Container Exercise
Store what overwhelms you until you're ready to process it
When emotions or memories feel too intense between sessions, you need a tool to contain them safely. The Container Exercise is exactly that: a guided visualization that lets you temporarily set aside what overwhelms you, without avoiding or suppressing it.
What is the EMDR Container Exercise?
The Container Exercise is a visualization technique from Phase 2 (Preparation) of the EMDR protocol that lets you temporarily store difficult emotions, memories, or thoughts in a secure mental space until you can work on them in therapy. It is one of the calming tools every EMDR therapist teaches their patients. If intense memories or emotions surface between sessions, this is normal: it is part of the healing process.
This is not about avoiding or suppressing what you feel. The container is a temporary holding place: you acknowledge the material exists, store it consciously, and know you'll return to it with your therapist. It's like telling your brain: "this is important, but now is not the time." Your therapist will guide you through this exercise for the first time in session before you use it on your own.
The container complements other Phase 2 tools like the Safe Place (a mental refuge to feel calm) and the Butterfly Hug (bilateral self-stimulation to regulate). While the Safe Place is somewhere you go, the Container is somewhere you put things. To understand how this phase fits into the full protocol, see our guide to the 8 phases of EMDR.
How to practice the Container Exercise
- 1
Choose your container. Close your eyes and let an image of a strong, secure vessel come to mind. It could be a chest with a padlock, a safe, a vault, a trunk, a jar with a sealed lid, or any object that feels solid enough to hold what you need. There's no right answer: what matters is that it feels secure to you.
- 2
Make it vivid. Notice the details: what material is it made of? How big is it? What color? Does it have a lock, a key, a combination? The more detailed it is, the more real it will feel as a tool. Some patients sketch their container to reinforce the image.
- 3
Place what overwhelms you inside. Without forcing anything, imagine the difficult emotions, memories, thoughts, or sensations going into the container. You don't need to visualize them in detail: just knowing they're going in is enough. You can tell yourself: "this goes in the container until my next session." If visualization is difficult, you can describe the process out loud or write it down.
- 4
Close and secure the container. When you feel everything you need to store is inside, close the lid, turn the key, or activate the security mechanism. You are the only person who can open it.
- 5
Return to the present. Open your eyes, look around, notice your feet on the ground. Take a couple of deep breaths. The container is stored in a safe place in your mind, ready for when you need it in your next session. If at any point during the exercise you feel too activated, stop, open your eyes, and use a grounding technique before continuing. The full exercise usually takes 2 to 5 minutes.
- 6
Practice often. Use the container whenever something overwhelms you between sessions. The more you practice with mild discomfort, the easier it will be to use in moments of greater intensity. Share what you stored with your therapist so you can work through it together.
When should you use the Container Exercise?
The Container Exercise is especially useful in these situations:
Between EMDR sessions, when intense memories, emotions, or dreams related to therapy work arise. Instead of getting stuck in them, you store them until your next session. This is especially relevant during the continued processing that happens after each session.
At the end of an incomplete session. It is common for a reprocessing session to end before the memory is fully processed. When this happens, the therapist may guide you through a container exercise to safely store the remaining material until the next session.
When you feel overwhelmed in daily life by intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or trauma-related emotions. The container gives you an alternative to avoidance or feeling paralyzed.
Difference from Safe Place: the Safe Place is a refuge you go to for calm. The Container is a vault where you leave what disturbs you. They are complementary: you can store difficult material in the container and then go to your safe place to recover. If you're considering EMDR therapy, explore how our online EMDR platform works.
Evidence and references
- Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Knipe, J. (2010). EMDR Toolbox. EMDR Spain Association.
- Wildwind, L. (1998). Developing a Container (adaptation). EMDR training resource.
- Hase, M. (2021). The Structure of EMDR Therapy: A Guide for the Therapist. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 660753.
Frequently asked questions
This resource is a complementary tool and does not replace therapy with a qualified professional. If you experience significant distress, contact your therapist.
