Brainspotting

What is Brainspotting?

For patients hoping to overcome pain, negative emotions, or even trauma, Brainspotting (BSP) can help. This new technique, developed by Dr. David Grand, uses eye position and eye movements to help the patient process negative emotions. Brainspotting therapists may also utilize bilateral sound to enhance therapy. Mental health practitioners using this technique have found Brainspotting to be an effective treatment for many mental health conditions.

BSP can help you process negative emotions and affects how you feel. Because it’s a brain and body approach, Brainspotting can supplement other non-body treatments like traditional talk therapy. Brainspotting therapists recommend this trauma informed therapy for patients who need to process and release emotions form various conditions.

But before you consider Brainspotting therapy, you should know if it’s right for you. With increasing evidence that the body plays a role in memory and emotions, BSP might be the perfect solution for your condition. Though BSP helps thousands of patients every year, other treatments might be better for your condition. So, who is Brainspotting Therapy for?

Who is Brainspotting Therapy For?

As we said earlier, Brainspotting can help treat several conditions. If you think you can benefit from Brainspotting, it’s best to talk to your doctor. And if you suffer from any of the following conditions, BSP has been shown to help address the phycological symptoms. Some of these conditions include:

    • Chronic Physical Pain
    • Multiple Phobias
    • Addictions
    • Disorders Like ADD/ADHD
    • Anxiety and Depression
    • PTSD
    • Victims of a Traumatic Event

Brainspotting isn’t limited to these disorders. There is also preliminary evidence that BSP can even address issues from sports performance to substance abuse. Because the treatment is new, studies are surfacing multiple times a year prescribing BSP as a viable therapy for many conditions.

What Happens in a Brainspotting Session?

During a Brainspotting session, your trained therapist will use a pointer to position your visual field. When finding the Brainspot, your therapist may also have you listen to bilateral sound to enhance the therapy. Manipulating the visual field engages your limbic system and accesses deeply stored trauma and emotion.

Those who have experienced eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) will notice some similarities with Brainspotting. This similarity stems from the fact that Dr. Grand developed the therapy by combining his knowledge of somatic experiencing and EMDR.