Helps people bring themselves back to the present during flashbacks, nightmares or dissociation using simple grounding, breathing and sensory techniques. It is especially relevant for adult survivors of childhood abuse or child sexual abuse, and for counsellors, therapists, support workers and trusted family members helping someone manage trauma responses.
This Coping with Flashbacks and Dissociation support PDF offers clear, printable guidance for people who experience trauma memories, nightmares, feeling unreal or becoming detached from what is happening around them. It can be used by individuals, counsellors, therapists, support workers or trusted family members as a gentle prompt during support sessions, safety planning, home learning or personal coping practice.
The resource explains common triggers such as places, sounds, smells or reminders, and helps the reader recognise that a flashback is a memory response rather than proof of present danger. It includes simple grounding exercises, breathing ideas and sensory techniques that may help someone reconnect with the here and now, such as noticing what they can see, hear, smell, taste and touch.
There is also practical advice for dissociation, including ways to orient yourself by saying your name and the date, describing your surroundings, using safe self-talk or holding something cold. The PDF can be kept in a wellbeing folder, shared as a worksheet, printed for sessions or used when planning coping strategies after difficult memories. It also encourages people to seek appropriate support and use creative activities, such as writing or drawing, to process experiences safely. This resource was created by MindWell Leeds.
