Brainspotting
Do you feel stuck and like you’re easily triggered by traumas from your past? Perhaps you feel weighed down by the physical manifestations of your stress, and you have noticed that talk therapy just doesn’t seem to cut it.
You may have heard the saying that “the body keeps the score,” meaning that trauma can get trapped in our body if our nervous system does not adequately release it. While traditional talk therapy is a great place to start, I’m trained in a mind-body trauma processing therapy called Brainspotting, which allows for the deeper level of healing you might be searching for.
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What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain-body-based trauma processing therapy that is built on the premise that where we look visually is connected to how we feel internally. This approach was developed in 2003 by EMDR therapist and relational analyst, Dr. David Grand. Brainspotting utilizes eye positions in a client’s visual field that are connected to brainspots, which are areas in the subcortical brain where unprocessed trauma and stuck emotions are stored. Brainspotting accesses these stuck points and allows clients to process and release any emotions, memories, and physical sensations that they need to let go of.
With the support of an attuned therapist, Brainspotting uses bilateral stimulation, body awareness, and focused mindfulness to allow the brain’s natural self-healing abilities to heal symptoms related to trauma. Think of it like a reboot for your nervous system!
Who is Brainspotting for?
Simply put, Brainspotting is for anyone who wants to feel a sense of physical and emotional release from what is weighing them down! It has been shown to be effective for a variety of mental health concerns related to the impacts of trauma, including PTSD, anxiety, low mood, stress, addiction, grief, chronic pain, and illness, along with performance issues.
If you haven’t felt sustainable effects from talk therapy and are open to trying something different, then Brainspotting could be the thing that moves the needle for you! I want to ensure Brainspotting feels like a safe and supportive next step for my clients, so I am very open to going at the individual’s pace and building up grounding strategies that help them feel equipped to go deeper and create lasting change.
What actually happens in a Brainspotting session?
A Brainspotting session typically starts by popping on some bilateral stimulation music and ensuring the client feels safe and cozy. The therapist would check in with the client about what has been weighing them down and what they want to release in that session. As they chat, different emotions, memories, and physical sensations may come up that will give them helpful information. Next, the therapist would check in with the client about how intense those feelings are on a scale of 0-10.
The therapist would pay attention to subtle reflexes in the client’s eyes, face, and body to assess where their brainspot may be that is storing the trauma. The therapist would then guide the client to pay attention with focused mindfulness and tune into that spot to see what comes up. The rest involves the client trusting in their brain’s self-healing capacity to do the work! The client may experience a variety of emotions during the process and ultimately feel a sense of release from what has been making them feel stuck. The therapist is there to attune to the client’s emotions and physical experience, creating a container where the client feels safe to let go.
There is no right or wrong way to “do” Brainspotting, and every session is unique! Clients typically walk away from Brainspotting feeling lighter and like they have gained a sense of clarity and peace!
