🧍♀️ RESOURCE FIGURES WORKSHEET
"Your Inner Team"
From Ashley Russell, EMDR Therapist | emdrbristol.org
💬 Why This Helps
When things feel overwhelming, it helps to know you’re not facing it alone. Even if you’re physically on your own, your nervous system can call on felt experiences of support — through imagination, memory, and sensation. This is where Resource Figures come in.
They’re internal figures that bring nurture, protection, wisdom, or instinct. You don’t need to believe in them in a magical sense — just allow your body and mind to offer up what feels helpful.
🧠 Who Can Be a Resource Figure?
🛠 How to Use This
✏️ My Inner Team
💗 Nurturing / Caring Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. kind, soothing, patient, warm)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🛡 Protective / Strong Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. fierce, grounded, powerful, brave)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🧠 Wise / Knowing Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. calm, clear, insightful, steady)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🐾 Animal Figure
What animal comes to mind?
What does it bring?
(e.g. strength, grace, speed, survival, stillness)
Where do you feel it in your body?
Describe or draw the animal:
🌿 Ashley’s Example
“My protective figure is a woman in muddy boots with a no-nonsense stare. She’s calm in chaos and tells me, ‘You’ve done harder things than this.’
My animal is a large black dog that sits beside me and doesn’t move for anyone.”
🔁 Keep It Handy
This worksheet is yours — update, doodle on it, reimagine the team whenever you need. If you get stuck, bring it to session and we can explore it together.
📄 Download this as a printable PDF:
👉 RESOURCE FIGURES WORKSHEET – Ashley Russell
🖋 This resource was created by Ashley Russell, EMDR therapist at emdrbristol.org
✴️ Adapted from the work of Lauren Parnell (Resource Figures).
Feel free to share it with others — just keep the credit and the care.
"Your Inner Team"
From Ashley Russell, EMDR Therapist | emdrbristol.org
💬 Why This Helps
When things feel overwhelming, it helps to know you’re not facing it alone. Even if you’re physically on your own, your nervous system can call on felt experiences of support — through imagination, memory, and sensation. This is where Resource Figures come in.
They’re internal figures that bring nurture, protection, wisdom, or instinct. You don’t need to believe in them in a magical sense — just allow your body and mind to offer up what feels helpful.
🧠 Who Can Be a Resource Figure?
- A real person, but not someone too close or emotionally complicated
- A famous person you admire (e.g. David Attenborough, Serena Williams)
- A character from books, TV, films, games, comics
- A spiritual figure, guide, or ancestor
- Or a non-human figure like an animal — bringing instinct, strength, speed, stillness
🛠 How to Use This
- Sit quietly and reflect on each type of figure below.
- Trust your gut — if someone shows up in your mind or body, go with it.
- You can come back to these during sessions, stressful moments, or when grounding yourself.
- It’s okay if the figures change over time.
✏️ My Inner Team
💗 Nurturing / Caring Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. kind, soothing, patient, warm)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🛡 Protective / Strong Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. fierce, grounded, powerful, brave)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🧠 Wise / Knowing Figure
Name or description:
What qualities do they bring?
(e.g. calm, clear, insightful, steady)
What would they say to you?
Where do you feel them in or around your body?
Draw or describe them (optional):
🐾 Animal Figure
What animal comes to mind?
What does it bring?
(e.g. strength, grace, speed, survival, stillness)
Where do you feel it in your body?
Describe or draw the animal:
🌿 Ashley’s Example
“My protective figure is a woman in muddy boots with a no-nonsense stare. She’s calm in chaos and tells me, ‘You’ve done harder things than this.’
My animal is a large black dog that sits beside me and doesn’t move for anyone.”
🔁 Keep It Handy
This worksheet is yours — update, doodle on it, reimagine the team whenever you need. If you get stuck, bring it to session and we can explore it together.
📄 Download this as a printable PDF:
👉 RESOURCE FIGURES WORKSHEET – Ashley Russell
🖋 This resource was created by Ashley Russell, EMDR therapist at emdrbristol.org
✴️ Adapted from the work of Lauren Parnell (Resource Figures).
Feel free to share it with others — just keep the credit and the care.