What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is focused mindfulness processing. A tool used within the frame of an authentic, nurturing, supportive therapeutic relationship, Brainspotting goes beyond talk therapy to help release people from the trauma stored in the body.

Trauma is a response to the threat of loss of life, safety, and security. Traumatic experiences include a direct threat of death or physical harm, witnessing the suffering of others, relationship abuse and neglect. The brain makes its best effort towards survival, often hiding the trauma deep within. Trauma is stored in the body and often presents as chronic pain, sleep issues, numbing, digestive complaints, and muscle tension. Trauma can contribute to relationship conflict and problems with boundaries. With trauma, it can be difficult to accurately perceive threat. Those with low boundaries become people pleasers. Those with high boundaries are defensive and often in conflict.

People present for therapy when their survival strategies have become barriers to thriving. Brainspotting accesses the brain’s deep reserves to help people integrate trauma and move toward the life they want.

How does it work?

The therapist and client collaborate to locate an eye position which is related to the energetic activation of a traumatic or emotionally charged issue within the brain. This is the brainspot that accesses the autonomic and limbic systems within the central nervous system. Brainspotting gives us a tool to neurobiologically locate, focus, process, and release experiences and symptoms that are typically out of reach of the conscious mind and its cognitive and language capacity.

Where did it come from?

Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by David Grand, Phd. There are over 13,000 trained practioners around the world. Learn more at https://brainspotting.com/.