Brainspotting is a method of processing and releasing the emotions, memories, and triggers associated with traumatic or distressing experiences.

When we experience something difficult, that information is stored not just in our minds as a conscious memory, but also in our bodies and nervous system as sensations. Think about the pit you get in your stomach or the tightness in your chest when you remember a painful moment.

Even if you can logically understand that the moment has ended, your body and your nervous system still respond as if it’s happening now. It’s like the feeling gets “stuck” in your body, and all the logic in the world can’t help to get it unstuck.

This is where Brainspotting can help. Research on trauma has uncovered that our eye movement and eye position is directly connected to memory processing. Have you ever noticed when you ask someone a question, their eyes might move up and to the left? That’s because certain eye positions help our brains to recall details more clearly!

During a Brainspotting session, I will assist you to focus on the memory or sensation you want to process. Next, I will use a pointer to help guide your eyes to a spatial area (such as up, down, left or right) where that memory or sensation feels the most intense. This is the “brain spot.” While you hold your eyes on that spot, I will assist you to process the memory in a way that allows your brain to “tap into” its natural capacity for healing. It is similar to being in a state of focused mindfulness, like during meditation or sleep. You will be fully aware of your thoughts and feelings but better able to access them and gain new insights at the same time.

Many people who experience Brainspotting feel a profound “shift” afterward; although the memory still exists, Brainspotting helps to take out the “emotional charge,” so that you are better able to tolerate having the memory or thought. Because Brainspotting uses the innate capacities of the brain in a gentle and direct way, it can speed up our ability to heal and overcome past traumas and mental blocks.

As a trained Level 2 Brainspotting practitioner, I can offer Brainspotting as part of the overall treatment plan for those interested in experiencing it and the powerful healing it can provide.