Brainspotting is a treatment that allows the client to identify, process and release trauma/emotions/memories that are stored in the brain and body. This process uses both eye movement and somatic experience to target experiences and symptoms that are out of reach of the conscious mind.
The idea of brainspotting is to target the memory and feelings from traumatic events that are “stuck” in the body. Brainspotting targets the midbrain that is responsible for vision, sleep, hearing and motor control.
“Where you look affects how you feel.” This quote encompasses the theme of Brainspotting to explain that our memories/traumas/experiences are received through our vision and stored in our brain and body. This explains the motive for the brain-body experience of Brainspotting.
The process is simple in terms of getting started. The main goal is to connect the memory/feelings to the somatic symptoms. Once you recognize where in the body you are holding the trauma/feelings, the therapist will direct and assist you in multiple ways to find where the “brainspot” is. Once this is done, you will hone into the somatic experience and allow your body and brain to process the memory/trauma.
Brainspotting can last anywhere from 15 minutes to an entire session. This depends on what the client prefers and how they would like to experiment with it.
Anyone can. It addresses a large variety of concerns. Brainspotting is extremely useful as a trauma therapy tool. But clients who are experiencing feeling “stuck” can use this as a tool to move through experiences, memories, anxieties that they haven’t been able to experience relief from.
Both use the position of eye movement in relation to the trauma/stored memory. EMDR has more regimented sequences and phases that you have to move through during the treatment. Brainspotting allows the client's process to happen independently. The client can process through numerous things while EMDR focuses on one trauma at a time. Brainspotting also has greater flexibility than EMDR. These are things to consider when deciding which treatment to pursue.
Brainspotting with David Grand, Ph. D.