Brainspotting
Interested in learning more about Brainspotting?
The main tenet of Brainspotting is the concept that "where you look affects how you feel." This principle is grounded in the understanding that the end of the ocular nerve connects to the subcortical region of the brain, where unresolved trauma often resides. Brainspotting allows clients to access these traumatic memories or difficult emotions while maintaining a sense of safety and being resourced. It creates an environment in which the body and psyche can process unresolved neurological responses to past events or beliefs that continue to negatively impact behavior. By providing the right conditions, the body can naturally return to homeostasis, healing and finding balance as it was designed to do
Brainspotting is a therapeutic method designed to help individuals process difficult emotions, behaviors, memories, or beliefs. Somatic in nature, it focuses on healing the root causes of suffering and the behaviors you wish to change. This depth therapy is trauma-informed and works by activating the body's natural healing processes. Developed by David Grand, an EMDR practitioner, Brainspotting shares similarities with EMDR but was specifically designed as a resourcing and activation model to address both complex and acute trauma. Through this approach, individuals can access and release deep-seated emotional and physical blockages, facilitating profound healing.
What is Brainspotting?
How does Brainspotting work?
What does Brainspotting look like?
In Brainspotting, the process begins when the client identifies an issue they'd like to work on and shares a bit about it. The practitioner then encourages the client to become aware of any physical sensations arising in the body as they talk about the issue. As the session progresses, the client continues to follow these sensations, thoughts, images, and memories, while the practitioner guides them through specific eye positions that correlate with the activation of these emotions. Throughout the process, the practitioner remains mostly quiet, taking on a supportive role as a resource, witness, and guide. The presence of music, focused attention points, and the therapeutic relationship, along with the client’s awareness of their body, all serve as resourcing tools that help the client feel safe enough to process emotions that might otherwise be too overwhelming.
Will Brainspotting work for me?
Brainspotting has proven to be highly effective for many individuals, particularly in addressing complex trauma, developmental and attachment issues, addictions, negative core beliefs, spiritual crises, anxiety, sexual assault, domestic violence, veterans, and more. While there are various methods available for resolving trauma, it's impossible to know for certain which will work for you without trying them. Though no approach guarantees success for everyone, studies show that Brainspotting boasts a remarkably high success rate, especially compared to other non-talk therapy methods. If you're open to exploring something beyond traditional talk therapy, curious about whether it could be right for you, and interested in a somatic approach, Brainspotting may be worth considering. Its flexible and adaptable nature allows the therapy to be tailored to most individuals, enabling the body, mind, and psyche to set the pace and direction of each session for optimal healing.
