This is a guided visualization script for tweens,
Teens,
And adults who are taking an immunotherapy dose for food allergies.
We'll use grounding cues from the home environment,
Guided imagery,
Co-regulation,
And positive suggestion to help make your dose feel calmer.
Begin by getting comfortable in whatever spot you take your dose at home.
It might be your usual place at the table,
Your favorite chair,
Or even snuggled up on the couch with a blanket.
Let your body settle here.
Let yourself feel supported by the space around you and the seat that you're sitting on.
Gently close your eyes if that feels okay or soften your gaze.
Take a slow breath in and out.
Don't force your breath,
Just notice it as it moves in and out.
Notice how the air feels as it moves in your nose or your mouth and then how it's warmer when you breathe it out.
Notice any movement in your shoulders,
Your chest,
Or your stomach as you breathe in.
Let your breath help you notice that you're here in this moment.
You're not in the past,
In any of the difficult things that might have happened to you,
And you're not in the future in any of the scary things that you worry might happen.
You're right here,
Just spending a few minutes about to take your dose.
You've done this before,
You've chosen to do this because you want to protect yourself and you want to be healthier and safer,
And your body remembers what to do.
You've been working hard to train it,
You've been working hard to teach it something new.
Your body is a wise,
Capable,
Complex system.
Your nervous system and immune system know how to respond.
You're not forcing anything,
You're practicing calm.
Notice all the things in the environment that are helping you.
Familiar smells,
Soft comfortable textures,
The light in your room coming through the window.
Maybe there's familiar music,
A quiet sound,
Or a voice that you trust nearby.
All of these things remind your body that you're safe,
And if you start to forget,
When you focus on them it will help to bring you back to the moment.
As you prepare to take your dose,
Take another breath,
Grounding in the truth.
You're doing something hard and brave.
It's important,
And your body is learning.
You're getting safer every time you do this routine.
When you take your dose,
You're not alone.
You're connected to all the other kids,
Teenagers,
Adults,
And parents all over the world who are doing the same thing every day so that they can be safer too.
As you take your dose,
Continue to breathe,
And notice the way your body feels when you breathe in and out.
If you become too focused on the taste or the texture or thoughts about your dose,
Instead focus on your breathing,
Focus on the flavor and temperature of a nice cold drink,
The sound that the ice makes in the glass,
Or maybe a nice warm drink that you hold in your hands and see the steam rise up from your cup.
After your dose,
Remember to allow your body to rest.
It's doing hard work and learning something new,
And this is the time that you can give it to let it do its work and trust it to build strength and tolerance against your allergens.
This is a good time to find something that you enjoy,
Whether it's putting on a television show or a movie that makes you laugh,
Reading a good book,
Listening to some music that you like,
Or sitting and chatting with the person who's there with you about how your days were and what you're looking forward to tomorrow.
All of the time that you're spending on this is worth it.
You're building tolerance,
Not just to food,
But to uncertainty,
To change,
To growth,
And each day that you take your dose,
You're investing in your own future.
Another step toward safety.
You're doing a great job.
