Brainspotting Therapy: How It Works and How to Learn If It’s For You
Imagine a moment of daydreaming, taking a test, recounting a story from your weekend, or searching for just the right word to describe how you’re feeling. You might even notice yourself just now, reading these prompts, as you tap into your imagination. In any of these examples, your eyes are involved in the process. You may find your eyes moving from one spot to another, fixated upward or downward, to the left or right. You may find it uncomfortable to keep your eyes open, or quite the opposite! In any case, your eyes are serving as an important tool in the thinking process.
In the same way our eyes scan the external world for important stimuli (danger, resources, safety, etc.), our eyes also scan our internal worlds when we engage with our brains.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a somatic trauma therapy, meaning it focuses on the physical symptoms associated with strong emotions. Brainspotting makes efficient use of the body’s natural orienting reflex (scanning with the eyes) to enhance the somatic experience of an emotion, giving the client and therapist more direct access to the subcortex. The subcortex is the emotional and reflexive part of the brain; this is where the brain connects to the spine and the rest of the nervous system. This area is a crucial link between the brain and the body. Acknowledging the constant interconnection of the brain and body, Brainspotting seeks to heal symptoms whenever they arise.
Brainspotting was born out of combining the principles and practices of EMDR with a more relational approach. EMDR requires the therapist to continuously guide the client’s eye positions as prescribed by the modality. EMDR is a powerful and effective modality for many clients. Brainspotting uses the same neurobiological understandings about eye-movement and brain processing, while incorporating attunement to the client’s unique needs and process. Together, the therapist and client can identify eye positions of significance, and use them to achieve deep and sustainable healing.
So, what does this look like in therapy?
Similar to the start of any trauma therapy session, the client and therapist identify a traumatic event or concerning emotion and decide to focus on it. As the client begins to focus on this topic, the therapist invites the client to notice physical sensations related to the emotion, and to bring their focus to this part of the body. From there, it’s time to find a brainspot!
There are a few ways to identify a significant eye position, or a brainspot. Using a pointer tool, the therapist can guide the client’s eyes to various points in their field of vision. Using an attuned approach, the therapist notices eye positions that elicit any reflexive movement, whether obvious or discreet. Or, the therapist can invite the client to notice any eye positions that seem to intensify the emotion, even if a change is slight. The therapist could also invite the client to speak about the chosen topic, and the therapist can watch for spots where the client’s gaze naturally settles, and identify a brainspot this way.
The goal is to find an eye position that intensifies the emotion at hand. At the same time, the brain is getting unfamiliar attention at a location where trauma is stored. The brain receives this focused attention as a message of safety, which allows the brain to move into a state of deep processing. With gentle cues from the therapist, the client is invited to hold this eye position while keeping their focus on their experience of emotion. The client’s brain is now in the driver seat, as it processes a trauma that previously felt inaccessible or too vulnerable to withstand this undivided focus. Some clients may verbalize throughout the session, speaking to what is happening internally. Other clients may find silence is needed to stay focused. With an attuned approach, the therapist allows for whatever is needed by closely observing and following the client’s lead.
Brainspotting is an integrative model, meaning therapists can be creative and take their own approach to these steps. Clients and therapists can work together to find a rhythm that works for their therapeutic relationship.
How will I know if it worked?
It’s quite common for clients’ bodies to expel the emotion in a physical way, such as crying or shaking. Some clients feel this expulsion internally, through a pain or other sensation that eases over the course of the session. Others may not notice any obvious changes, or any changes at all. Some clients don’t notice a change until they return to their normal life and encounter triggers that don’t have the same effect as they used to. Others may experience shifts towards more clear thoughts, less distractibility or other psychological improvements, rather than noticing a somatic shift.
Keeping attunement in mind, it is important to stay curious about subtle shifts in emotion, sensations, and functioning.
Is Brainspotting for me?
Maybe! If you’ve noticed that a talk-based approach has not allowed for healing the root of trauma, you are likely on the right track by seeking somatic-based modalities. Brainspotting is considered by many to be an accessible and anti-oppressive form of trauma therapy that can positively impact the lives of people of all ages, abilities, identities, and cultures.
Ask your therapist about somatic therapies, eye-movement based therapies, and Brainspotting to understand more about these powerful approaches to mind-body healing. A wealth of knowledge about Brainspotting is available at the website of the developer, David Grand, PhD.
If you’re interested in a Brainspotting consultation and/or session, Nicole Pratl MSW is accepting new clients and welcomes the opportunity to join you in your work towards healing.
