Brainspotting Therapy

What Is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a focused trauma-processing method that works by identifying specific eye positions connected to unprocessed emotional experiences.

When we experience trauma or overwhelming stress, the brain and body can hold onto that activation at a subcortical (non-verbal) level. Brainspotting helps access and process those stored experiences in a way that does not rely heavily on talking through every detail.

The premise is simple: where you look affects how you feel. By locating a “brainspot” — a specific eye position linked to activation — we can access deeper areas of the brain involved in trauma and emotional regulation.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

During a Brainspotting session, we identify an area of activation in the body (such as tightness, anxiety, or emotional distress). Using a pointer or guided eye positioning, we locate the eye position that corresponds with that internal experience.

Once identified, you maintain a soft gaze on that spot while allowing your brain and body to process. There is no forced reliving or intense verbal analysis. The work happens largely at the nervous system level.

Brainspotting allows the brain’s natural processing capacity to engage — similar to how the brain processes during REM sleep — but in a contained and supported therapeutic environment.

What Does a Brainspotting Session Look Like?

Brainspotting sessions are calm and focused.

After identifying a target issue or activation point, we locate a corresponding brainspot. You then maintain attention on that position while noticing internal experiences — thoughts, emotions, body sensations — without judgment.

The process is paced carefully. You remain fully aware and in control at all times.

Some sessions are quiet and reflective. Others may involve insight or emotional release. The emphasis is on allowing the nervous system to process rather than forcing cognitive understanding.

What Can Brainspotting Help With?

Brainspotting may be helpful for:

• PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
• Anxiety and chronic stress
• Attachment wounds
• Religious trauma
• Performance blocks
• Emotional overwhelm
• Somatic distress
• Grief and unresolved experiences

It is particularly useful for individuals who feel that talk therapy alone has not fully resolved persistent emotional or physiological activation.

Brainspotting and Nervous System Regulation

Trauma is not only a story — it is a body-based experience.

Brainspotting works beneath the level of analytical thinking, accessing deeper brain regions involved in survival responses and emotional regulation. By allowing the brain to process stored activation, clients often experience reduced reactivity and increased stability over time.

Brainspotting may be integrated with EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), CBT, DBT, or Neurofeedback depending on your goals and treatment plan.

Cost & Insurance

Brainspotting is provided within standard therapy sessions.

If you are using insurance, Brainspotting may be integrated into covered therapy services depending on your plan. If receiving private-pay therapy, standard individual session rates apply.

Please contact the office to confirm current insurance participation and coverage.

Is Brainspotting Right for Me?

If you feel that certain emotional reactions feel automatic, intense, or difficult to access verbally, Brainspotting may provide a pathway for deeper processing.

It is especially helpful for individuals who prefer a more focused, body-based approach to trauma resolution.

If you would like to explore whether Brainspotting is appropriate for your goals, please reach out to schedule a consultation.