The EMDR container exercise is an imagery-based way of temporarily setting aside selected distressing material, with an agreed plan for returning to it. It may be used within EMDR preparation or closure when clinically appropriate. It is not memory erasure, a guarantee of calm or a replacement for the full EMDR protocol.
This guide is for trained EMDR therapists. It provides an original teaching script, a fictional example, adaptations and troubleshooting. Use your training, formulation and clinical judgement to decide whether containment is appropriate; a client does not have to use imagery or make this exercise work.
What is the container exercise intended to do?
The client imagines, describes or symbolically represents a place to put something they do not need to explore further right now. The therapist checks whether this helps the client return attention to the present. The representation might be a folder, box or another client-chosen form; an elaborate visual image is unnecessary.
Containment should include permission to acknowledge the material and a realistic return plan. If it becomes a demand to suppress every feeling, or repeatedly prevents agreed therapeutic work, review its function together. The same exercise can be helpful for one person and unhelpful for another.
For context within treatment, see the stages of EMDR therapy. Completing a container exercise does not establish readiness for reprocessing. Preparation and closure require wider clinical assessment.
Before starting: consent, present orientation and a stopping plan
- Check the setting: address immediate practical or safety needs rather than placing them metaphorically out of sight.
- Explain the purpose: invite a temporary pause, not an attempt to remove a memory.
- Agree a stop signal: a word, gesture or other accessible signal. The client may keep their eyes open.
- Choose a manageable starting point: do not deliberately evoke an intense trauma memory to test the technique.
- Allow time afterwards: the session should include present orientation, reassessment and a realistic next step.
Opening invitation: “Would you like to try a way of putting one topic aside for now? We would check how it feels, and you can stop or choose another approach. We are not trying to delete anything.”
If recalling or imagining becomes destabilising, stop and reassess. For clients with significant dissociation or complex presentations, adapt within your competence and seek consultation when needed; do not assume that stronger imagery or a tighter imagined lock is the solution.
An original therapist script for the container exercise
The following is an educational example, not an official or verbatim EMDR protocol. Pause between invitations, ask permission and follow the client’s response rather than reading through automatically.
1. Establish choice
“You can look around the room while we try this. If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me or use our stop signal. We can change the exercise or leave it.”
Ask whether “container” is a comfortable word. Some people prefer “folder,” “parking space” or “topic for later.” Do not insist on a metaphor that evokes confinement, secrecy or loss of control.
2. Find a usable representation
“What might represent a place to set one topic aside until we can give it attention? You could describe it, sketch it or simply use the idea. What would make it feel under your control?”
If the client chooses a folder, ask how it opens and closes. Keep only details they find useful. Brightness, texture or a lock are optional; more sensory detail is not automatically better.
3. Select what to set aside
“Without going into the details again, is there a small part of what is on your mind that you would like to label for later? We can use a word or symbol rather than the whole memory.”
Check whether this invitation increases activation. A neutral or mildly bothersome topic may be enough for a first practice. The client can decide not to place anything in the representation.
4. Try the temporary boundary
“If you want to, place that label in the folder and close it in the way you chose. Notice what happens. Does this make any difference, no difference or make things harder?”
Accept any answer. Avoid suggesting that distress has definitely been contained or asking the client to reassure you that the exercise worked. Do not add further procedures simply because the first attempt did not help.
5. Return attention to the current setting
“Let’s come back to this room. What can you see around you? Notice a point of contact with the chair or floor if that is comfortable. What would help you feel present enough for the next part of our session?”
Use individually appropriate present-orientation supports. Check the client’s state through conversation and observation; a distress number alone is not a complete closure assessment.
6. Agree when and how to return
“What should we record so this topic is not lost? When shall we review it together? If it comes back before then, what is our agreed next step?”
Write a brief reminder in the clinical record as appropriate. Agree realistic support arrangements rather than promising the therapist will always be immediately available.
Worked example: putting a session topic aside without dismissing it
Fictional situation: Near the end of a preparation session, Alex notices a worry about an upcoming family conversation. There is time to acknowledge it but not to explore every aspect. The therapist checks for urgent concerns before suggesting a temporary pause.
Alex dislikes the idea of a locked safe because it feels as though someone could take the key. They choose an ordinary desk folder that they can open. The label is “family conversation,” without describing the most distressing details.
Therapist: “What happens when you picture closing the folder?” Alex: “The worry is still there, but I’m not rehearsing the conversation as much.” The therapist accepts that partial change rather than asking Alex to imagine a stronger lock.
They orient to the room and review Alex’s plan for the afternoon. They agree to revisit the conversation at the next appointment and identify the contact arrangements already available if Alex’s difficulties escalate. This fictional outcome illustrates collaborative review, not a guaranteed response.
Troubleshooting: what if the container exercise does not help?
| What the client reports | Possible next step |
|---|---|
| “I cannot see pictures.” | Use words, a simple drawing or a neutral topic label. Ask whether a non-imagery approach would be preferable. |
| “It feels like shutting part of me away.” | Stop and explore that meaning. Choose a different resource rather than arguing for containment. |
| “The thought keeps coming back.” | Acknowledge it and review present needs, the return plan and the exercise’s fit. Do not demand repeated sealing. |
| “I feel more distant or unreal.” | Stop the imagery, support present orientation and assess the response. Reconsider suitability before further practice. |
| “I am calmer, so I must be ready for processing.” | Explain that readiness depends on the wider assessment and treatment plan, not success on this exercise alone. |
Adolescents and telehealth
With adolescents, invite their own words or symbols without assuming they prefer a digital-vault metaphor. Let them decline to share a drawing. Explain privacy and the plan for involving caregivers according to the clinical context.
For telehealth, confirm privacy, location, reconnection arrangements and the existing support plan before beginning. Leave time to check orientation and the client’s next activity. A visual exercise does not compensate for an unsuitable remote setting.
Closure and between-session practice
Containment may be one element of closure; it is not closure by itself. Check what remains active, whether the client is sufficiently present and what practical support is needed. Do not end because a script has reached its last line.
If between-session use is appropriate, agree the exact version practised together, signs to stop, alternative supports and contact arrangements. Avoid setting homework that requires deliberately reopening distressing material alone. At the next appointment, ask what actually happened and revise the plan.
For a printable record of the chosen representation, the EMDR Safe Place & Container Worksheets listing includes both worksheets. They are optional documentation and practice aids; the page above supplies the example without requiring a purchase. A handout does not replace EMDR training or individual assessment.
For wider resource selection, see the EMDR worksheet guide for therapists. For client explanations, see how to explain EMDR to clients.
Frequently asked questions
Does the container exercise require bilateral stimulation?
This educational example does not prescribe it. Decisions about bilateral stimulation belong within the trained therapist’s protocol, assessment and clinical judgement. Do not add tapping or eye movements simply because an image is difficult to use.
Is containment always different from avoidance?
No simple label settles that question. Examine how the exercise functions: is it a temporary, agreed pause with a return plan, or is it repeatedly preventing necessary attention to a problem?
Does evidence for EMDR prove that this exercise works on its own?
No. Evidence for a full treatment does not establish the standalone effects of one preparation exercise. This page makes no claim that containment prevents retraumatisation or reliably produces calm.
Sources and scope
EMDRIA provides a preparation demonstration featuring Calm/Safe Place and Container. Its Phase 2 practice discussion emphasises clinical context, while member perspectives describe individualisation. These are professional educational resources, not controlled evidence validating this original script. No clinical reviewer attribution is implied.