BEAST PUTTY · GROUNDING
SENSORY PUTTY
FOR GROUNDING
A therapist-approved tactile tool that anchors you to the present — used in EMDR, CBT, and trauma processing.
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Grounding is a technique that pulls your attention out of your head and back into your body.
When anxiety or trauma responses hijack your nervous system, you lose contact with the present — your brain is replaying the past or catastrophizing the future. Grounding interrupts that loop by flooding your senses with right now information. Putty is uniquely effective because it's active, not passive. The resistance changes, the shape shifts, the temperature adjusts to your hands. Your brain has to keep tracking the sensation — which means less bandwidth for the spiral.
GROUNDING EXERCISES WITH PUTTY
Evidence-based techniques. No app required.
THE 5-4-3-2-1 WITH PUTTY
While squeezing putty (touch sense covered), name 4 things you see, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. The putty anchors the exercise with continuous tactile input.
THE SLOW SQUEEZE
Inhale 4 counts while slowly squeezing as hard as you can. Hold 4 counts. Exhale 6 counts while slowly releasing. The resistance forces you to match the pace — you can't rush it.
THE TEXTURE SCAN
Close your eyes. Roll the putty between your fingers. Notice the temperature, the give, the way it sticks and releases. Describe sensations silently to yourself. Pure mindfulness, no app required.
THE BILATERAL ALTERNATE
Squeeze putty in your right hand for 5 seconds, then pass to your left. Repeat. The alternating focus mimics bilateral stimulation and is especially useful for calming an activated nervous system.
HOW THERAPISTS USE PUTTY
Used in evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
EMDR
Alternating putty squeezes between hands provide bilateral stimulation — similar to the eye movements used in EMDR processing. Some therapists use it when clients become flooded during reprocessing.
CBT exposure
During gradual exposure to anxiety triggers, putty gives clients a co-regulation tool — something to do with the adrenaline that does not involve avoidance.
Trauma processing
When a client starts dissociating, the therapist may say "squeeze the putty and tell me what it feels like." Tactile input competes with the trauma memory for sensory bandwidth.
WHAT MAKES PUTTY WORK FOR GROUNDING
For grounding, you want medium to firm resistance — too soft and your brain tunes it out; too hard and it becomes frustrating instead of regulating. Non-sticky so you can focus on the exercise rather than putty residue. Quiet — no crackle or snap, because therapy rooms and waiting rooms need discretion.
Beast Putty is pure silicone, firm enough to demand your attention, quiet enough for a therapy office, and satisfying enough that you'll actually reach for it when the spiral starts. It's a grounding tool that doesn't look like a medical device.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is grounding and why does putty help?
Grounding pulls your attention out of your head and back into your body. When anxiety hijacks your nervous system, you lose contact with the present. Putty is uniquely effective because it's active — the resistance changes, the shape shifts, the temperature adjusts to your hands. Your brain has to keep tracking the sensation, which leaves less bandwidth for the spiral.
How do therapists use putty in sessions?
In EMDR, alternating squeezes between hands provide bilateral stimulation. In CBT exposure work, putty gives clients something to do with adrenaline that isn't avoidance. In trauma processing, when a client starts dissociating, 'squeeze the putty and tell me what it feels like' — tactile input competes with the trauma memory for sensory bandwidth.
What kind of putty works best for grounding?
Medium to firm resistance — too soft and your brain tunes it out; too hard and it becomes frustrating instead of regulating. Non-sticky so you can focus on the exercise. Quiet — no crackle or snap for therapy offices and public spaces. Non-toxic silicone because you'll be handling it constantly.
Can I use sensory putty outside of therapy?
Yes. During panic attacks, dissociative episodes, pre-appointment anxiety in waiting rooms, and bedtime rumination. Grounding isn't just for therapy sessions — it's for any moment when your brain is somewhere other than your body.
BEAST PUTTY
A GROUNDING TOOL THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A MEDICAL DEVICE.
Pure silicone. Firm enough to demand your attention. Quiet enough for a therapy office.
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