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.
Worksheet — Flashback Halting Protocol — provided by TherapistAssist for clinical use. Not a substitute for assessment or treatment.
