What is Brainspotting?
A new therapy modality that developed out of EMDR, Brainspotting is a powerful approach designed to access and process emotional and psychological experiences that are deeply rooted in your brain and body.
Brainspotting emerged from the field of EMDR when Dr. David Grand discovered that a client’s eye position could access deeper processing zones in the brain, beyond traditional bilateral stimulation. While both therapies harness the mind-body connection and use focused eye positions to release trauma, brainspotting allows for more precise and sustained access to subcortical emotional material.
Some preliminary studies and clinical observations suggest that Brainspotting may lead to faster or more profound results than EMDR, particularly for complex trauma.
Focused and Highly Efficient
A brain-body therapy approach
Brainspotting is a focused and highly efficient, mindful and somatic approach that uses the brain-body connection to promote deep healing. Brainspotting is not talk therapy; healing doesn’t occur through verbal processing, but rather, through mindfulness and a deeper connection to your body. It may feel very different than any therapy you’ve experienced before.
Some clients report that after Brainspotting, they feel tired or drained, like they’ve done a mental or emotional workout. After a session, processing continues to occur for 48-72 hours, as positive neural networks strengthen within your nervous system.
What does Brainspotting Treat?
Brainspotting is a versatile treatment modality that can treat:
- Anxiety & phobias
- Social anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Grief
- Stress & burnout
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Inner child wounds
- Childhood trauma
- Relational or attachment trauma
- Addiction & substance misuse
- Body image issues
- Anger
The Brainspotting & EMDR Overlap
Brainspotting and EMDR share common roots, as both approaches were developed to help the brain and body process unresolved trauma and distress. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses structured sets of bilateral stimulation (often guided eye movements) to activate the brain’s natural healing processes.
Brainspotting grew out of EMDR when Dr. David Grand noticed that certain fixed eye positions could lead clients into a deeper, more sustained processing state. Instead of moving the eyes back and forth, Brainspotting uses stillness: we find a “brainspot”: a specific eye position linked to the emotional or physiological activation of a memory, and hold the gaze there. This allows the brain to zero in on the exact neural pathways holding the unprocessed material.
For some clients, this stillness creates more space for the nervous system to process without distraction. While EMDR often follows a set protocol, Brainspotting can be more open-ended, allowing for a personalized pace and direction. Many therapists and clients value Brainspotting for its flexibility and its capacity to reach material that feels “out of reach” in other modalities, making it a natural complement or alternative to EMDR.
Expansion Brainspotting
Expansion Brainspotting works to alleviate profound suffering, and strengthen self-worth and desired states of being.
Examples of desired states of being are the internal states of:
- Freedom
- Joy
- Peace
- Calm
- A sense of expanded possibilities
- Inner warmth and compassion
- Relief
- Gratitude
- Resilience & Capability
A trauma-informed adaptation, Expansion Brainspotting is good for everyone, including a great fit for those who have experienced complex trauma, sometimes called relational or attachment trauma (experiences of neglect, betrayal, emotional abuse, or toxic patterns in close relationships). Expansion Brainspotting still utilizes the brain-body connection, but is more based on equipping you with internal resources by cultivating a state of expansion, openness, and connection. From this state, you are able to focus less on the problem and more on the solution.
Expansion Brainspotting can treat all of the same issues as traditional Brainspotting (trauma, anxiety, depression, etc.), but with its focus on coping with emotions and getting in touch with inner capability, it’s also highly effective for grief, athletic or creative performance, and personal growth.
The word “expansion” in Expansion Brainspotting is key to its philosophy of healing. Trauma leads to contraction, getting smaller and tighter, pulling into yourself; expansion and openness is a sign of deep healing.
As a client at Smart Therapy, you can either focus solely on expansion work, traditional Brainspotting, or combine both traditional and Expansion Brainspotting in your treatment plan.
What are the results of Brainspotting?
Through Brainspotting, you can:
- Enhance your assertiveness
- Learn to self-soothe
- Increase awareness of how you feel, emotionally & physically
- Process trauma
- Cultivate a sense of peace
- Develop healthier self-esteem
- Experience inner child healing
- Improve interpersonal boundaries
- Decrease feelings of emptiness
- Improve on your performance goals (athletic, creative, etc.)
I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains
-Anne Frank
Brainspotting FAQ
1. Is Brainspotting right for me if I’ve tried other therapies?
Yes — Brainspotting can be effective even if you’ve tried other therapy approaches, including talk therapy or EMDR. Because it works directly with the brain-body connection and bypasses some of the defenses of verbal processing, it can reach experiences stored in deeper parts of the brain that other methods may not access as effectively. Many clients find it complements and enhances other therapeutic work.
2. How many Brainspotting sessions will I need?
There’s no set number of sessions — it depends on your goals, your history, and the complexity of the issues you’re working on. Some clients notice significant shifts within a few sessions, while others choose to integrate Brainspotting into longer-term therapy for ongoing support and deeper work. We can discuss a treatment plan together that fits your needs and pacing.
3. Does Brainspotting work in online therapy?
Yes. Brainspotting can be done very effectively in virtual sessions. Using a secure video platform, we can still identify your “brainspots” and guide you through the process. Many clients find online sessions just as powerful as in-person work, with the added benefit of being in the comfort of their own space.
4. Is Brainspotting safe if I have complex trauma?
Yes. Brainspotting is trauma-informed and can be adapted to your nervous system’s tolerance level. We go at your pace, ensuring that you feel safe and supported. For complex or relational trauma, we may incorporate Expansion Brainspotting, which emphasizes building internal resources, stability, and resilience before moving into more intensive trauma processing.