Living with Obsessive-Compulsive Condition (OCD) can feel like being caught in an endless cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive urges. Whether it’s constant mental checking, reassurance-seeking, rituals, or intrusive “what if” scenarios, OCD is exhausting. Many people describe it as a “bully in the brain” that hijacks their sense of peace, focus, and freedom.
If you’re reading this, you may already know what that feels like, and you may also know how discouraging it can be to try to fight OCD on your own. The good news is that effective therapies exist, and one powerful approach that’s gaining recognition is Brainspotting.
In this post, I’ll share what Brainspotting is, how it works, and why it can be such a supportive and transformative option for people living with OCD.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a gentle, neuroscience-based therapy that helps people access and heal the emotional roots of distress. It was developed by Dr. David Grand and is based on the principle that “Where you look affects how you feel.” By using focused eye positions and mindful attention, Brainspotting helps you process experiences that may be “stuck” in the deeper parts of the brain and nervous system.
Brainspotting is not a talk therapy, as it is a somatic and body-based treatment. And while Brainspotting doesn’t require you to analyze or “figure things out,” it often leads to spontaneous insights and deeper self-understanding. This makes it an excellent option for those who value both somatic healing and insight-driven therapy.
OCD: More Than Just Thoughts
OCD is often described as a “thinking problem,” but at its core, it’s also an emotional and nervous system condition. Intrusive thoughts trigger overwhelming anxiety, shame, or fear. Compulsions, whether external rituals or internal mental loops, become coping strategies to try to reduce that distress.
This means that while traditional approaches like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) are helpful for shiifing our relationship with intrusive thoughts and compulsive thoughts or behaviors, brainspotting works with the nervous system to support actually feeling calmer and more at peace. Beneath the surface of OCD, there are often layers of unresolved shame, fear, or other unprocessed emotions.
Brainspotting can help reach those deeper roots, giving the brain and body space to release the “charge” that fuels intrusive thoughts and compulsions.
How Brainspotting Supports OCD Treatment
Here are some of the ways Brainspotting can be especially supportive for people living with OCD:
1. Accessing the Emotional Roots
OCD thoughts are rarely random. They often attach themselves to what matters most: your values, your relationships, your sense of morality or responsibility. This makes them feel extra distressing. Brainspotting allows us to explore the emotional undercurrents and life experiences that may have shaped how OCD shows up for you.
2. Regulating the Nervous System
When OCD flares up, the nervous system often shifts into “fight, flight, or freeze.” Brainspotting helps calm the body’s highly-activated responses, giving you more resilience in the face of intrusive thoughts. Many clients report a sense of spaciousness, calm, or clarity after sessions.
3. Reducing the Power of Intrusive Thoughts
In Brainspotting, we don’t have to challenge intrusive thoughts directly. Instead, we let the brain naturally process the unresolved material that makes them so sticky. Over time, thoughts that once felt terrifying may lose their charge and become easier to let pass by.
4. Working With Shame and Self-Criticism
OCD often comes with painful shame: “Why can’t I just stop?” “What kind of person would even think this?” Brainspotting provides a compassionate space to soften those inner attacks. It allows your nervous system to shift from self-judgment toward greater self-acceptance and healing.
5. Complementing Other Treatments
Brainspotting doesn’t replace other evidence-based therapies for OCD; it enhances them. If you’re already doing CBT or ERP, Brainspotting can support the emotional and nervous system work that makes those approaches more sustainable.
What a Brainspotting Session Looks Like
A Brainspotting session is client-centered, gentle, and paced at your comfort level. Together, we’ll:
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Identify an activating thought, feeling, or body sensation connected to OCD.
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Notice where you feel it in your body.
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Use eye positions (“brainspots”) that connect to the deeper processing parts of the brain.
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Allow your mind and body to process naturally, while I support and guide the process.
You don’t need to “figure it all out” or have the perfect words- talking is not even required for Brainspotting as the treatment is not based on verbal processing. Your brain and body know how to heal, and Brainspotting helps tap into that wisdom.
A Whole-Person, Depth-Oriented Approach
At Smart Therapy™, I view OCD not just as a set of symptoms to manage, but as part of a larger story; one that often involves your history, personality, and deep values. That’s why I can integrate Brainspotting alongside other depth-oriented and evidence-based therapies, including:
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Schema Therapy to uncover patterns and beliefs that fuel OCD.
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Emotion-Focused Therapy to connect with and process feelings in a safe way.
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Psychoeducation and CBT/ERP to give practical tools for daily life.
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Depth and Jungian Therapy to explore the symbolic and archetypal dimensions of OCD.
This multi-layered approach supports not just symptom reduction, but meaningful growth, resilience, and deeper self-understanding.
A Kind and Hopeful Path Forward
Healing from OCD is not about becoming a different person, it’s about reclaiming your freedom, your values, and your peace of mind. Brainspotting offers a kind and powerful way to work with the roots of OCD, helping you move beyond fear and into greater clarity and self-trust.
If you’re curious about whether Brainspotting might support you, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you on this journey. Together, we can create a therapy space that is safe, compassionate, and uniquely tailored to your healing.
You don’t have to face OCD alone. Support is available, and transformation is possible.
At Smart Therapy™, I offer online Brainspotting sessions across Ontario, so you can access this powerful approach from the comfort of your own home.
If you’re ready to explore how Brainspotting could help you, reach out today to schedule a consultation.
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Meet Rebecca Steele, Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist (MA, MSW, RSW, CCC)
Rebecca is a Waterloo-based trauma therapist offering virtual counselling across Ontario. With over a decade of experience, she helps adults navigate trauma, anxiety, OCD (including “Pure O” presentations), and life transitions. Her insight-driven depth therapy approach supports self-understanding, emotional healing, and lasting change. Book an appointment or learn more about her online therapy services.
Located outside Ontario? You can explore Rebecca’s coaching and consulting offerings here.
