Brainspotting for Healing

Brainspotting

Brainspotting is an effective 21st century trauma treatment.

And where you look affects how you feel, says Dr. David Grand the founder of Brainspotting (a social worker and psychotherapist) who has adapted Brainspotting from his therapeutic experience of Somatic Experiencing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

How Brainspotting was discovered

Brainspotting was discovered in 2003. The discovery happened somewhat serendipitously during a therapy session with a professional figure skater who was struggling with a difficult jump in her routine.

Dr. Grand, was using EMDR, a therapy that involves guiding a patient's eye movements to help them process trauma. During the session, he noticed that when the skater's eyes were in a certain position, she seemed to be more deeply connected to the traumatic memory of a bad fall she had experienced.

Intrigued by this observation, Dr. Grand asked the skater to hold her gaze in that position and found that it allowed her to process and release the trauma more effectively. The skater’s performance improved dramatically the next day. This was the first "brainspot," and it led Dr. Grand to develop Brainspotting as a new therapeutic approach.

The process

Brainspotting has a gentle, client centred approach. Often people who have experienced significant traumas do not want to talk about them and with Brainspotting we don't have to talk extensively to heal. We rely on the brain to know and provide what it needs. We can imagine the brain like a filing cabinet. Unprocessed trauma can be misfiled deep in our midbrain causing emotional or physical symptoms that haven't been accessed through other therapies. Brainspotting can locate the file, hold it open for them to then be emptied.

Sometimes we don't recall or understand our trauma experience or the past but we know that we just don't want feel like this anymore. This being things like feeling stuck, frozen, unregulated, anxious, depressed, addicted, relationship problems, or knowing something is wrong but unsure what or why.

Brainspotting can help with a wide range of challenges such as addictions, anxiety, attachment traumas, developmental traumas and mental health challenges such as PTSD.

But Brainspotting can also be used to improve wellbeing and performance particularly in athletes, you do not have to have trauma experiences to get the healing benefits.

What is a brainspot?

A brainspotting session is run by a trained therapist who creates a safe and supportive environment for a client to explore their emotions and experiences. By identifying an issue to work on a therapist then looks to identify a brainspot which is an eye position related to the activation of that issue which is often a traumatic or (emotionally-charged) issue.

We do this by using a pointer or pen like object in front of someone’s eyes. The therapist observes closely, watching for various reflexive signals in the client opposite them.

These reflexes tell the counsellor that a brainspot has been found.

What is a brainspot.

The BodyMind

We know that it's not enough to just talk about trauma, we have to get access to the deep, unconscious internal layers that can live like somatic fragments in the body. With Brainspotting we work with the deep brain and the body accessing autonomic and limbic systems within the body’s central nervous system. 

By holding attention to the brainspot we have found together we connect to the core neurophysiological sources of emotional/body pain, trauma, dissociation, and other symptoms. This helps to process and release emotions.

Facial expressions are often the strongest way someone shows a brainspot. Other reflexes could be:

• Coughs
• An eye or facial twitch
• Pupil changes
• Burps
• Swallows
• Yawns
• Foot movement
• Body shifting

What to expect

Often brainspotting can be a short-term treatment that involves 1-3 sessions that last approximately 60-90 minutes each. Sometimes more though. The purpose of a Brainspotting session is often to process through difficult memories and emotions, often related to traumatic experiences.

We can also combine Brainspotting with other types of therapy to help shift those stored files.

Here's a breakdown of what to expect when you book in for a Brainspotting session:

1. Connecting and getting to know you

Our first session may involve talking first to get to know each other, answer any questions and generally to build rapport and help you feel at ease. The key to Brainspotting is presence and attunement so we start in the first session developing a sense of trust and safety.

2. Practicing safety

We might practice some mindfulness or breath work initially as we may need tools throughout the sessions. This is to help you feel more at ease and prepared for any difficult thoughts, feelings, or memories that may come up.

3. I'll ask what it is that you want to heal or what is making you feel stuck

We want to stay focused on your goals so we will need to talk about some of the problems that you are bringing to therapy to heal but we do not have to do that extensively. You can think of it like the headings of the chapters in your life. I know that people have many chapters in their life and we can just focus on the ones that are keeping you from being your best self. Those chapters do not have to be thoroughly explained or understood to start Brainspotting. Just a willingness to be curious to initiate the change you are wanting.  

4. BodyMind

We will become more aware of the way your body responds to certain thoughts, memories or challenges.  And we curiously track these inner sensations throughout the session.  You will hear me say things like 'and what do you notice in your body when you connect to that...'.

5. Finding the brainspot

I will use a pointer and move it slowly in front of you, asking you to follow with your eyes and asking you to stop when you notice a strong emotion, a particular thought, a strong sensation or a difficult memory.

6. Gaze

Once you find a spot that gives a strong physical, emotional response or memory, you will be asked to hold your eyes in that spot. You then focus inward on your bodily sensations, as well as any emotions, thoughts, or memories that arise. You can hold the position with your eyes open or closed.

7. I will guide you to just be curious and observe what comes up

To get the release we are after we need to use mindfulness and bring our full awareness to what you’re experiencing in the present moment, even if it’s uncomfortable. We do this together. You may feel strong sensations, or discomfort or distress but I ask you to fully allow what is uncomfortable so that we can get to the otherside together where calm is. This is how we metabolise the trauma and integrate it for you to experience healing.

8. The debrief

At the end of the session we debrief and talk through the session, this allows for further integration and to make sense of the experience.

Final Thoughts

I believe Brainspotting is a powerful tool to integrate trauma and we do this by fully connecting to your mind, body and spirit. We know that healing is possible if we show up consistently with the right people to connect with curiosity and honesty to what is holding you back. But to create healing we must get to what is on the otherside of what is making you uncomfortable.

By using the 3 C's of change: consistency, commitment and connection together we can create change for you.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what to expect in a Brainspotting session. If you have any questions, please let me know!

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