Brainspotting

This type of therapy was discovered in 2003 by David Grand, PhD, as an advancement of his work in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Brainspotting is effective for a wide variety of emotional and somatic conditions. Brainspotting is particularly effective with trauma-based situations, helping to identify and heal underlying trauma that contributes to anxiety, depression and other behavioral conditions.

Uses of Brainspotting

If you think you might benefit from Brainspotting, please contact us right away, our therapists are here to help!

Though Brainspotting therapy is primarily focused on discovering and alleviating trauma, it can help many different types of issues, especially since trauma’s effects are so far-reaching.

Anxiety
Attachment issues
Substance use
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Chronic pain
Major depressive disorder

As Brainspotting is still somewhat new and considered somewhat of an alternative treatment, there is still little research on it and any possible long-term effects.

Also, although it does not require as much reliving the trauma as something like EMDR does, inevitably, you will be discussing painful memories and feelings, so it is best to be prepared for that and be sure you have adequate support and self care practices for afterwards.

Brainspotting works on the theory that feelings from trauma can become stuck in the body, leading to both physical and mental ailments. It is believed that the brain’s memory of a particular trauma or incident is “reset” in the body and brain through Brainspotting.

Grand described this “stuckness” as “frozen maladaptive homeostasis.” Our bodies are generally meant to be in a state of homeostasis, attempting to maintain a stable environment, but this particular kind of homeostasis is not helpful. Brainspotting accesses this and attempts to integrate this interrupted processing of the trauma.

What a Brainspotting Therapy Session may Look Like

Being Prepared

Although there is a therapist there guiding you, much of this is self-directed. You will start with some relaxing breathing and possibly listening to bilateral sound (music designed to move from one ear to the other) in headphones.
Once you have settled into a more mindful state, you will identify a place in your body where you feel the most distress and rank it on a scale of one to 10.
With the therapist’s help, you will then find your “brain spot,” or, where your eyes naturally focus on when the physical discomfort is the strongest. You will be guided to focus on this point by a pointer rod or the therapist’s finger, and they will help you identify the spot where you are becoming “stuck” and would like to work on it.
Specific Techniques
The therapist may take either an “Outside Window” or “Inside Window” approach.
- In the “Outside Window” approach, the therapist observes the client’s gaze and recommends a point
- In the “Inside Window” approach, the client is the one identifying the point to process.
From here, you and the therapist will hone in on the feelings coming up, as you stick with this one area of the body.
You will then take some time to process the whole experience of what came up and what it may mean.