considering here where I am dissociation is an automatic response where the brain does this flight or fight responses of panic then numbness, emotionless, poor judgement and so on because of a trigger I do not consider my dissociative problems to be a "safe place"

example using a common normal dissociation symptom. feeling numb where I dont feel my body and a bit foggy minded.

Im cooking dinner and being dissociated at the same time what happens. I can severely hurt myself (and have) because my judgement was impaired because I was dissociated. on top of that because I was feeling dissociated I did not fully register how severely I was hurt. I wasnt an alter, I was just slightly dissociated (foggy and not feeling my body)

my therapist has used that phrasing "safe place" but it was not meant for me to take it that its ok for me to do. she used the phrasing that my dissociation was a safe place as in ......past tense..... it was what my mind did long ago to save me from remembering and feeling the pain, memories and trauma of the extreme abuse I was under going at such a young age so that I could physically survive with out the pain, memories and trauma.

I can tell you that my therapist would in no way tell me that today its ok for me to purposely dissociate. for one thing its against her rules she lives by for being my therapist and for 2 if I was purposely causing myself to dissociate that in itself would invalidate my diagnosis of having dissociative disorders. my therapist would have no choice but to rediagnose me as having Fictitious Disorder Im posed on self (which is causing or pretending to have a mental problem)

not only that if I suddenly chose to live in dissociation instead of choosing to be grounded in the moment in my own mind that would be like I wasted all these many years of work learning to over come my dissociation problems.

ultimately we all need to make our own decisions of whether we want to keep working towards healing or not. for me and my therapist we would never use my dissociation as a safe place. we would instead find activities or items that help me to feel safe like taking a walk, playing with my pets, spending time with my family. holding a favorite stone, blanket and so on. my therapist and I do not consider my dissociation (feeling numb, spaced out and disconnected) as being a safe place.

my suggestion is talk with your treatment provider so that they can clarify with you what they meant and whether they meant that they wanted you to use your dissociation / become dissociated like a safe place.