Brainspotting Therapy

A body-based approach that locates and processes trauma held in the nervous system.

Brainspotting was developed by Dr David Grand in 2003, emerging from his work with EMDR. It is based on the principle that where you look affects how you feel, and that specific eye positions correspond to areas of stored emotional and neurological activation in the body and brain. It is particularly powerful for trauma, performance issues, and emotional experiences that are difficult to articulate in words.

How It Works

During a Brainspotting session, the therapist helps you identify a relevant issue and locate the associated body sensation. Using a pointer, the therapist guides you to find your brainspot, the eye position that activates the greatest charge in relation to the issue. You hold your gaze there while the therapist provides dual attunement. Biolateral sound is often used to support the process.

Phases of Treatment

Identifying the presenting issue and body activation
Finding the brainspot
Sustained focused processing
Integration and titration

Who This Helps

Trauma and PTSD. Distress from frightening or overwhelming events that still feels present today.
Performance anxiety and blocks. Fear, freezing, or blocks that hold back your performance.
Creative blocks. Feeling stuck or unable to access your creative flow.
Somatic symptoms. Physical sensations and tension linked to unprocessed emotion.
Grief and complicated loss. Loss that feels stuck, prolonged, or especially hard to move through.
Anxiety and hypervigilance. Constant alertness and a nervous system that struggles to settle.
Experiences that are hard to put into words. Distress you feel strongly but cannot easily describe or explain.

What to Expect

Brainspotting is a quieter, more internal experience than traditional talk therapy. You do not need to narrate or analyse in detail; the processing happens beneath verbal language, at the level of the nervous system. Many clients describe a sense of release or shift following sessions.