I have been a licensed therapist for six years and had never heard of brainspotting. I saw a short post on social media that mentioned brainspotting and decided to do some research as to what brainspotting actually was. I will use BSP for short when mentioning brainspotting.
After doing some brief research on BSP, I quickly realized this form of therapy would be incredibly beneficial for many of my clients. BSP focuses on processing from the subcortical brain, the very deep center part of the brain where trauma is stored. BSP is a brain-body modality that focuses on the neurophysiological sources of emotional pain and physical pain. This makes it a great tool to use when treating individuals who often experience chronic pain. BSP is often used with injury, such as sport injury, because the individual can experience mental blocks from the trauma of that injury. Athletes who are having a difficult time returning to sport after injury, or who experience a mental block in their performance can benefit greatly from BSP.
David Grand, the founder of BSP, was originally trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing). Most individuals are familiar with, or have heard of EMDR and its use with trauma. While working with a figure skater, who experienced childhood trauma and was having difficulty executing a jump, he realized a different eye movement with her. She processed her trauma while focusing on a single spot held by his finger. Things came up for her that she had not remembered previously, and she was able to deeply process why she was unable to execute the jump. The next day at practice she successfully performed the jump and never had an issue with it again.
In session, the therapist uses a pointer (which resembles an antenna) to gage where a possible brainspot could be for the client. The pointer is held at eye-level and is slowly moved across the client’s visual field. The client follows the pointer with their eyes and during this time, the therapist can see visible alterations in the client’s face/eyes/body that alerts them to a brainspot. The client may also feel more intense physical sensations when they have hit on a brainspot, such as butterflies, headache, chest tightening, stronger emotions in different parts of the body. The brainspot is called a brainspot because this is the area where the subcortical neuropathways open up to access information that has been deeply tucked away.
BSP is a deeply relational type of therapy. The therapist stays attuned to the client throughout the session and the therapist holds space for the client in order for them to deeply process whatever arises for them. The power of the therapeutic relationship is amazing. The therapist limits their talking and there can be long periods of silence to allow for the client to stay connected to their process.
Some clients find relief after the first session, others may need multiple sessions to process. While participating in the BSP training, I was able to experience first-hand what BSP feels like and the positive effects it has on emotional and physical well-being. Everyone, everywhere, has experienced some type of trauma at some point in their life. We often carry our traumas with us, not ever recognizing them as such. Right now, during the pandemic and racial injustice, we are faced with various hardships that are shaping us in ways we have yet to really know. Our past traumas will impact how we adjust and cope with our present day experiences as well as our future.
If you are curious about BSP please reach out by emailing kelsey@kelseyruffingcounseling.com
References:
https://brainspotting.com/about-bsp/what-is-brainspotting/
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/brainspotting-therapy