Brainspotting

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a therapeutic technique based on the framework of combining eye movement with talk therapy established by the EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) treatment method.

It relies on the same theory, in which certain memories or lines of thought that act as sources of stress – especially after experiencing something traumatic – are best accessed and reprocessed during therapy subconsciously, while a client is consciously or actively following instructions such as following a moving light with their eyes and listening to certain audio cues.

The idea behind both EMDR and brainspotting is that some people with symptoms of anxiety or depression store negative thoughts or traumatic memories in certain parts of the brain, which they cannot access consciously.

A young woman is at home, she is sitting on the sofa in the living room and writing notes

As a therapeutic tool, brainspotting helps “reach” this space, resolve or reprocess the emotions elicited through reaching this space, and slowly work to relieve the tension associated with that space until it no longer elicits the same intense reaction. The result, over time, should be a reduction in feelings of anxiety or depression as these thoughts or memories are no longer as intensely present in the back of a person’s mind.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

The key concept behind brainspotting is the “brainspot”, which is a specific point in a person’s visual field that elicits a tense response and may be associated with a specific emotion or experience.

A trained therapist will recognize these spots by asking their client to follow their finger or follow a light, while simultaneously keeping their other senses busy through intermittent, rhythmic taps or bilateral sounds (left to right).

When they find a spot that seems to elicit a reaction (often blinking or dilated pupils), they can work on processing that reaction and the underlying emotion, thought, or experience through a series of questions.

People going through brainspotting often talk about reliving memories they had long forgotten, or remembering feelings they had buried for years. Over the course of a brainspotting session, these intense emotions may lead to outbursts or feelings of discomfort. A trained and experienced therapist can guide a client out of this discomfort, and into a place of resolution or relief, whether in a single session or over the course of multiple sessions.

What Does Brainspotting Treat?

Brainspotting is primarily used in the treatment of trauma-specific conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD. Brainspotting can also be effective in cases of severe anxiety, or specific anxiety conditions, such as OCD.

Sometimes, brainspotting is used to help people who might not necessarily have a specific mental health diagnosis but are struggling with their confidence or mental state at a critical juncture in their life, and might not understand why. Brainspotting has also been used to help athletes perform better.

Brainspotting is a short-term treatment method. Therapists usually integrate brainspotting within a larger treatment framework, and only utilize brainspotting methods for 2-3 sessions, rather than as a replacement to regular talk therapy sessions.

Brainspotting at Resolutions

Brainspotting can be a valuable tool in the treatment of trauma disorders, anxiety conditions, and depression. At Resolutions, our therapists are trained in a wide range of treatment modalities, and make use of different techniques to help clients improve their mental well-being in the long-term.