EMDR T has become veey good at recognizing when I am starting to shut down. If she recognizes the signs before I disasociate, she will start asking me a bunch of questions that cant be answered with a yes or no or a head nod. She often will change the subject. She has a soft ball that she will pull out of her desk and gently toss to me. Sometimes we will toss and back and forth a bit while talking. Other times I will hold and squeeze it. Once in a while she will ask me to look around the office and describe something I see. Once it was a painting and I mentioned that it aeemed interwsting. So we discuussed where it came feom, what it represented. Once I told here that I needed to change the topic because I was feeling like I was shutting down because it was to intense. When I couldnt think of another topic, she jokingly said how about we talk about chocolaye cake. We had a descuasion on why I don't like cake and not a big fan of chocolate.

I think, for me, the grounding technique she uses has a to be a surprise. It wouldn't work if she say tossed a ball at me each time becauae I would expect it.