How Does Brainspotting Work And What Does It Help With?

We are still working every day to understand the complexities of the human brain. It's like a vast, uncharted landscape that spreads before us. Hidden in that landscape in its unexplored depths and shadowy crevices are the traumas and fears that shape our lives. Those traumas are wounds with deep roots that spread throughout our lives, with a lingering influence on our beliefs and behaviors.

Brainspotting is a results-driven and goal-oriented collaborative approach to therapy. Like a guide who helps us navigate the landscape, brainspotting shines a light on hard-to-access traumatic memories. Once those wounds have been located, healing can begin.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

Brainspotting takes advantage of the link between movements in the eye and activity in the brain. A growing body of research has shown that movements of the eye are linked to activity in various parts of the brain. Memories are stored throughout the brain, ordered according to experience. Some are surface-level memories, easily accessed and touched, while others are hidden far deeper, stored in the areas of the brain reserved for the unconscious mind and highly emotional experiences.

During a brainspotting session, a trained therapist guides their client through a series of movements of the eyes. They ask questions about traumatic events and check in to understand how the client is feeling. The goal is to identify the position of the eyes that allows the greatest access to highly guarded traumatic memories.

How Traumatic Memories Are Stored

When we experience trauma, the brain sends a signal to the body to produce stress hormones like cortisol. This is part of the human body’s natural response to danger. It’s the fight-or-flight instinct. Our heart rate quickens and our breathing changes—at that moment,, even the way we store memories is altered.

We might be able to consciously recall those traumatic memories, but because they’re associated with danger, our bodies remember that discomfort and remain vigilant for it. Memories like those can be triggered by smells, sounds, or even sensations that remind us of them. I describe our brain as a landscape because these memories occupy a physical space in our bodies.

These areas where our traumatic memories are stored are called ‘brain spots.’

Healing Old Wounds

Once a ‘brain spot’ has been identified, the therapist and client can work together to reprocess the event. By doing so in a safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment, we can change how our traumatic memories are stored. During a brainspotting session, clients generally have enhanced recall of the traumatic event, but they are able to remember and visualize it in a way that does not trigger that fight-or-flight response. As simple as that, the unconscious triggers of the memory can be modified and healed.

Brainspotting relies, in essence, on the adaptability and elasticity of our brain. The brain’s ability to self-heal is astounding. It’s the ability to leverage that power that makes brainspotting so effective.

What Issues Can Be Treated with Brainspotting?

While Brainspotting was developed based on the pioneering work of other trauma-focused therapies, it is used to treat a wide range of emotional and psychological problems. A few of the areas Brainspotting is particularly effective include:

  • Anxiety

  • Attachment Trauma

  • Childhood Trauma

  • Complex Trauma

  • Depression

  • Emotional Dysregulation

  • Grief

  • Phobias \ Fears

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Substance Abuse

In addition, Brainspotting is also effective in resolving performance anxiety and enhancing performance in areas such as sports, public speaking, and the arts.

Because Brainspotting takes advantage of the natural, innate adaptability of the human brain, it does not rely on any medication to be effective. As a result, it can complement pharmacological treatments without any negative side effects.

Schedule a Consultation

It’s exciting as a therapist to enable my clients to tap into their own innate ability to heal and to guide them on that journey. You don’t have to let old traumas dictate how you live your life. Reach out today to schedule a consultation for brainspotting.

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