Releasing Emotional Weight: How Brainspotting Can Help You Move Forward

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a therapeutic approach that can support trauma recovery by identifying specific eye positions that connect to stored traumatic memories in the brain. Developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003, this therapy works on the principle that "where you look affects how you feel." Brainspotting allows you to access, process, and release trauma that has been stored in the body and brain. It's particularly effective for those struggling with unresolved trauma, including and overwhelming experiences and memories (Grand, 2013).

How Trauma Affects the Nervous System

When you experience something traumatic, your body's alarm system—the nervous system—can get stuck in "danger mode." This means you might feel constantly on edge, jumpy, exhausted, or numb. Your body holds onto these trauma responses long after the danger has passed. Brainspotting helps reset this system by allowing your brain to process trauma in a natural way, helping your body realize that you're now safe. This calming of the nervous system is essential for healing from trauma (Corrigan & Grand, 2013).

How is Brainspotting Helpful in Treating Trauma?

Trauma can get "stuck" in your brain and body, making it difficult to move forward with your life. Often, traumatic memories aren't properly stored like normal memories; instead, they stay "active" in your system, causing ongoing distress. When something reminds you of the trauma, even subtly, your body might react as if the danger is happening all over again.

Brainspotting helps your brain find and process these stuck memories. By focusing your eyes on specific spots that trigger emotional responses, you can access these memories directly through your brain's natural processing abilities, rather than having to talk through everything in detail (Grand, 2013; Hildebrand et al., 2017).

Reconnecting to Your True Self Through Brainspotting

Trauma can make you feel disconnected from yourself, like you're just going through the motions of life or watching it happen from a distance. This disconnection is a natural protection against overwhelming experiences. Brainspotting helps you reconnect with your authentic self by clearing away the emotional "static" caused by trauma. As the brain processes these difficult memories, many people report feeling more present, grounded, and connected to themselves and others. This reconnection helps restore your sense of who you truly are beyond the trauma you've experienced (Grand & Goldberg, 2017).

What You Can Expect in Brainspotting:

In Brainspotting therapy, the goal is to help you process traumatic memories that may be affecting your daily life. Here's what typically happens during this treatment:

1. Building Trust and Safety

We will first create a comfortable environment where you feel secure. It will be explained how Brainspotting works and you’ll be provided the opportunity to answer any questions you may have.

2. Emotional Exploration

Together, we will identify which issues or memories you want to work on. As you briefly focus on this material, I will help you find specific eye positions ("brainspots") where you feel the strongest connection to these emotions or sensations in your body (Corrigan & Grand, 2013).

3. Processing Memories

Once a brainspot is located, you'll simply hold your gaze on that spot while your brain naturally processes the traumatic material. Unlike some therapies, you don't need to talk continuously about what happened or how you feel. Your brain does the work while I provide support and guidance. Many people experience shifts in their body sensations, emotions, or thoughts during this process (Grand, 2013).

4. Emotional Integration

As processing occurs, you may notice physical sensations changing, emotions shifting, or new insights emerging. I will help you notice and integrate these changes. This integration helps your brain store the traumatic memory as a past event rather than an ongoing threat (Hildebrand et al., 2017).

5. Reconnecting with Your True Self

Many people report feeling lighter, clearer, and more present after Brainspotting sessions. As trauma is processed, you may reconnect with parts of yourself that were overshadowed by trauma. This reconnection can lead to improved self-understanding, greater emotional balance, and a stronger sense of personal agency (Grand & Goldberg, 2017).

If you have questions or would like to learn more about Brainspotting, I encourage you to click here to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call.

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References

• Corrigan, F., & Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation. Medical Hypotheses, 80(6), 759-766.

• Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: The revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change. Sounds True.

• Grand, D., & Goldberg, A. (2017). This is your brain on Brainspotting. The Neuropsychotherapist, 5(1), 54-63.

• Hildebrand, A., Grand, D., & Stemmler, M. (2017). Brainspotting – the efficacy of a new therapy approach for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in comparison to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 5(1), 1-17.