What is Brainspotting? Let’s explore this mind-body treatment.

Jan 3

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a mind-body therapy that can allow for more rapid and deeper processing. This method is a bit different than traditional talk therapy in that you and your therapist are using eye locations to access deeper regions of your brain as well as your body. There are a few important pieces that makeup brainspotting; it involves focused mindfulness, it’s a model that uses something called ‘dual attunement’, and identifying activating (or distressing) as well as resourcing (or grounding) spots. Brainspotting therapy is a great tool for healing trauma as well as other struggles.

“BSP makes use of this natural phenomenon through its use of relevant eye positions. This helps the BSP therapist locate, focus, process and release a wide range of emotionally and bodily-based conditions. BSP is also a brain-based tool to support the therapy relationship. We believe that BSP taps into and harnesses the body’s natural self-scanning, self-healing ability. When a Brainspot is stimulated, the deep brain appears to reflexively signal the therapist that the source of the problem has been found. BSP can also be used to find and strengthen our natural resources and resilience. BSP is designed as a therapeutic tool that can be integrated into many of the healing modalities. BSP is even more powerful when used with the enhancement of BioLateral Sound CDS”

In traditional talk therapy, you are engaging in therapy through cognition and language. Sometimes, we have issues that we can become aware of, talk about, and still struggle to overcome. Brainspotting allows for deeper processing as it works with deeper areas of your brain and your nervous system. We call this area of your brain your subcortex or midbrain. This area of your brain is something we don’t typically have conscious access to.

Brainspotting uses your visual field to locate spots that are distressing, which structurally gives access to the midbrain and brainstem through your occipital nerve. This deeper processing is something that engages your brain as well as your body, it can involve somatic sensations and aids in regulating your nervous system.

Think of these ‘brainspots’ as gunk that is clogging up your mind and body’s ability to accurately interpret your experiences as safe or unsafe. We go to the sources of these stuck-points to allow you to release and reprocess the emotions, memories, and physical memories. This holistic therapy utilizes the mind-body connection for deeper healing.

What can I expect in a brainspotting session?

Mindful awareness

Many of my clients have described the experience of brainspotting as a ‘deep meditation’. We’re dealing with areas of your brain that aren’t typically part of our conscious awareness, so what you notice may not make sense. Nor does it need to. Whatever your brain or body is processing is connected to the activation. It just involves an open observation of your moment-to-moment experiences.

Activating SPots

We always start by discussing something stressful or difficult for you, in order to find an ‘activated brainspot’. The idea is that we need to light up the areas of your brain involved in the distress in order to process down the emotional, mental, and somatic distress.

Resourcing Spots

Brainspotting isn’t just about the distress! We can also utilize body sensations, memories, spiritual connections, and supportive people to bring up feelings of safety and comfort to aid in your processing.

Going to the root of the issue to clear it out and build new neural networks is beneficial, as is coming bringing in the people or things that help you to feel the opposite feeling that the issue evokes.

Dual Attunement

Brainspotting uses something called ‘dual attunement’ which means that it’s utilizing neurobiological attunement with your therapist as well as relational attunement. The safety and connection you feel in your relationship with your therapist provides support to calm your neurobiology.

A graphic describing five things about brainspotting therapy: 1. A mind and body therapy that allows for deeper processing. 2. Uses the visual field and occipital nerve to access the midbrain. 3. An attachment model that utilizes the safety of your therapist. 4. Includes somatic awareness and the felt sense of groundedness. 5. A power-tool in working with trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and more.

What can Brainspotting help with?

Brainspotting therapy can be beneficial in healing from trauma, chronic stressors, pain, performance, anxiety, grief and loss, emotion regulation, abuse, fears and phobias, nervous system dysregulation, and more. I work with my clients to explore things in their history as well as current experiences that may be beneficial to target with brainspotting. We carry our experiences with us, in ways that aren’t always helpful for us. This mind-body healing can allow you to experience more relief and as well as get you in touch with a deeper part of yourself.

Interested in learning more?

If you’re intrigued by this mind + body modality of healing, reach out to see if this may be a good fit for you! Brainspotting is something that I have benefitted from in my own work and something that I’m passionate about being able to provide to my clients.

References:

Authenticity Associates. (2018, October 30). What is Brainspotting Trauma and PTSD Therapy? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiPzm9VAGh0

Grand, D. (2017). What is Brainspotting? Brainspotting. https://brainspotting.com/about-bsp/what-is-brainspotting/