Looking to Heal with Brainspottingby Kiki Leonard

Brainspotting is a relatively new technique to help people heal from traumatic experiences.  It’s one of many different Brain-Body tools counselors use to treat trauma and help people get “un-stuck”. So, what makes this technique unique? Brainspotting works through a deceptively simple concept: eye position. Essentially, it’s based on the idea that where you look affects how you feel. 

I don’t know about you, but when I first heard this, I had a lot of doubts. How can something so simple as where I’m looking really change my mindset? Interestingly, research has shown that when our brains encode memory, they encode eye position as well. In other words, when we store a new memory, our brains automatically save where our eyes were looking in that moment. This creates a link in our minds between the memory and our eye position. 

Brainspotting works by finding a relevant eye position that coordinates with the trauma that a person wants to reprocess. Once this spot is identified, the therapist holds a pointer on the spot as a placeholder, and the client takes notice of what comes up for them. 

This brings us to another core Brainspotting concept: our brains innately know where to go to heal. Once we’re fixed on a spot, our brains will naturally start trying to work things out. We may have memories, thoughts, sensations, or feelings come up as our brains process. Some of these may seem unrelated or random, but if we trust that our brain is giving us helpful information, we may start to see underlying patterns emerge. This makes for an incredibly client-led process, with the therapist supporting and holding space for the client along the way. 

Another cool aspect of Brainspotting is that it doesn’t stop when the session is over. In fact, our brains continue to reprocess and reorganize for up to a week afterwards, below our conscious awareness. Many people who undergo Brainspotting report that they have increased capacity or space to manage trauma; for some, they feel the trauma has lost its “sting”. 

Trauma can be incredibly difficult to treat at times because of the natural defenses it fosters. Brainspotting is a gentle way to bypass some of those natural defenses and allow the brain a safe enough environment to explore and heal. This technique isn’t for everyone, but if you’re interested in deepening your healing, this may be an avenue to consider. If you would like more information, check out this Brainspotting Q&A along with a brief demo by Cynthia Schwartzberg. If you’re interested in seeing if Brainspotting is a good fit for you, feel free to reach out to us – Abby, Monica, and I are all trained Brainspotters, and we would love to help you on your healing journey.