This resource offers a comprehensive menu of grounding techniques designed for use by clients who experience dissociation, particularly in the context of trauma.
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 practical tools that help clients reconnect with the present moment, providing relief from dissociative experiences commonly encountered in trauma-focused therapy. Dissociation involves shifts away from the present, often in the form of unwanted memories. This resource offers a variety of grounding exercises, categorized to suit different client needs and preferences.
Grounding techniques address dissociation by focusing the client's attention on the present, promoting stability.
Managing flashbacks and intrusive memories by anchoring in the present.
Reconnecting clients with reality through sensory engagement.
Stabilizing emotional responses and enhancing coping mechanisms.
Recognize symptoms of dissociation or distress in your client.
Choose appropriate grounding techniques from provided categories.
Teach and practice techniques collaboratively with clients.
Encourage regular use both in-session and independently.
Tailor techniques to fit individual client needs and preferences.
Assess effectiveness and adjust use based on client feedback.
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).
Effective trauma therapy often begins with stabilization, including the development of skills to manage dissociation and re-establish safety in the present. Grounding techniques are among the most accessible and empowering tools available to support this goal (Kennerley, 1996; Fisher, 1999). These strategies work by helping clients shift their attention back to the current moment—whether through sensory input, cognitive reframing, or physical engagement with their environment.
The term grounding originated in the somatic tradition, particularly 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).
