Welcome to the resource library. If you are preparing for EMDR therapy, or simply looking for effective, body-based ways to manage anxiety, these audio guides are designed to help you build the necessary coping skills.
✨ About Phase 2 Preparation
Before processing traumatic memories, it is essential that your nervous system knows how to regulate itself. Use these exercises to:
- Build emotional regulation before EMDR processing
- Create inner safety and containment resources
- Develop self-soothing techniques for between sessions
- Practice grounding when feeling overwhelmed
🎯 Tip: Practice each exercise when you're feeling relatively calm to build the muscle memory before you actually need it in a state of distress.
📁 Audio Guided Exercises
Click any exercise below to open and download the audio file. I recommend saving these to your phone for easy access.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
A sensory awareness exercise designed to immediately anchor your mind in the present moment when you feel yourself dissociating or spiraling.
▶ Listen & DownloadButterfly Tap
A simple bilateral self-tapping technique you can use anywhere to calm the nervous system and re-establish a sense of physical safety.
▶ Listen & DownloadContainer Exercise
A foundational EMDR visualization tool used to temporarily "box up" and store difficult emotions or memories so you can continue functioning in your daily life.
▶ Listen & DownloadLight Stream Technique
A guided visualization of healing light flowing through your body to identify, soothe, and release concentrated physical distress and tension.
▶ Listen & DownloadCalm Safe Place
Guides you in creating a vivid, internal sanctuary of safety and peace that you can return to for emotional regulation.
▶ Listen & DownloadProgressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Systematic tension and release of major muscle groups to significantly reduce physical anxiety and prepare the body for rest.
▶ Listen & DownloadInner Guardian Figure
An imagery exercise used to develop an internal protective figure, providing a sense of safety, strength, and boundaries.
▶ Listen & Download📺 Complementary Video Resources
In addition to the audio exercises above, I highly recommend exploring these video resources by Dr. Jamie Marich, a renowned trauma therapist and EMDR educator.
Mindful Living Coping Skills Collection
A comprehensive collection of mindfulness, gentle yoga, and somatic grounding videos perfectly suited for integrating with EMDR Phase 2 preparation. Categories include Breath Strategies, Muscle/Tactile Strategies, and Body Awareness.
▶ Open Video CollectionThe audio and video exercises provided on this page are for educational and self-help purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional mental health care or specialized trauma therapy. If you are experiencing severe distress, flashbacks, or are in crisis, please contact a local mental health professional or emergency service immediately. Dr. Antonio D'Costa is an MD Pediatrician and EMDR Consultant.