Trauma · Crisis

Flashback Halting Protocol

Babette Rothschild's 14-statement re-orientation script

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Babette Rothschild's flashback halting protocol. Read aloud, in order, slowly. The structure is the medicine — it anchors language to the present while the body re-orients.

Right now I am feeling ___

And I am sensing in my body ___

Because I am remembering ___

At the same time, I am looking around where I am now, in the present,

And I can see ___

And so I know that ___ is not happening now and not here.

I am here, in (place), in (year).

That happened (years/months) ago.

I survived it. It is over.

Right now I am safe.

My (body part) is here, in this chair.

I can feel my feet on the floor.

I can breathe in and out.

I am here. I am here. I am here.

Use it like this

Print this page. Fold in quarters. Keep in wallet or by the bed. When a flashback starts, read line by line — out loud if you can.

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About this worksheet

A flashback protocol is a written, rehearsed script a client uses in the moment a flashback starts. The goal is dual awareness — feeling the past while staying connected to the present — not suppression. The protocol blends Babette Rothschild's dual-awareness work with standard grounding: name what's happening ('I am having a flashback'), orient to time and place ('it is [date], I am [location], I am [age]'), use sensory anchors (5-4-3-2-1, cold water, textured object), and identify a safe other to contact if needed. This worksheet has the client draft their own protocol in their own words, because a generic script doesn't land mid-flashback. They keep a printed copy and a phone photo. Trauma therapists pair this with stabilization work; do not use it as a substitute for trauma-informed treatment.

When to use it

PTSD and complex PTSD, after initial stabilization.
Clients with flashbacks, emotional or sensory, between sessions.
Survivors entering trauma processing (EMDR, IFS, SE) — protocol is a prerequisite, not optional.
Not a substitute for trauma therapy. Build the protocol, then do the work.

How to use it

1
Name the flashback as a flashback
First line of the script. 'I am having a flashback. This is a memory, not happening now.' Reading it interrupts the freeze.
2
Orient to time, place, age
'It is [today's date]. I am at [location]. I am [current age] years old. I am safe in this moment.' Concrete and read out loud.
3
Sensory anchors
Pick the client's most reliable grounding inputs: cold water on wrists, a textured object in the pocket, 5-4-3-2-1, smell (peppermint oil).
4
Body movement
Stand up, change rooms, walk, push against a wall. Movement reconnects to the present body.
5
Safe person, if needed
One named person the client can text or call. The text can be a single emoji — pre-agreed code that means 'I'm in it, just be there.'
6
Rehearse outside the flashback
Read the protocol aloud daily for the first two weeks. It needs to be muscle memory by the time it's needed.

Frequently asked questions

What is a flashback protocol?+

A pre-written, rehearsed script trauma survivors use the moment a flashback begins. It combines naming the flashback, orienting to present time and place, sensory grounding, and contacting a safe person if needed.

Is a flashback protocol the same as grounding?+

Grounding is a component. The protocol is broader — it includes naming the experience as a flashback, time/place orientation, body movement, and a social safety net. Grounding alone often isn't enough mid-flashback.

When should clients use the protocol?+

At the first sensory cue of a flashback — racing heart, sense of unreality, a smell or sound that pulls them back. Earlier is better. The protocol is harder to use once full dissociation has set in.

Can I use this without trauma therapy?+

The protocol is for stabilization — clients should still be in trauma-informed therapy. A protocol without treatment manages symptoms without resolving them.