Brainspotting

If your past still haunts you…

You want to move on, but you can’t. 

You’re haunted by your past. You’re fine, fine, fine… until you’re not—triggered again, you have a reaction to an old wound that won’t seem to heal. You may be drawn to the same relationships, stuck in the same old behavior patterns, and feeling like you’re doing everything to make change but are somehow still stuck. Even if you’re not actively thinking about the past, the past is still thinking about you and finding sneaky ways to sabotage your present.

You’re ready to heal and be free.  

You may have already told your story and make sense of it, but somehow that wasn’t enough. You want to be done with the healing and overcoming and be free to just move on and live your life. You are ready to relax, to have a well regulated nervous system, and to live in the present.

You need something that actually works. 

Talk therapy is important, but it will only get you so far. The real healing comes from deeper somatic work, because trauma is stored in the subcortical brain and body. I am certified in Brainspotting, one of the fastest and most effective treatments we have for trauma, and I can help you get to a place of true healing and resolution with this modality. You have worked so hard to overcome the obstacles life has thrown at you, and this is a way to make peace with your past—once and for all.

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a type of therapy that is used to treat trauma and also enhance performance. It is one of the fastest and most effective ways to heal trauma and often works when other approaches have failed. 

Brainspotting is a great option for people with complex PTSD or who dissociate. It is a very gentle therapy that allows for a safe and effective way to work through the most painful and activating memories. 

Brainspotting is very safe and can be used to treat trauma, stress, anxiety, and anything that is emotionally disturbing. It can also be used to enhance performance in personal, professional, and athletic endeavors.

Brainspotting works by identifying and using a significant eye position associated with the target issue that allows one to tap into their subcortical brain and process issues held deeply in the subconscious and body. 

Brainspotting is a somatic modality, meaning it works through the body to process, heal, and release trauma stored in the body. While people are Brainpotting, they may experience physical sensations through the body as they process the target issue.

Brainspotting relies on the brain and body’s innate ability to heal itself. The therapist’s attuned presence creates a safe space that allows for deep processing and facilitates healing. The therapist is not controlling or directing the process, but following the client wherever they go.  

FAQs on Brainspotting

  • Brainspotting is a type of therapy that is extremely efficient and effective at treating trauma. It is a somatic modality and takes a “bottom up” approach, processing information stored deep in the subcortical brain and body.

  • Brainspotting is a legitimate therapy that has been around for over 20 years and is backed by research. Brainspotting was discovered by an EMDR practitioner who was improving upon the process. Brainspotting has been the single most effective modality I have used in my own work, and my clients have reported tremendously positive results as well.

  • Brainspotting can be used to heal from a traumatic experience or any event that evokes an emotion—from the most traumatic moment of your life to a another stressful day at work. Brainspotting provides relief from PTSD symptoms. It can also be used to enhance performance, such as with public speaking or athletic endeavors.

  • This is debatable. Most research I’ve seen comparing Brainspotting with EMDR has found them to be about equal in effectiveness. However, many therapists report being able to effectively use Brainspotting in cases where EMDR has been less effective. It is thought that Brainspotting allows for even deeper processing than EMDR and can catch things that EMDR may miss.

  • The only person who should not do brainspotting is someone who refuses to feel their feelings and does not want to connect with their body. Brainspotting is applicable to a wide range of issues and is an excellent modality for the highly traumatized, including those with complex PTSD or a tendency to dissociate.