Brainspotting · 7 min read
Brainspotting 101: what it is, what it isn't.
Brainspotting is one of those modalities that sounds either too simple or too strange when you first hear it described. So here's the honest version.
The short version
Brainspotting uses fixed eye position to access and process material the thinking brain can't get to on its own. The premise: where you look affects how you feel. Hold your gaze on a specific point in your visual field, and the nervous system can begin to release whatever has been stored there - trauma, performance blocks, grief, the stuff you can feel but can't name.
What a session actually looks like
We start by talking, like any other session. Then we identify a felt-sense - an emotion, a body sensation, a memory. With a pointer (or, in telehealth, an on-screen cue) we find the spot in your visual field where the activation is strongest. You hold the gaze, I hold the space, and your system does the work. It's quieter than most therapy. It's also often more direct.
What it isn't
- It isn't hypnosis. You stay fully aware the whole time.
- It isn't a quick fix. It's a tool inside an ongoing therapy relationship.
- It isn't only for capital-T trauma. It's useful anywhere you feel stuck in a way you can't explain.
Does it work over telehealth?
Yes. Brainspotting was actually one of the easier modalities to translate to video, and a large body of practitioners (myself included) use it virtually with strong results. You can read more about how I use it in my Brainspotting therapy service page, or see how it fits into trauma therapy and anxiety treatment.
Curious if it's right for you?