Brainspotting 101

When I say the word “Brainspotting”, most people respond with confusion: 

“Huh?” 

“What in the world does that mean?”

And once, I even got… “Are... are you a witch?” 

In all seriousness, although we all have an innate ability to engage in the self-scanning and healing process that brainspotting offers, the intentional use of the technique is new to many. The process works by identifying, processing, and releasing what your mind/body has held onto that no longer serves you. 

A typical Brainspotting session starts with the client choosing a topic to focus on (a painful memory, a negative self-belief, a somatic response in their body, etc.). With the assistance from a trained professional, the client is instructed to look in different spots across their line of vision and simultaneously notice how their body responds to the different eye positions: this is where the tagline, “Where you look affects how you feel” comes from! Clients innately notice a difference in how their body responds to the different spots. 

Clinicians often use a pointer in order to help clients hone in on a specific spot.

(copyright: HILLARYJEANNEPHOTOGRAPHY 2019)

As the client and therapist/professional engage in this process, they are actually connected relationally, as well as neurobiologically- this allows the clinician to support the client by sharing their own self-regulation, intuition, and curiosity to create a space where true healing can take place. Working in a safe space (physically and relationally) allows clients to go deeper into the process than they would be able to on their own, using human connection to regulate themselves. 

When clients finish brainspotting in session, they continue to process outside of session. Their systems continue to engage in processing, reorganizing, and releasing information- this allows for new neural pathways to be created, which leads to healing. 

Brainspotting helps us to be curious and notice what is happening within ourselves rather than needing to fix or problem-solve. The best part is: since it is an innate process, each client is the expert of their own process- the relationship with the professional helps them to access the ability they naturally had within themselves all along!