GROUNDING IN DFV PRACTICE: A SIMPLE SKILL THAT SUPPORTS SAFETY, REGULATION AND CHOICE
Introduction
DFV practitioners regularly work with victim-survivors whose experiences of violence, control and fear have had a lasting impact on their sense of safety. These experiences are often traumatic, particularly when harm is ongoing and unpredictable. In this context, reactions such as panic, shutdown, dissociation, hypervigilance and intrusive memories are not signs of pathology, they are common trauma responses. These responses often become most visible during service engagement, legal processes, safety planning, or moments of heightened uncertainty (ODVN, 2020).
Grounding is one of the most accessible tools available to practitioners across roles. Used well, grounding supports victim-survivors to reconnect with the present moment so they can engage, make choices, and experience a greater sense of safety during support interactions.
What is grounding?
Grounding refers to a set of strategies that support a victim-survivor who is overwhelmed or experiencing trauma responses to re-orient to the here and now. It works by directing attention away from traumatic memories or internal distress and toward present-moment sensory, cognitive, or emotional cues (SAMHSA, 2014).
In trauma literature, grounding is commonly described as a stabilisation skill, meaning it supports safety and presence in the moment. This is particularly relevant when someone feels overwhelmed, disconnected, or pulled back into past experiences. It supports regulation (supporting someone to feel steadier and more present) by anchoring awareness in the body, the environment, or concrete thinking processes, rather than attempting to process trauma content (Hammond & Brown, 2025; SAMHSA, 2014).
Importantly, grounding is not about “calming someone down” or stopping emotions. It is about supporting someone to register that they are safe enough, right now, to remain engaged (Blue Knot Foundation, n.d.).
Why grounding matters in DFV practice
In DFV contexts, overwhelm or trauma responses often emerge during service contact. Risk assessments, safety planning, recounting experiences, navigating systems or waiting for outcomes can all activate trauma responses (ODVN, 2020).
When a victim-survivor becomes overwhelmed or dissociates:
information processing can decrease
decision-making can become more difficult
communication and engagement may fluctuate or slow
responses may appear hesitant, fragmented, or inconsistent as the victim-survivor works to stay safe and present (ODVN, 2020).
Grounding supports engagement in these moments. It supports participation and engagement without requiring disclosure, insight, or emotional processing, and aligns strongly with trauma-informed principles of safety, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.
Is grounding within the role of DFV practitioners?
Some practitioners may question whether grounding sits within their role, particularly if they associate it with counselling or clinical intervention. In DFV practice, however, grounding is best understood as a supportive, trauma-informed response rather than a therapeutic technique.
DFV practitioners already support regulation in many everyday ways by providing a physical and emotionally safe space, slowing the pace of conversations, offering water, orienting someone to time and place, pausing during overwhelm or heightened stress, or creating moments of safety and choice. Grounding simply makes this support intentional and trauma-informed, rather than incidental.
Importantly, grounding does not involve processing trauma, exploring memories, or providing treatment. Its purpose is to support a victim-survivor to remain present enough to engage, make choices, and access support during moments of heightened stress or overwhelm. In this way, grounding supports rather than replaces core DFV practice such as safety planning, advocacy, and system navigation.
When offered with consent, choice, and respect for the victim-survivor’s autonomy, grounding sits comfortably within the scope of DFV roles across women’s refuges and safe houses and other DFV support settings, outreach, support, intake, advocacy, and phone-based support.
The three aspects of grounding
A useful way to explain grounding both to practitioners and to victim-survivors is through three overlapping categories: physical, soothing, and mental grounding (Hammond & Brown, 2025; Marel et al., 2022). Offering options across all three increases accessibility and choice.
Physical grounding (body and senses)
Physical grounding focuses on sensory input and bodily awareness. It is often most effective when someone is highly activated, panicky or feeling disconnected from their body (Marel et al., 2022).
Examples include:
pressing feet firmly into the floor and noticing pressure
holding or describing a textured object
running cool or warm water over hands
naming the five senses
These techniques work by engaging sensory pathways that signal present-moment safety (Marel et al., 2022).
Soothing grounding (comfort and reassurance)
Soothing grounding introduces cues of safety, kindness and emotional containment. It can be particularly supportive when overwhelm or trauma responses are linked to shame, fear, grief or self-criticism.
Examples include:
gentle, compassionate self-statements
visualising a safe or calming place
connecting with comforting sensory experiences such as warmth, music or familiar objects
For some victim-survivors, soothing grounding supports co-regulation especially when modelled calmly by a practitioner.
Mental grounding (orientation and thinking)
Mental grounding shifts attention to concrete, present-day thinking. It is commonly used when someone feels mentally foggy, disconnected, or is experiencing dissociation.
Examples include:
stating name, location, date and current age
counting backwards or naming categories (e.g. animals, towns, foods)
describing an everyday task step by step
These strategies support orientation to the present moment and reduce repetitive trauma-related thinking.
What grounding looks like in practice
Grounding can be integrated into everyday DFV practice in brief, respectful ways:
pausing a risk assessment to support regulation
offering grounding before discussing risk, safety planning, or legal processes
using grounding during phone or outreach work
supporting a client when a trigger arises, such as during intake, shared living environments, or after contact with systems or people connected to the violence
Key practice principles include:
asking for consent rather than directing
offering choices across different grounding styles
modelling calm presence rather than urgency
Practitioners can normalise grounding by explaining it as a practical support for managing overwhelm or trauma responses and staying present during difficult moments.
When grounding is particularly useful
Grounding may be supportive:
during moments of overwhelm or dissociation
when a client struggles to stay engaged in conversation
after triggering events such as court, child contact, or safety incidents
before ending a session to support re-orientation before leaving
It can also be useful to practice grounding outside of high-stress moments, so strategies are more accessible when overwhelm or trauma responses increase.
What practitioners should be cautious about
While grounding is widely used, it should be offered thoughtfully:
Not all techniques suit all victim-survivors; breathing or relaxation exercises can be triggering for some.
Grounding should never replace risk assessment, safety and support planning or advocacy.
It should not be used to rush conversations, minimise distress or maintain practitioner comfort.
If a client declines grounding, that choice should be respected.
Conclusion
Grounding is a simple but powerful skill that supports safety, engagement and choice in DFV practice. When offered respectfully, it can support victim-survivors to feel more present, more supported and better able to navigate complex systems and decisions.
For practitioners, grounding is not about doing more, it is about doing what we already do more safely and more effectively.
Key takeaway
Grounding is a practical, trauma-informed tool that can be used across DFV roles to support regulation and engagement particularly during moments of overwhelm, dissociation or trauma response.
Client resource
A printable grounding support resource for women impacted by domestic and family violence is available for practitioners to use in their practice. It offers practical grounding strategies in accessible, trauma-informed language and can be shared with victim-survivors if and when this feels appropriate.
References
Blue Knot Foundation. (n.d.). Grounding. https://blueknot.org.au/survivors/survivor-self-care/grounding/
Hammond, J., & Brown, W. (2025). Building an operational definition of grounding. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 26(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380251343189
Marel, C., Siedlecka, E., Fisher, A., Gournay, K., Deady, M., Baker, A., Kay-Lambkin, F., Teesson, M., Baillie, A., & Mills, K. L. (2022). Guidelines on the management of co-occurring alcohol and other drug and mental health conditions in alcohol and other drug treatment settings (3rd ed.). Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney.
Ohio Domestic Violence Network. (2020). Trauma-informed care manual. https://www.odvn.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). TIP 57: Trauma-informed care in behavioral health services. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 57. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4801. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207188/