If you’re exploring trauma therapy options, you may have come across two innovative approaches: Brainspotting (BSP) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Both therapies are highly effective for processing trauma, but they take different paths to healing. Let’s dive into what sets them apart and how you can figure out which might be the best fit for your needs.

What is Brainspotting (BSP)?

Brainspotting is a newer therapy, created by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It evolved from EMDR, combining elements of neuroscience, mindfulness, and somatic experiencing. At its core, Brainspotting works on the idea that “where you look affects how you feel.” During a session, your therapist helps guide your eye movements to find a “brainspot” – a specific point in your field of vision that is linked to the trauma or emotional experience you're trying to process. The body often gives clues to where this brainspot is, through subtle signs like tension or discomfort.

The beauty of Brainspotting is that it lets you process trauma without needing to talk through every detail. For people who aren’t ready or able to verbally relive their trauma, this can be a huge relief.

What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

EMDR, developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, is a more established method in trauma therapy. It follows a structured, eight-phase protocol designed to help you reprocess traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation – usually in the form of guided eye movements, but sometimes with tapping or audio cues.

During EMDR, you'll focus on recalling distressing events while simultaneously following a visual or auditory stimulus. Over time, this helps your brain reprocess those traumatic memories, so they become less overwhelming and easier to live with.

Key Differences Between Brainspotting and EMDR

Let’s break down the main ways these two approaches differ:

1. Methodology

• Brainspotting: It’s flexible and intuitive, focusing on locating brainspots linked to trauma. It’s more about following your body’s natural ability to heal at its own pace. The therapist speaks little and does not interrupt processing at specific points. Brainspotting utilizes bilateral music to integrate the two brain hemispheres during processing.
• EMDR: This therapy is more structured, using a step-by-step approach. Bilateral stimulation (e.g. eye movements, tapping) is key, and the process is guided by specific phases that the therapist will say each time they interrupt the processing.

2. Client Experience

• Brainspotting: You won’t need to verbalize the trauma (though you can if this helps you process), making it less intrusive. You’re encouraged to focus on internal sensations, which may feel more intuitive for some.
• EMDR: You’ll actively engage with your memories and might need to talk about traumatic events, which can be both therapeutic and challenging, depending on your comfort level.

3. Focus of Therapy

• Brainspotting: Targets trauma stored deep within the body and brain, making it ideal for those who experience trauma physically, or for those who feel stuck after trying other therapies.
• EMDR: Works on changing how your brain processes traumatic memories, helping to desensitize emotional responses to past experiences.

4. Duration and Flexibility

• Brainspotting: It’s more fluid, with sessions varying in length and pace. The client drives the process, which makes it adaptable and sometimes easier to start immediately.
• EMDR: Sessions follow a more “protocolized” or somewhat rigid structure. While the protocol is efficient, it often requires several sessions of preparation before diving into trauma processing.

5. Resourcing

• Brainspotting: Uses the body’s own internal resources (such as, a sense of neutrality felt in the shoulders) to frame processing so that it feels safer. This allows for the client and therapist to begin brainspotting as early as the first session.
• EMDR: The second phase in the EMDR protocol focuses on teaching the client resources to contain the processing experience they will have in the subsequent sessions. Examples of these are visualizing a container, or a calm space. This phase can take several sessions to fully instill the resources. 

Which Approach is Best for You?

Brainspotting might be right if you:

• Find it hard to put your trauma into words, or have preverbal trauma.
• Experience physical symptoms related to trauma, like tension or chronic pain.
• Have tried other therapies but still feel stuck in your healing journey.
• Want a less structured, more client-driven approach to therapy.

EMDR might be right if you:

• Are ready to face and reprocess traumatic memories head-on.
• Like a structured, step-by-step approach to therapy.
• Can name the cognitions/thoughts around targeted memories.

Ultimately, both Brainspotting and EMDR offer powerful paths to healing trauma. Which one is right for you depends on your unique needs and where you are in your healing journey. At Creative Solutions Therapy and Coaching Collective, our therapists are trained in these methods and can help guide you toward the best approach for your situation. Whether you're looking for structure or flexibility, we’re here to support you every step of the way.