I was trained in Brainspotting Phase 1 at the end of this past summer. Since the training, I have been using this style of therapy daily in my office. Personally, I had a great experience with the Brainspotting therapy I received and plan to seek out more in the future. My clients are also giving me great feedback about what they are experiencing using this mode of therapy. Here is some more information about this style of therapy.
Brainspotting was developed by David Grand, PhD.
Where you look affects how you feel.
What is brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a type of therapy that is used to process trauma. It is a therapy approach that seeks to access the deeper emotional and body-based part of the brain. This is accessed through a brainspot.
To find the place your eyes look associated with the brainspot, the therapist asks you to think about the distressing (or positive) feeling and where you feel it in your body. Most of the time, you notice a change in how you feel based on where you are looking. If you are having difficulty noticing changes based on where you are looking, your therapist helps to point out where they notice subtle reflexes based on where you are looking. This eye position gives access into where the concerns, issues, or traumas are stored in the subcortex of your brain.
Many clients report the processing they experience through brainspotting is deeper and more powerful.
Why brainspotting?
Brainspotting allows deeper access into the brain, using the relevant eye spot. In brainspotting, the therapist becomes the observer to the client’s natural processing.
Brainspotting is also used to further enhance positive experiences, leading the eye spot to feel like a positive and grounded resource.
Process of brainspotting:
During the brainspotting, you wear headphones and listen to calming music that fades from one ear to the other. This fading between ears is a specific kind of music called biolateral or bilateral music. It is understood that this music calms your nervous system and also distracts your thinking brain enough that your brain can process deeper into the mid-brain.
Your focus during the processing is on your concern and where you feel it in your body. Your therapist keeps directing you back to the body sensations you are experiencing throughout the processing.
A pointer is used to find the eye spot associated with the brainspot. This pointer is moved slowly across eye level to assess where you feel the concern the most in your body. Further movement of the pointer may be done as determined by you and your therapist. Once you find your spot, you focus on it throughout the processing. Options may be given to close eyes or allow your eyes to move throughout the room as needed, but your therapist holds the pointer to maintain your eye spot.
You and your therapist only check in during the processing as each sees fit, leading to less talking throughout the processing phase. Since there is less talking in brainspotting, meaning less interruptions, you might notice the processing comes in waves. These waves might feel like higher and then lower emotional responses, body sensations, memories, thoughts, or images.
After brainspotting:
At the end of the session, your therapist asks if you have noticed any changes in disturbance level, body sensations, images, etc. You therapist might also ask if you have a “takeaway” from the session. No pressure here to figure out something to take away, just another opportunity to share your experience.
The processing usually continues after your session, whether you are aware of it or not. Your brain has just done a ton of work! It is common to be a little extra sleepy after brainspotting.
Please do your best to rest, sleep well, and take good care of yourself. Use your healthy coping skills, use extra self-care if you are feeling upset, reach out to your support network, or reach out to your therapist if you are feeling especially disturbed.
**Call 988 for mental health support or 911 if you are concerned you may hurt yourself or someone else.
References
Brainspotting Phase 1 training with Melanie K. Young, PsyD.
David Grand, PhD, Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change.