What Is Brainspotting?

What Is Brainspotting? A Closer Look at This Powerful Trauma Therapy

Brainspotting

If you've been exploring trauma-informed therapy options, you may have come across the term Brainspotting. It’s one of those modalities that sounds almost too simple to be effective—until you experience it. As someone who is deeply passionate about brain-based healing and emotional wellness, I wanted to break down what Brainspotting actually is, how it works, and who it’s for—so you can decide if it’s a fit for your own journey or someone you care about.

What Is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting (BSP) is a brain-body psychotherapy technique developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It was discovered somewhat by accident during one of his EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) sessions, when he noticed a client became deeply activated while staring at a fixed spot. That moment of “stuckness” turned out to be the door to deeper healing—and Brainspotting was born (Grand, 2013).

At its core, Brainspotting is based on the idea that “where you look affects how you feel.” Specific eye positions—called “brainspots”—can correlate with deeply stored emotional experiences in the subcortical brain, the part responsible for trauma response, motion, emotions, and learning (Verywell Mind, 2024). When clients focus on one of these spots while supported by a trained therapist, it can unlock and process trauma at a deeper, body-based level—often beyond the reach of traditional talk therapy.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

1. Locating the Brainspot

In session, a therapist will guide you to find a particular eye position that brings up emotional or physical discomfort. This “brainspot” often connects with an unresolved trauma or emotion stored in the nervous system.

2. Body Activation and Mindful Attention

As you focus on the spot, you’re encouraged to notice physical sensations or emotions that arise—maybe a tight chest, a racing heart, or a wave of sadness. These cues are part of your body’s stress response system, and the goal is to stay present with them as they process and integrate.

3. Bottom-Up Processing

Unlike talk therapy, which works top-down (starting with conscious thought), Brainspotting is a bottom-up approach. It begins in the body and midbrain, where trauma is often “frozen” in what Dr. Grand calls maladaptive homeostasis—a stuck state in which the nervous system tries to protect you, but ends up holding on to pain (Grand, 2013).

4. Healing and Integration

Clients often experience emotional release, reduced physical tension, and new insights—without needing to relive every detail of their trauma. The process is gentle, somatic, and self-paced.

How Does It Work?

What Makes Brainspotting Different?

Brainspotting is often compared to EMDR, and for good reason. Both are brain-based trauma therapies that use the visual field to access and resolve painful experiences. But while EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (like moving your eyes back and forth), Brainspotting stays with one specific eye position—and holds it—creating a powerful access point to deeper subcortical processing (Grand, 2013).

It’s also more fluid. There’s no rigid protocol. Some sessions use a therapist-identified “outside window,” while others let the client find their own “inside window” for deeper internal awareness.

Another unique feature? Brainspotting is often paired with BioLateral Sound—music that alternates gently between ears. This sound helps calm the nervous system and enhance processing.

What Can Brainspotting Help With?

Brainspotting isn’t just for trauma survivors (though it’s incredible for that). It’s been used effectively with:

• PTSD and complex trauma

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Depression and emotional dysregulation

• Chronic pain

• Substance use and addiction

• Attachment issues

• Performance blocks in athletes, artists, and professionals (Grand, 2013; Verywell Mind, 2024)

What Does a Session Look Like?

Each session is different, but here’s a general idea:

1. Grounding and Bilateral Sound

2.  You’ll often begin with calming breathwork or soft bilateral music to settle the nervous system.

3. Somatic Awareness

4.  You’ll identify where you feel distress in your body and rate it on a scale from 1 to 10.

5. Finding the Brainspot

6.  Using a pointer or the therapist’s hand, you’ll locate the visual point that brings up the strongest internal sensation.

7. Focused Processing

8.  From there, you stay with the sensation—letting thoughts, memories, emotions, or body cues arise organically. You don’t have to analyze or narrate; just notice and allow.

9. Integration and Reflection

10.  You’ll check in on how you’re feeling afterward, often noticing a shift in intensity or clarity. Some people feel energized, others deeply relaxed. And sometimes, emotions continue surfacing later (which is normal).

What Are the Benefits?

Brainspotting has been described as “emotional healing at warp speed” (Grand, 2013). Here are some commonly reported benefits:

• Relief from anxiety and depressive symptoms

• Reduced pain and muscle tension

• Fewer negative thought loops

• Improved emotional regulation

• Better sleep and focus

• Breakthroughs in performance and creativity

In a small comparative study, Brainspotting was found to outperform both EMDR and CBT, with participants continuing to improve even after therapy ended (Hilzinger, 2015).

Is Brainspotting Right for You?

If talk therapy has helped you gain insight but hasn’t fully moved the pain—or if you feel stuck, numb, or disconnected from your body—Brainspotting could offer a more embodied path forward.

It’s especially helpful if you:

• Have a history of trauma (even if you can’t recall the details)

• Feel emotionally overwhelmed, avoidant, or shut down

• Experience chronic physical symptoms tied to stress

• Want a deeper mind-body connection in your healing journey

Finding a Certified Brainspotting Therapist

Because Brainspotting requires specific training, it’s important to work with a certified practitioner. The official Brainspotting directory can help you find someone trained in BSP Phase 1 and 2, with clinical experience using the method.

In Closing

 Brainspotting is one of the most powerful tools I’ve seen for trauma processing. It has helped me personally, and professionally. It specifically honors the body-brain connection while bypassing the "overthinking brain". It realeases what has been trapped for too long. If you're curious, find a certified therapist and try it for yourself. Healing doesn't always have to be retelling your story—it can begin with simply looking in the right direction.

References

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

Verywell Mind. (2024). How brainspotting therapy works. https://www.verywellmind.com/brainspotting-therapy-8646627

Hilzinger, R. (2015). Effectiveness of Brainspotting in comparison with EMDR and CBT: A study on PTSD, anxiety and depression. [Unpublished study].