Develop and Enhance:
Step 1. Accessing a relaxing experience: “Imagine a place/experience where you feel calm and relaxed.”
Step 2. Emotions and sensations: “Tell me about the images, sensations, smells, sounds [etc.] you can recall.”
Step 3. Enhancement: “Tell me more about the images, sensations, smells, sounds [etc.] associated with that experience…. Okay, focus on those and follow…” [4 to 6 sets of bilateral stimulation (BLS)]
Step 4. Cue word: “Give that positive experience a word or phrase and then repeat it to yourself while experiencing its positive emotions and sensations. What do you notice?” [If positive, proceed to Step 5. If not repeat the process.]
Practice
Step 5. Cuing with disturbance: “Now think of a mildly disturbing recent experience and access your cue word and its associated positive feelings and sensations. Notice any positive shift that occurs. What do you notice?” [Consider repeating the process above as necessary to strengthen the connections.]
Step 6. Self-cuing with disturbance: “Now think of a mildly disturbing recent experience, and without my prompting, access your cue word and its associated positive feelings and sensations and notice the shifts that occur. What do you notice?” [Consider repeating the process above as necessary to strengthen the connections.]
Integration
Step 7. Integrate: “Practice this process as often as possible between now and when we meet again. Use your cue word to help you feel calmer.”
(Shapiro, 2001)