Seeking Safety Group Therapy
Seeking Safety is a group that teaches practical coping skills for trauma and addiction, focused on today, not on retelling what happened. At Wings, it is part of the women’s program.
Women's programSeeking Safety puts safety today before anything else
Seeking Safety was designed for people with a history of trauma, addiction, or both. It focuses on what you can do right now to be safer in your relationships, your thinking and your actions. It has been used for more than 20 years, with many different groups of people, and translated into many languages.
Developed by Lisa M. Najavits, PhD.
Seeking Safety skills for real life, not only for group
- Grounding to detach from emotional pain
- Setting boundaries in relationships
- Asking for help and getting support
- Coping with triggers
- Taking good care of yourself
- Healthy thinking and compassion for yourself
Every Seeking Safety group follows the same four steps
The structure keeps the time focused, and it feels safe to know what comes next.
- 1
Check-in
How you are doing, and any unsafe behavior since last time.
- 2
A quotation
A short quote that sets the theme for the session.
- 3
The topic
One coping skill, connected to your own life.
- 4
Check-out
What you are taking with you, and one commitment.
Part of the women’s program
Seeking Safety runs alongside individual trauma therapy, DBT and other groups, in a program only for women.
Women's mental health treatment →Wings works with many PPO insurance plans
Admissions verifies your benefits before admission, free and confidential. For Medi-Cal or Medicare, admissions can point you to programs that accept them.
Questions about Seeking Safety
What it is, sharing, who leads it, addiction and evidence.
Don't see your question?
Admissions answers calls 9 a.m.–5 p.m., seven days a week. Calls are confidential.
Call(760) 388-6369Visits, phones, what to bring and more in the admissions FAQ →All the ways to reach Wings →Who can join the Seeking Safety group at Wings?
Clients in the Wings women’s program, as one of the groups in their week. You do not need an addiction to take part; it helps with trauma on its own too.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in the group?
Seeking Safety focuses on the present. You are not asked to share the details of what happened.
Who runs the Seeking Safety group at Wings?
A Wings therapist leads it in the women’s program, as one of the groups in the week.
Is Seeking Safety only for addiction?
It is for trauma, addiction, or both. Many people in the group have trauma without addiction.
Is it evidence-based?
Yes. Seeking Safety has been studied and used for more than 20 years, with many different groups of people.