Anne, damn, every place you mention sounds so beautiful, it almost relaxes me even though I've never snorkeled and generally don't like swimming, lol. But they sound exotic, exciting, beautiful. You sound like an adventurous well traveled person.

Favorite Jeans, I think you're right on the money, we need more than one trick up our sleeve. I think key is to be aware what works and when. At times I've tried to force visualization and that's the worst thing, it's like ruining your safe place yourself!

Abe, that made me chuckle, a drunk guardian angel, hah. But isn't that true though? Like our real safe places often have a psychological side to them, like it's not necessarily inside heavy padded concrete walls with guard dogs and security personnel outside. One of my friends told me his safe place is in the basement, in the cramped space next to the water heater. At first I thought that was odd but as he started to describe it more and more, I almost came to wish I could join him there.

Thiswayout, me too, it's tough. Btw, I don't often hear people use the term "critters", I like it.

musinglizzy, I love it! You know how when some people describe making a certain food and you start salivating? (well, at least I do, I love food, lol). Well, the way you were describing how you changed the room, I found myself feeling this sense of growing peace, as I was watching you paint in that olive green, decorate it, and make that room your own, your cave, your sanctuary, your safe place.

Mastodon, I wonder if part of what is good in those situations, in foreign places, is not feeling so self-conscious or getting triggered by people who have hurt the person before. That there you can be yourself and it's okay. It's just fine. You're just like everybody else. It's almost like a new start. At least that's how I imagine it.

Red, yeah intrusions suck; but countryside, makes me think of open spaces, horses, time that passes more slowly, distance from stresses of the city and overcrowding, makes me think of nature, good clean air, basic to basics. Thanks for the book recommendation too!

AncientMelody, yeah me too, my best memories are from playing outside. Well, the other ones were from my family but because of the abuse things, for now I'm taking a break from them. But playing outside in the nature, there was this sense of unlimited possibilities, this sense of really being alive, being in the moment. Inside my cramped apartment and behind the computer seven days a week, rarely leaving home, afraid of everything, sometimes I forget I'm alive or what it means to be alive.

Stopdog, yeah I think animals are a common theme for what gives a lot of people a sense of joy and peace and in one of my earlier visualizations I tried to incorporate animals and playing with them. Of course, nothing beats having a real one that you care for and love and loves you back.

ombrétwilight, I meant both, literal or metaphorical. Sorry that your T's office is no longer. The spot on the bleachers sounds cool to me though. I think sometimes people want absolute quiet for the safe spot but sometimes a nice background noise, particularly if it's consistent, is equally pleasant. The posts I've been reading today makes me realize that I did have some safe spots as a kid, just didn't necessarily think of them that way. Like yourself, there were places I went to, in school or around the house, when I wanted to be myself, free from expectations and interruptions and fears. I remember now even in my room, sometimes I set up my things in a way to create a little spot behind the door, when closed, that felt safe, felt my own, and I could let my guard down. Temporarily.