Brainspotting, what is it and how can it help me?
Do you find yourself feeling stuck? Maybe you’ve even tried therapy before and it just hasn’t felt as helpful as you thought it would be. You may find yourself struggling with intrusive thoughts or anxieties that just won’t go away. Brainspotting can help.
Brainspotting, overall, is an evidence-based treatment modality used to treat a wide variety of concerns from trauma to anxiety to compulsions.
We know that where we look is connected to how we feel, and there are certain spots in our visual field, called brainspots, that are more connected to certain thoughts or feelings than other spots. Brainspotting is the intentional finding and looking at those spots to help support processing thoughts and emotions to help individuals feel better.
As we grow and age, we collect a lot of “rubbish” in our brain like the picture to your right exemplifies. These are often negative thoughts about ourself or the world, anxieties about things, or just other maladaptive thought patterns that we pick up and have a difficult time shaking.
Brainspotting is a useful tool to shake out and get rid of some of that rubbish. It can be helpful in processing the negative thoughts and attuning more to the helpful and supportive thoughts. It can help process past trauma, future anxieties, and current stressors.
That doesn’t sound real…
So, we are telling you that you are going to look at a spot in your visual field, stare at it, and you are going to feel better. That sounds like magic or something that doesn’t exist.
You’re right! Brainspotting is a modality that does sound a little weird to most people at first, mostly because we typically come from the notion that healing has to be hard or painful, or that we have to spend hours and hours and years and years in therapy rehashing old problems for them to feel a tiny bit better. Let’s go ahead and put those assumptions on a shelf for a minute.
Brainspotting is evidence-based, which means that we know that it works. It has been around for over 20 years and has over 20 years of research to back it up. At our clinic, we highly value evidence-based modalities because we want you to know that the treatment you are receiving is going to be worth your investment of time and money and is actually going to be helpful to you at the end of the day.
This modality is backed by science and years of research, but also relies heavily on the attunement between the therapist and the client. The therapist is with you the entire way to ensure that you are staying within your window of tolerance and that some sort of movement is happening. Our therapists go through extensive training to be able to perform modalities like Brainspotting, and have a whole “bag of tricks” up their sleeve to ensure that we not only find your brainspot, but that it is tolerable and as gentle as possible.
Who can Brainspotting be used for?
The short answer is anyone. Brainspotting is a very adaptable modality that can be used for most clients with most presenting issues. Just like no two individuals are the same, no two brainspots are the same. Brainspotting is adaptive to each individual and each individual concern and can be used with children and adults!
Can Brainspotting be used via telehealth?
Yes! Brainspotting, again, is highly adaptable and can be used both in-person and virtually. This means you can find healing from the comfort of your own home if you choose!
Does Brainspotting entail a lot of talking?
No! This is one of the more unique aspects of Brainspotting. You do not need to rehash all your old thoughts or talk explore every area of concern with your therapist. You can share what you want to share and our therapists leave plenty of space for that, but not sharing is also a choice!
How do I know if Brainspotting is right for me?
Schedule a consultation with our Brainspotting therapist! They would be happy to answer all of your questions, talk you through what to expect, and could tell you a little bit about how it could be helpful with your specific concerns. Our consultations are always complimentary and there is no obligation to move forward if you don’t feel like it is a good fit. You can also learn more about our Brainspotting therapist here.
What other modalities are there?
Brainspotting is just one of many evidence-based modalities. Another popular modality that can support with similar concerns is EMDR. You can learn more about EMDR here.