What Is Brainspotting (BSP)?
Brainspotting is a gentle, brain-based therapy that helps your mind and body process painful memories, traumatic experiences, and strong emotions in a way that traditional talk-only approaches sometimes can’t. Rather than relying mainly on words and analysis, Brainspotting uses the natural connection between your eyes, body, and nervous system to help your brain access and release what has been held deep inside.
Here’s How It Works:
When we experience trauma or emotional pain, the memory and physical sensations of that experience can become “stuck” in the brain and body. Brainspotting helps you find a specific eye position that’s connected to that stored emotional experience. When you hold your gaze at that position, while mindfully noticing what comes up inside you, your brain naturally begins to process and release what it has been holding.
Instead of forcing you to relive painful events or explain them in detail, Brainspotting invites your body’s own wisdom and your therapist’s support to guide the healing.
Why This Works for Trauma
Your brain stores different kinds of experiences in different parts. Some traumatic or overwhelming experiences aren’t easily reached through talking alone. Brainspotting helps access those deeper parts of the brain—especially the ones that hold emotional and physical reactions—so that healing can happen more fully and naturally.
This makes Brainspotting especially helpful for:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and overwhelm
- Body sensations connected to emotion
- Persistent emotional responses that feel “stuck”
- Intense memories you’ve had trouble letting go of
- Experiences that don’t make sense in words alone
Your therapist works alongside you to find these meaningful eye positions—or “brainspots”—and helps you stay supported as your nervous system does the deeper work of healing.
What You Might Notice in a Session
In Brainspotting, you’ll be invited to notice:
- Body sensations
- Emotions
- Images or memories
- Thoughts that arise while you focus gently on the spot
You might feel shifts in your body, in your mood, or in how you relate to an old memory over time. Many people notice these changes gradually still unfolding even after the session ends.
What Makes Brainspotting Different
Unlike some therapies that focus mainly on talking through your experience, Brainspotting works with your body’s innate ability to heal itself by accessing deeper parts of the brain where trauma is held. The process is mindful, relational, and paced according to your comfort and safety.
This doesn’t mean you won’t talk about your experience—it means your brain and body have room to process the memory in ways that go beyond words alone.
Who Can Benefit
Brainspotting can be helpful for people dealing with:
- Trauma or complex trauma
- Attachment wounds
- Anxiety or panic
- Somatic (body-based) symptoms
- Grief and loss
- Emotional overwhelm
It can even support healing when the memory of what happened isn’t fully conscious or easy to describe.