Creating Safe Place

Creating a sense of safety and particularly a safe place is something that can support all ages including children in managing emotions particularly trauma and anxiety. A sense of safety is different for everyone and this can be a starting point for engaging in this conversation for children. Including asking them what their understanding of safety means, what do they need to feel safe, and what it feels like physically and emotionally to be safe. Here are four ways to support exploring your child(ren)'s safe place:
1. Reading a visualization of safe place. I will create a recording for next week's post.
2. Having child draw their safe place, or build it out of clay.
3. Having child build safe place out of blankets, pillows, chairs, tables, and craft materials (pompoms, feathers, etc.), and adding things inside their safe place that help them feel safe. 
4. Combining components of the above, and creating your own version. 

With the safe place ideas above I encourage adapting them for the child's age range and abilities. I hope you enjoy supporting your child in their explanation of what safety means for them!