequently used to manage symptoms of PTSD, dissociation, and severe anxiety (Ehlers & Clark, 2000; Zerubavel & Messman-Moore, 2015). Techniques are often categorized into sensory (e.g., cold water, strong smells), cognitive (e.g., affirming safety in the present), and physical (e.g., movement, postural shifts) methods. Many trauma-informed programs incorporate grounding as a foundational skill for both in-session stabilization and independent practice between sessions (Blake-White & Kline, 1985).
