Brainspotting - Tired of Traditional Psychotherapy?
Brainspotting
Brain based therapy is the fastest growing area in the field of psychological health. Brain based therapy has proven to immediately address issues which talk therapy can take years to heal. Brainspotting helps clients shift past deeply ingrained thoughts and behaviors and can be used for PTSD, OCD anxiety and grief among other issues. Brainspotting focuses on the brain body connection for healing.
“Brainspotting lets the therapist and client participate together in the healing process. It allows us to harness the brain's natural ability for self-scanning, so we can activate, locate, and process the sources of trauma and distress in the body.” Grand, David. “9.” Brainspotting: the Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change, 2013.
What is Brainspotting?
Our eyes and brain are intricately woven together. They are the primary way we orient ourselves to our environment. Brainspotting (BSP) uses a fixed eye position to engage the brain and body’s natural ability to heal itself. The brain works to naturally heal itself just as the body naturally heals a cut or a wound.
For more specific information on BSP follow this link to my "What is Brainspotting?" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeFnOdDvY_8
What is a Brainspot?
A Brainspot is a fixed eye position that connects with a felt sense in your body which triggers positive or negative emotions, trauma and memories. The body and brain stores and connects those emotions, trauma, and memories subcortically. Bringing together emotion and somatic sensation allows us to locate the Brainspot. A trained therapist identifies Brainspots through careful observation of the eyes and nonverbal responses during a session. A client can learn as early as the first session how to find the best eye position on their own. The direction in which you look can affect how you feel and access your memories. Have you ever rolled your eyes up when trying to recall a fact? That’s one example of how our eye position correlates to our stored memories.
Who developed Brainspotting?
Dr. David Grand, an internationally recognized trauma expert, developed Brainspotting (BSP). Dr. Grand developed BSP in 2003 while treating trauma survivors. He found a fixed eye position enabled clients to experience rapid improvement around their presenting issue both physically and mentally. After his success, Dr. Grand developed a formal training program for BSP. For more information about Dr. Grand, please see his website: https://brainspotting.com
What will happen during my Brainspotting session?
We will first identify the issue or challenge you wish to address by talking. We can start by using music and over-the-ear headphones. The bi-lateral stimulation music is designed to enhance your experience by calming you and activating both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously. For more information about its effectiveness see http://best-deals.bilateralsound.com/how-bilateral-sound-and-music-make-life-easier. While I provide headphones, you are welcome to use your personal headphones. I will use a pointer to guide your eyes to locate the Brainspot correlating to the presenting issue and a Brainspot where you feel more grounded and connected. Once we find the agreed upon eye position, the process begins. Together we can decide to start our work from a place of activation or a place of calm. From there, you guide the session. You can be silent, talk or a combination of those two. Follow the link below to watch a demonstration and quick overview of what to expect during a session: https://youtu.be/sUbwAroT9p0
How will I feel after my Brainspotting session?
You may feel a range of emotions. Clients have reported feeling happy, relief, tired, emotionally raw, heavy, light or euphoric. Many people report having new insights and perspectives immediately after their session. Follow this link to see my discussion on what to expect following a BSP session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_sKekzp_mk
Who can Brainspotting help?
Brainspotting (BSP) can help people with emotional and physical symptoms resulting from Stress, Anxiety, Dysregulation, and Trauma. It is also an effective and efficient treatment tool for, OCD, Phobias, Separation Anxiety, Insomnia, Stuck Thinking (a history of repeating negative thoughts or behaviors), Transgender, PTSD, Injury Recovery and Performance Issues, Physical and Emotional Trauma, just to name a few. BSP can be used for children, adolescents or adults. For more information, see Dr. Grand’s videos: What is a Brainspot? Who does Brainspotting work with? and As a Client, why choose Brainspotting?
There are many other areas in which BSP can help. I invite you to call or email me to see if BSP would be a viable form of treatment for you.