“A “Brainspot” is the eye position which is related to the energetic/emotional activation of a traumatic/emotionally charged issue within the brain, most likely in the amygdala, the hippocampus, or the orbitofrontal cortex of the limbic system. Located by eye position, paired with externally observed and internally experienced reflexive responses, a Brainspot is actually a physiological subsystem holding emotional experience in memory form.” – David Grand, Ph.D. -Founder of Brainspotting

The way that Brainspotting heals is that it helps the patient process the trauma that lies within him or her. When the therapist accesses a Brainspot, the patient experiences the distress that is associated with that Brainspot. The patient then experiences the physical or emotional pain that presents itself and the patient can experience it in a comfortable setting in the presence of the therapist. Over time, accessing this trauma in a safe environment will help the brain to break away from the associated trauma. Within the field of psychology, professionals have come to realize that when someone experiences trauma, whether it be emotional or physical, it is held in the body. This trauma, potentially caused by a variety of events, such as a serious physical illness, acute or chronic pain or life trauma in general, can manifest itself in a variety of ways and one way that professionals can help to target and locate that pain is through Brainspotting. Therapists use Brainspotting to target these areas of trauma stored in the body from previous traumatic experiences.

These traumatic experiences become stored in the body typically because the traumatized person has not had the means to properly deal with the trauma that he or she has experienced. Because the traumatic experiences have not been properly dealt with, they become a part of the person’s trauma reservoir, which can manifest in other physical and emotional symptoms.

During a Brainspotting session the therapist and client will identify an issue to work on. While focusing on the issue the client will notice how they feel, sense and experience the issue in their mind and body.

From here the eye position or ‘brainspot’ associated with this issue will be identified. A brainspot is not just one spot in the brain but rather an active network in the brain that leads to a deep releasing of the issue where it is stored in the mind and body.

The brainspot acts like a doorway into all the stored, stuck baggage from the past. The focused eye position further allows the brain to stop scanning externally for threats and instead internally self-scan to identify and maintain its presence on the deeper unresolved issue.

When a brainspot is activated, reflexive movements can be observed by the therapist that provide valuable access to healing. These movements come from deep regions of the brain, outside of a client’s conscious, cognitive, and verbal awareness. Clients report having deeper and more profound releases with Brainspotting as compared to other brain-based and traditional therapies. The brain is re-stabilizing, resourcing, and rebooting itself during Brainspotting and the processing often continues to occur after the session has ended.  A doorway has been opened and information will continue to come up and out for releasing and healing.

The number of Brainspotting sessions can vary from person to person. Some people notice changes following one session and yet often changes and improvements can often be witnessed within four to six sessions.

Brainspotting has been shown to be a powerful and effective therapy. There are several studies that demonstrate the efficacy of Brainspotting therapy for treating stress, anxiety, trauma and other issues. It was identified by victims and their families as the most helpful and effective therapy for relieving anxiety, stress and trauma following the Sandy Hook School shooting. More emphasis has been focused on using Brainspotting as a powerful healing therapy than on research.

Brainspotting was discovered by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It is an evolution of his original work, Natural Flow EMDR, that he developed based on EMDR, somatic experiencing, relational and insight-oriented therapy.

Brainspotting can be used on its own or in addition to other therapies.

Many traditional therapies work from a top-down model where thoughts are used to change feelings, behaviours and experiences. This model relies on the upper part of the brain (neocortex) which is also the newest part in our evolution, to manage and alter the inner and more primitive parts of the brain. As a result, the success of a top-down approach is based on a person’s ability to analyse, narrate and verbally process their thoughts and feelings.

Brainspotting follows the bottom-up model where the inner brain sends information and experiences up through the emotional brain (limbic system) for release and into the thinking brain (neocortex) for processing. Given that stressful and traumatic experiences are stored through our sensory, nonverbal experience a bottom-up model is essential in the healing process. It accesses the root of where the issues are stored and allows for release at a deeper level. This is especially important given many people cannot recall the details of highly stressful or traumatic experiences in order to analyse or verbally process them. 

Brainspotting has roots in Eye Movement Desensitising Reprocessing (EDMR) and similarly supports the reprocessing of negative experiences and retrains emotional reactions.  Both are therapeutic interventions that access deeply stored emotional, somatic, traumatic and often subconscious information. Both interventions may involve bilateral stimulation and are considered advanced brain-body based strategies. The primary difference between the two involves the procedure used. 

Brainspotting is based on the premise that ‘where you look affects how you feel’. As an individual maintains an eye position while focusing on a stressful experience, they connect to a spot in the brain (brainspot) that gives them access to releasing and processing the challenging experience. Dual Attunement is a primary tenant of Brainspotting in that the attunement of the therapist activates brain pathways associated with safety, support and connection. Brainspotting focuses on the attunement of the therapist to the client as well as to the client’s neurobiology. Thus, it is a combined relational and neurobiological connection happening at the same time. During Brainspotting once the focused eye position is established, the client is allowed to organically and intuitively process through their experience without following a specific series of steps. Many clients find this to be empowering, instinctual and flexible.

While Brainspotting involves a focused eye position, EMDR involves rapid bilateral movement of the eyes, auditory or sensory system. Some clients report they find EMDR too directed, structured, overstimulating and not as adaptable and fluid as Brainspotting.

Many people prefer Brainspotting as it can have deeper and more profound releases and they prefer its fluidity.

Brainspotting allows for an organic releasing of the emotional and physical stored energy around the issue you begin the session with. You may find that the issue continues to be present throughout the session but often we find that it shifts and moves into deeper layers of releasing and healing. You will not need to focus on the issue throughout the session unless that is where your brain and body continue to bring up sensations, feelings and information to be released. The therapist will guide as needed through the therapy.

Brainspotting can be done effectively over Zoom.

Brainspotting allows you to access deeply stored mental, emotional and physical trauma. As the Brainspotting therapist I provide a safe, compassionate and mindful attention to allow you to feel completely supported to have your emotional process. You can stop the process at any time you wish. Most people I have worked with find Brainspotting to bring up emotions to be resolved and feel empowered in this process even if it’s challenging.

It is possible to have strong emotions but it is not always the case. It depends on what your brain body wants to release based on the information stored in the brainspot.

The actual sessions are 1 hours long.  Clients have reported profound results in one session of Brainspotting but it can take several sessions to work through an issue.

The brain is re-stabilizing, resourcing and rebooting itself during Brainspotting and the processing continues for 3 days after the session has ended! During the process it can be likened to a doorway opening to new places in the mind and body.

The information held within these new places will continue to come up and out for releasing and healing. Given much of this information is sensory and nonverbal, it is common to not be able to put into words all that has happened during and after a session. What often occurs are new insights emerge, internal shifts happen and the issue feels neutralized. This may happen over the course of the session or in the hours, days or weeks that follow.

Clients I have worked with often report feeling neutral, calmer or more at peace about an issue that was previously traumatic or stressful.

You will feel a shift in your mind and body during the Brainspotting process regarding the issue that you are working on. Most people feel a shift in sensation, emotions, physical charge, thoughts, insights and even memories. I will check in on how you are doing and the shifts that are occurring.

Brainspotting helps to decrease and heal anxiety, depression, panic and PTSD. Medications do not negatively impact Brainspotting efficacy as long as the client is in a conscious state of mind.

After an initial free Discovery Call, you can think about whether Brainspotting is for you or not.  If you would like to go ahead and book an actual session then Brainspotting therapy can begin!

• PTSD

• Complex-PTSD

• Panic attacks

• Unhealthy habits

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Chronic Pain

• Anger

• Low self-esteem

• Abuse

• Trauma

• Phobias

• Any psychological issue that is interfering with your life.