Brainspotting
Therapy
Brainspotting Therapy
Brainspotting is a mind-body therapy that helps clients access and process emotional distress, trauma, and negative memories stored in the deeper, non-verbal parts of the brain. Developed in 2003 by psychotherapist David Grand, the technique is founded on the idea that "where you look affects how you feel". During a session, a therapist helps a client find "brainspots"—specific fixed eye positions that correlate with the body's physical and emotional activation of a traumatic issue. By maintaining a steady gaze on that spot, the client can process the memories and emotions at a deeper, neurological level, allowing the brain to heal itself. The therapy is often used for PTSD, anxiety, and depression and is sometimes enhanced with bilateral sounds to facilitate deeper healing.
Brainspotting is also used in sports and performance enhancement to address and overcome mental blocks and performance anxiety. Brainspotting can help athletes and performers process and release the underlying causes of repetitive performance problems, such as the "yips" or hesitancy after an injury. Alternatively, the expansion component of Brainspotting specifically helps foster flow states, boost confidence, and create positive associations, allowing athletes to expand their potential and perform "in the zone.”
