Brainspotting Therapy

“Where you look affects how you feel”.

What is Brainspotting Therapy?

Brainspotting Therapy™ (BSP) is a type of therapy that helps with emotional stress and trauma. It focuses on finding specific eye positions that relate to a person's emotional experiences. These eye positions, called "Brainspots," are connected to the activation of traumatic or emotionally charged issues in the brain. BSP allows access to parts of the brain that aren't usually reached through regular talk therapy. It combines body-based awareness, mindfulness, and the therapeutic relationship to help process and release stored traumas.

The Neurobiology of Brainspotting

Brainspotting accesses parts of the brain and affects its neuroplasticity that traditional talk therapy approaches alone cannot. The brain is capable of growing new cells throughout our life, this phenomenon also known as neurogenesis. Survivors of severe traumas have been shown to suffer from the shrinkage of their hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for storing and organization information. Effective therapeutic interventions have led to hippocampal growth of new brain cells in trauma survivors.

The Body is Memory

We feel and hold emotional pain in our bodies. Using Brainspotting, we are able to locate and access unprocessed trauma.

What is Brainspotting therapy for?

Brainspotting is a therapy used to treat a range of emotional, stress, anxiety and trauma-related issues.  Sessions can provide release for unresolved experiences, new insights, and greater emotional regulation. 

Try Brainspotting if you:

  • Struggle with anxiety, stress, or trauma

  • Haven't seen improvement with talk therapy

  • Don't want to keep discussing your trauma

  • Desire a more profound healing experience

  • Aim to enhance your self-confidence or performance

Areas that can be explored and processed in a Brainspotting session include:

  • Fears and phobias

  • Limiting beliefs/negative cognitions

  • Trauma (PTSD, complex, developmental)

  • Emotional regulation

  • ADHD/ADD

  • Stress / chronic pain

What happens in a Brainspotting session?

In a session, a client is asked to identify an issue they wish to work on.  They will be asked to focus on the issue and notice how that issue is felt in their mind and body.  We will determine the specific eye position associated with the problem.  By using focused mindfulness (processing), and the active network in the brain, the issue can be released where it is stored in the mind and body.  There is a resourcing and restabilizing process related to the issue that occurs.  The insights, clarity and self-awareness gained can also help one feel more connected to their higher Self.

How many sessions are suggested?

This varies from person to person.  Some people notice changes after one session for an issue, while others may need six to eight sessions before reporting changes.  The processing often occurs even after the session is done.  Issues can be explored in multiple sessions, using different eye positions for processing, resourcing and strengthening positive neural pathways.

What makes Brainspotting different from other types of therapy?

Traditional talk therapy approaches utilize a ‘top-down’ model where thoughts, feelings, behaviours are explored from the upper part of the brain (neocortex).  This relies on the person’s ability to recall, analyze, and process their thoughts and feelings.  Brainspotting uses a ‘bottom-up’ approach which uses the emotional brain (limbic system) to release the trauma from those deeper sub-cortical parts of the brain where the root of issues are stored.

More Resources

Video: https://youtu.be/jcqvyDfpxfM

Brainspotting Website: https://brainspotting.com/about-bsp/what-is-brainspotting/

Book: Brainspotting by David Grand, PhD (also check your local library): https://www.amazon.ca/Brainspotting- Revolutionary-Therapy-Effective-Change-ebook/dp/B00C2BYPNI

Podcast: Surrendering to Uncertainty - featuring David Grand, PhD

Research: https://www.brainspottingcanada.com/resources0

Source: Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change by David Grand, PhD.

Diane Hua-Stewart Psychotherapy

  • Registered Psychotherapist Ontario

  • Certified Brainspotting Therapist

  • Individual and Couples Counselling

  • Servicing Areas of the Greater Toronto Area and Across Ontario