At Kelsey Ruffing Counseling, we understand that post-concussive syndrome (PCS) can feel like an invisible injury that disrupts every part of your life. Long after the initial concussion, symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, sensory sensitivity, emotional dysregulation, and cognitive fog can linger—affecting your identity, functioning, and overall quality of life.
While medical care plays a vital role in the early stages, many individuals find themselves stuck in symptoms that traditional approaches alone do not fully resolve. This is where Brainspotting, one of our integrative mind-body therapies, can make a profound difference. Rooted in neuroscience, Brainspotting helps the brain process trauma, recalibrate the nervous system, and restore balance in areas affected by concussion.
At Kelsey Ruffing Counseling, we utilize Brainspotting to support nervous system healing, emotional regulation, and cognitive clarity—essential components in recovery from PCS.
Understanding Post-Concussive Syndrome
A concussion disrupts normal brain function and affects neural pathways involved in attention, mood regulation, memory, and sensory processing. Although many people recover within weeks, others experience lingering symptoms, including:
Chronic headaches
Neck or facial tension
Light and sound sensitivity
Sleep disruption
Mood swings or irritability
Anxiety or depression
Difficulty concentrating or recalling information
Persistent “brain fog”
These symptoms are not purely physical. The emotional and neurological impact of the injury can keep the nervous system stuck in a dysregulated state—fueling ongoing discomfort and preventing full recovery.
Because post-concussive syndrome affects both the brain’s structure and the body’s stress response, Brainspotting offers a uniquely effective pathway for healing.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting (BSP), developed by Dr. David Grand, is a therapeutic technique based on the concept that where you look affects how you feel. Eye positions, or “brainspots,” correspond to deep brain and body processes connected to unprocessed trauma, stored stress, or dysregulated activation.
During sessions with Kelsey Ruffing, MA, MS, LCPC, she will guide clients to locate these brainspots while maintaining a grounded, compassionate presence. This allows the subcortical brain—the area where trauma and overwhelm are stored—to process and release what has been trapped since the injury.
Brainspotting works directly with:
The subcortical brain (responsible for trauma and instinctive reactions)
The autonomic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze responses)
The somatic body memory system, where concussion-related symptoms often persist
Because PCS affects these exact systems, Brainspotting is exceptionally well-suited for recovery.
How Brainspotting Supports Post-Concussive Healing
1. Releasing Trauma From the Injury
Concussions often involve fear, overwhelm, physical shock, or sudden loss of control. Even sports injuries or accidental falls can create a traumatic imprint in the nervous system.
At Kelsey Ruffing Counseling, Brainspotting helps clients process the emotional shock and physiological freeze response that often remain unaddressed after a concussion. As these neural patterns release, many people experience a reduction in headaches, irritability, and tension.
2. Regulating an Overactive Nervous System
Post-concussive syndrome commonly disrupts the sympathetic nervous system, leading to:
Anxiety
Sensory overload
Migraines
Restlessness
Difficulty sleeping
Heightened sensitivity to stress
Brainspotting helps calm these systems by reducing neural overactivation and restoring parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) balance. Clients frequently report feeling more grounded, clear-headed, and stable as regulation improves.
3. Supporting Emotional and Cognitive Recovery
PCS affects far more than physical symptoms—it influences memory, mood, focus, and emotional tolerance. Brainspotting works with the parts of the brain that govern emotional stability and cognitive processing.
Many clients at Kelsey Ruffing Counseling experience improvements in:
Concentration
Processing speed
Emotional resilience
Mood regulation
Stress tolerance
As emotional distress lifts, physical symptoms often lessen as well.
4. Addressing Identity Loss and Quality-of-Life Changes
For athletes, high performers, students, and parents, a concussion can disrupt identity and confidence. Feeling “slower,” “different,” or “not myself” is deeply unsettling.
Brainspotting allows clients to process:
Identity disruption
Fear of long-term symptoms
Grief for lost abilities
The emotional weight of chronic discomfort
This emotional integration helps restore a sense of self, empowerment, and hope during recovery.
The Brainspotting Experience at Kelsey Ruffing Counseling
Brainspotting sessions are gentle, client-led, and deeply attuned. Clients do not need to retell or relive their injury. Instead, the brain’s natural healing intelligence guides the process, while the therapist provides grounding and containment.
Clients often describe sessions as:
Calming
Clarifying
Emotionally releasing
Physically relieving
Centering and restorative
Over time, the nervous system rebalances, symptoms soften, and cognitive clarity begins to return.
A Path Forward
Recovering from post-concussive syndrome can feel lonely and frustrating—but healing is possible. At Kelsey Ruffing Counseling, we combine brain-based therapies like Brainspotting with nervous system regulation, somatic approaches, and integrative mental health support to address the full picture of PCS.
If you’re struggling with lingering concussion symptoms, emotional overwhelm, or cognitive changes, Brainspotting may be a powerful next step on your path to recovery.
Kelsey Ruffing, MA, MS, LCPC
References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). https://www.apa.org
Broglio, S. P., Cantu, R. C., Gioia, G. A., Guskiewicz, K. M., Kutcher, J. S., Palm, M., & Valovich McLeod, T. C. (2014). National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement: Management of sport concussion. Journal of Athletic Training, 49(2), 245–265. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-49.1.07
Bryant, R. A. (2011). Post-traumatic stress disorder vs traumatic brain injury. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 13(3), 251–262. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2011.13.3/rbryant
Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: The revolutionary new therapy for rapid and effective change. Sounds True Publishing.
Grand, D., & Corrigan, F. M. (2014). Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation. Medical Hypotheses, 83(3), 322–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2014.06.006
Leddy, J. J., Haider, M. N., Ellis, M. J., & Willer, B. S. (2018). Exercise for sport-related concussion: A clinical commentary. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 17(8), 262–268. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000505
McCrory, P., Meeuwisse, W., Dvorak, J., Aubry, M., Bailes, J., Broglio, S., … Vos, P. (2017). Consensus statement on concussion in sport—the 5th International Conference on Concussion in Sport. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(11), 838–847. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097699
Meares, S., Shores, E. A., Taylor, A. J., Batchelor, J., Bryant, R. A., & Malhi, G. S. (2008). The prospective course of postconcussion syndrome: The role of mild traumatic brain injury. Psychological Medicine, 38(3), 447–456. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707000756
Shaw, N. A. (2002). The neurophysiology of concussion. Progress in Neurobiology, 67(4), 281–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-0082(02)00018-7
Silverberg, N. D., & Iverson, G. L. (2013). Is rest after concussion “the best medicine”?: Recommendations for activity resumption following concussion in athletes, civilians, and military service members. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 28(4), 250–259. https://doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0b013e31825ad658
Stewart, W. F., Kim, N., Ifrah, C. S., & Lipton, R. B. (2013). Symptom trajectories among patients with post-concussion syndrome: A longitudinal study. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 28(4), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0b013e3182555f0c
Tucker, R., & Ma, J. (2021). Emotional and psychological factors associated with persistent post-concussion symptoms: A systematic review. NeuroRehabilitation, 49(3), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-210056
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking Press.