Grounding With The Matrix

It’s all too often that we find ourselves stuck in our own heads and disconnected with the present moment. Maybe we are wrapped up in thought, or are struggling with overwhelming feelings. When this happens it can be so hard to focus and engage with what needs your attention here & now. In these moments we can use simple grounding exercises to help us get back in action.

The ACT Matrix can serve as one of these valuable grounding exercises for clients with just a tiny bit of modification. Here’s how I use it to help clients connect to the present moment in a flexible way, and reconnect to what matters.

You can do this either verbally, or on paper, though any time the matrix is used I encourage the use of a visual component to help engage flexible contact with our motivations for coherence and orientation.

First we work along the vertical line of the matrix, starting at the top with our outer experiencing.

Direct the client to turn their attention outward, then have them answer the following questions:

“Where am I physically?”

Here you are looking for literal answers. Anything such as “In your office,” “Sitting on a couch,” etc. is fine. Once they answer, ask them to give you two more descriptors of where they are. For instance they may say “I’m in my counselor’s office. I am on 47th street. I am in Racine, Wisconsin.” You want to grab three “levels” of description.

Next,

“What can I see in front of me?”

The goal here is also any literal answer that corresponds with something they can see in front of them, e.g. “A table. A desk with a picture frame on it.”

“What can I hear around me?”

Have them list two or three sounds they can hear around them.

Then direct them to turn their attention inward. We are moving down the vertical line to our inner experience.

“What am I aware of in my mind?”

I find this question more functional than asking what thoughts they are aware of. Many times clients can be unsure of specific thoughts happening in this moment, instead they may say that they’re entire mind is spinning, or that everything is moving too fast. This itself is what they are aware of. There’s no need to try to slow it down or dive in there. Simply noticing the current state of what’s going on in the mind serves to differentiate the sense of Self from the mind. After all, who is doing the noticing? And if you can see your mind then there must be some separation there. . .

“What feelings am I noticing?”

Again, the answers need not be complex. Provide gentle assistance in identifying feelings if necessary.

“What am I longing for in this moment?”

Here we are getting at desires and unmet needs. Clients tend to be able to identify their longings more easily than their feelings.

At this point begin the four standard questions of the matrix starting with the lower right-hand quadrant.

“Who and what are important to me in this moment?”

With this question we want to keep the answers directed to this current context. Clients will guide themselves through these questions eventually, so their answers here will change depending on the environment they’re in.

“What inner stuff is showing up to get in my way?”

The answer to this question may be the same as the feelings and thoughts they identified earlier.

“How would I typically respond to this?”

Now we are getting functional.

“What can I do that matters to me?”

And last but not least:

“Who is the person doing this right now?”

With this question we connect back to the sense of Self.

Here it is all together:

1. Where am I physically? (Three levels of description)

2. What can I see in front of me?

3. What can I hear around me?

4. What am I aware of in my mind?

5. What feelings can I notice?

6. What am I longing for in this moment?

7. In this context, who and what are important to me?

8. What inner stuff is showing up to get in the way?

9. How would I typically respond to that?

10. What can I do that matters to me?

11. Who is the person doing this right now?

And here is a handout you can use to write on: