Orienting: A Trauma-Informed Grounding Technique for Anxiety and Emotional Regulation

Written By Z. Hamilton Avery

Orienting is a grounding practice that helps bring attention back to the present by slowly noticing the space around you. This skill is often used in trauma-informed somatic therapy when anxiety, overwhelm, disconnection, hypervigilance, or traumatic memories make it hard to feel anchored. Instead of going deeper into thoughts or intense body sensations, orienting gently invites you to look around and gather simple information from the environment. Grounding practices are commonly used to help people reconnect with the present moment, especially during trauma-related distress, dissociation, panic, or emotional overwhelm (Hammond & Brown, 2025). Somatic trauma research also highlights body-based sensory awareness, including interoception, proprioception, and orientation to present-moment cues as ways of helping the body register what is happening here and now (Kearney & Lanius, 2022; Payne et al., 2015). This practice can help your nervous system notice cues of safety, time, place, and support without forcing calm, pretending everything is fine, or erasing distress that may have a real reason for being there. Instead, orienting invites you to look around slowly, take in your surroundings, and give your body updated information about where you are. Orienting is not a cure for trauma or anxiety, but it can help create enough steadiness to choose your next step. 

Guided Practice
(optional)

Keep your eyes open if that feels safe. Slowly let your gaze move around the room and choose a few simple things to notice. Notice one color, one shape, one source of light, and one object that feels neutral or steady. Let your attention rest on that object for a few breaths. Quietly name where you are and remind yourself that this is the space around you right now. Feel the support beneath you and notice one detail that helps you feel a little more connected to the present. When you are ready, take one slow breath and choose one small next step.

Complementary Practices

Affect Labeling
Breathing Exercises
Butterfly Hug
Cognitive Defusion
Grounding Techniques
Mindfulness
Reality Testing
Self-Compassion
Self-Validation
Sensory Kits
Supportive Self-Talk
Wise Mind

Caution

Orienting may not be the best fit if looking around increases hypervigilance, threat scanning, paranoia, dissociation, panic, or traumatic memories. If you are in immediate danger or the environment is not safe, prioritize getting support or moving toward safety first. If you are physically safe but the room feels emotionally activating, keep the practice brief, focus on one neutral object, use another grounding skill, or practice with support from a trained professional.

References

Hammond, J., & Brown, W. J. (2025). Building an operational definition of grounding: A critical review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380251343189

Kearney, B. E., Lanius, R. A., & McKinnon, M. C. (2022). The brain-body disconnect: A somatic sensory basis for trauma-related disorders. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.1015749

Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing: Effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023

Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6.
 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com
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