Brainspotting: A New Way of Supporting Trauma & Stress Healing
Healing doesn’t always happen through words alone. As a therapist, I’m constantly looking for tools that reach the places talk therapy can’t fully touch. That’s why I recently completed my Phase 1 Brainspotting certification, and I’m excited to bring this transformative approach to the people I work with.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain–body–based therapy developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It grew out of discoveries in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and sports/performance psychology. Dr. Grand noticed that clients often processed deeper material when their eyes paused at a particular spot in their visual field.
Those “brainspots” turned out to be windows into the body’s storage of trauma and emotional blocks. By holding a steady gaze on one of these points—while staying connected to a trained therapist—the nervous system can gently process experiences that words alone can’t reach.
Why I Added Brainspotting to My Practice
Over the years, I’ve met many people who felt stuck despite hard work in traditional talk therapy. They understood their stories, yet their bodies still carried tension, flashbacks, or a sense of dread. Brainspotting offers another doorway: it gives the body and brain space to complete unfinished healing.
It also fits beautifully with other modalities I use, like somatic work, yoga therapy, EMDR, and IFS. Each approach helps regulate the nervous system in different ways. Brainspotting is especially effective for finding and releasing what’s hiding beneath the surface.
Who Can Benefit
People often seek Brainspotting for:
Trauma or PTSD, including medical or relational trauma
Anxiety, panic, or chronic stress
Grief and complicated loss
Creative or performance blocks
Somatic symptoms connected to past experiences (tightness in the chest, stomach knots, headaches)
It’s also supportive for anyone who senses that “something” is holding them back, even if they can’t put it into words.
What a Session Looks Like
A Brainspotting session begins with a conversation about what you’d like to focus on. Together we explore body sensations, emotions, and thoughts connected to your concern. Using a pointer, I guide you to notice where your gaze naturally lands as you talk. When we find a spot where your body reacts—maybe a breath catches or a muscle softens—we pause there.
While you keep gentle attention on that point, I hold a calm, attuned space. Your brain and body start to process, releasing what has been frozen or looping. Some people feel warmth, tingling, or waves of emotion. Others notice quiet clarity or deep relaxation. Every experience is unique, and we move at a pace that feels safe.
Integrating Brainspotting With Other Work
Brainspotting doesn’t replace talk therapy or other healing tools; it complements them. Clients often combine it with EMDR, somatic practices, or yoga therapy. Because it targets the subcortical brain (where raw memory and body sensations live), it can clear obstacles so insight-based therapy and lifestyle changes become more effective.
For people doing trauma intensives or therapeutic yoga with me, Brainspotting can be woven into those sessions. This integrated approach helps regulate the body, process old material, and build new resilience all at once.
Safety and Support
As with all trauma work, safety is key. Brainspotting is client-led—you decide how much to share and when to pause. We build resources and grounding skills first, so you feel supported before exploring difficult material. Many clients appreciate that they don’t have to talk in detail about painful events; the body does much of the work quietly.
Taking the Next Step
Completing Phase 1 Brainspotting certification allows me to offer this method as part of individual therapy sessions, stand-alone appointments, or trauma intensives here in Farmington, CT or online. If you’re curious whether Brainspotting might help you release what’s been holding you back, I’d love to talk.
Ready to explore Brainspotting?
Schedule a consultation to learn more.
Healing is possible. Sometimes it just takes finding the right doorway—and Brainspotting may be the one that finally lets light through.
