(And How to Build a Grounding Kit That Will Get You Through Anything)
If you’re healing from trauma, you already know: it’s not just about the memories—it’s about the aftershocks. Flashbacks. Panic attacks. Sudden shutdowns. Feeling like you’re reliving something you desperately want to forget.
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind—it lives in the body. It hijacks your nervous system and convinces you that you’re not safe—even when you are.
This is where Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) shines.
DBT offers a trauma-sensitive, practical toolkit for managing emotional overwhelm, calming the body, and reconnecting with safety—especially when everything inside is screaming the opposite. And one of the most powerful DBT tools for trauma survivors?
🧺 Creating a Distress Tolerance and Grounding Kit.
But first, let’s talk about why DBT is such a game-changer for trauma recovery.
Why DBT Is So Effective for Trauma
Originally created to support people experiencing intense emotional dysregulation, DBT has become one of the most effective therapies for trauma, PTSD, and complex PTSD.
Here’s why:
- It teaches distress tolerance so you can ride out trauma triggers without spiraling
- It strengthens mindfulness, helping you stay grounded in the now
- It supports emotion regulation, even when feelings feel too big to handle
- It nurtures self-compassion, which is often missing in trauma survivors
📘 Want to dive deeper? Start with The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for PTSD—it’s full of DBT-based practices to process trauma, calm your nervous system, and build resilience over time.
What Happens During a Trauma Trigger?
When you’re triggered, your brain and body go into survival mode—even if the actual danger is long gone.
Symptoms can include:
- Racing heart, sweating, shaking
- Feeling frozen, numb, or dissociated
- Intense shame or fear
- Flashbacks or body memories
It’s like your nervous system is saying: “We’ve been here before. This wasn’t safe last time. RUN.”
That’s why logic often doesn’t work in these moments—but DBT skills do.
Let’s build your toolkit so you’re ready the next time a flashback or trigger hits.
How to Build a Trauma-Informed DBT Distress Tolerance & Grounding Kit
This kit isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. A personalized collection of sensory tools, calming strategies, and creative outlets to help you self-soothe and stay grounded when your system is overwhelmed.
Here’s how to build one with DBT principles in mind.
🔹 1. Soothing Sensory Tools (Tactile + Aromatherapy)
These help bring you back into your body when you’re overwhelmed, dissociated, or stuck in fight/flight.
- Aromatherapy Patch 8-Pack
- Essential Oils for Relaxation
- Analu Therapy Dough Sampler Pack
- Bach Rescue Remedy Spray
🔗 Want a full breakdown of sensory-based soothing tools? Download the free Five Senses Self-Soothing Guide for step-by-step ways to use each of your senses to come back to the present.
🔹 2. Fidget and Focus Tools (Touch + Motion)
Great for grounding through physical sensation and movement.
💡 For even more ideas, check out the Mental Health Grounding Techniques Workbook—a toolkit full of grounding strategies rooted in DBT and trauma recovery.
🔹 3. Visual + Auditory + Physical Soothers
These help calm your nervous system and offer distraction when your thoughts feel too loud.
🔹 4. Temperature + TIP Skills
The “T” in DBT’s TIPP skills stands for temperature—and it works wonders in trauma recovery.
- Cooling Gel Eye Mask – for instant nervous system resets
- Cold washcloths or ice packs—anything that activates your “dive reflex” for calming
🔹 5. Creative Distraction + Mood Boosters
Sometimes, the best way to stay grounded is to do something engaging but low-pressure.
- Ultimate Brain Health Puzzle Book
- Legend Planner Address Book – store contact info for your support people
- Drawing & Sketching Kit
- Needle Felting Kit
DBT Skills to Use with Your Kit
🧠 Use your kit while practicing:
- Self-soothing with your senses
- TIPP skills to reset your body
- ACCEPTS skills to distract and regulate
- Mindfulness to observe without judgment
Want help pulling it all together? The DBT Toolkit: Distress Tolerance and Crisis Survival Workbook has worksheets, skills, and crisis planning pages to support you step-by-step through trauma flare-ups.
Bonus Workbooks for Trauma Healing with DBT
📘 The DBT Skills Workbook for PTSD
📗 The DBT Skills Workbook for Anxiety by Chapman & Tull
Both are highly recommended for learning to use DBT with trauma-related symptoms like flashbacks, panic, hypervigilance, and emotional shutdown.
You Don’t Have to Heal Alone
Trauma recovery takes time, courage, and support. You don’t have to go it alone.
🟣 If you’re in Arizona or California, I offer DBT-informed therapy and coaching to help you build a personalized healing roadmap using the skills that actually work.
Note: This is not a full comprehensive DBT program, but a skill-integrated, trauma-aware approach to therapy and support.
🟣 Not in AZ or CA? Online-Therapy.com offers therapist-supported programs with journaling, worksheets, and trauma-informed strategies you can access anytime, anywhere.
✨ Use code: THERAPY20 to get 20% off your first month
Final Thoughts: You Are Not Your Trauma
DBT doesn’t ask you to erase your trauma—it helps you live with it in a way that no longer defines or controls you.
It gives you the tools to:
- Stay grounded during flashbacks
- Calm your nervous system without avoidance
- Build self-trust and emotional resilience
- Feel safe in your own body again
Start building your kit. Practice your skills. Ask for support. You don’t have to do it all perfectly—you just have to take the next right step.
