Nurturing Figure EMDR Script and Examples
Nurturing Figure EMDR — What is it?
First, if you are not familiar with EMDR, check out our online EMDR therapy page to learn more! EMDR is an evidence-based treatment modality, often used to support with individuals that have been through trauma, but is widely applicable across many different symptoms and diagnoses.
Within EMDR, there are quite a few different things that we may use with a client in order to support them on their healing journey. The Nurturing Figure or Protective Figure are one of those tools.
Protectors and Nurturing Figure
A Protective Figure or Nurturing Figure in EMDR are often described as internal supports or figures that we can have with us during different difficult moments. The function of these figures are to remind us that we are not alone and that we deserve to be protected and nurtured in our time of need. Often times, this is creating a type of support system internally for ourselves that may not have previously existed.
Nurturing Figure EMDR Examples
Protective and nurturing figures in EMDR can take on many different forms and can be fully customizable to each specific client. You will likely work directly with your online EMDR therapist to create this figure specific to you. Some examples of nurturing figures include:
Pets — Pets that have held significance in our lives either currently or in the past as well as pets that may be fictional such as a pet from a favorite TV or book series.
Symbols — This could include something like a spiritual item, a token, or a nature scene that solicits feelings of being protected or nurtured.
Individuals from fiction — This could include a specific person from a favorite book, someone you imagine when listening to a favorite song, or someone from a movie or TV show, as long as it is, again, bringing up feelings of being protected or nurtured
Individuals from history — Sometimes people feel connected with people that are real but are from a time before theirs such as a prominent historical person.
Almost always, your online EMDR therapist will likely steer you away from using people that are from real life due to the potential for conflict or that figure to become tainted.
Nurturing Figure EMDR Script
This is just one example of a potential script to utilize with the protective or nurturing figures. We encourage you to work directly with an EMDR therapist to attune this to you specifically and work towards your specific therapeutic goals.
First, start by bringing to mind a figure or symbol that you can look to for comfort. This figure can be a real pet, someone fictional, maybe a favorite character from a book or movie. We want to try to stay away from people that are actually in your real life as to not make it tainted. You may consider building a circle of support of various people, pets, or symbols that offer you comfort and nurturing. You are limited only by your imagination.
Take a deep breath, close your eyes if you are comfortable doing so. Focus in on this figure or figures. Think about if this figure has a name, what they look like, if they are wearing anything in particular, if there is anything of note about them.
Take notice of what this figure is doing and where they may be in relation to you in your mind, currently. Are they sitting beside you? Are they touching you—holding your hand or shoulder? Or are they simply noticing you as you are noticing them?
Start to notice the qualities of this figure and what they bring to you, specifically. Do they make you feel a particular way about yourself? Do you feel calm or more assured in their presence? What other thoughts or feelings come up when you’re with this figure?
Take another deep breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose, expanding your belly, and exhaling through your mouth.
Now, take note of your body. Are there any particular body sensations that are coming up for you that you can notice?
Next, think of if there is a particular challenge or trouble that you foresee coming up in your life soon. How would this be different if you brought that nurturing figure with you? What would it look like? What would it feel like? How would you feel differently about yourself? How does it feel knowing that this nurturing figure is an option to you now?
*If using a circle of figures vs just one, attune to those multiple figures in the same way that you would an individual figure. Remain curious, not judgmental of yourself during this process.
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