How Does Brainspotting Work?

It wasn’t that long ago that researchers introduced new approaches in therapy, like dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT), EMDR, and holistic therapies. However, the latest innovation in mental health therapy, brainspotting, is now at the forefront of mental health treatment. This mind-body form of holistic therapy is proving to be an effective tool in addressing trauma and mental health. How does brainspotting work to heal trauma? Learn more about its proven effectiveness and potential benefits now. 

What is Brainspotting Therapy Exactly?

What is brainspotting therapy, and what mental health conditions does it address?

Brainspotting therapy is a mind-body form of holistic therapy that addresses unprocessed trauma stored in the body and mind. Brainspotting trauma therapy locates points in our visual field to access trauma stored in the subcortical part of the brain. Unprocessed trauma stored in our minds and nervous system does not respond to traditional talk therapies. 

How does brainspotting work to process trauma stored in the brain? The amygdala is a small almond-shaped section of the brain responsible for emotions associated with fear, anxiety, and rage. It is in the medial temporal lobe and is part of the limbic system, a network of neurons controlling emotions, behaviors, and memories. Visual images of trauma hide here in sensation fragments or how the trauma was perceived through our five senses: smells, sounds, tastes, touches, or pictures. These fragments of trauma are associated with our negative core beliefs about ourselves and often cause self-sabotaging.  

What is brainspotting used for in mental health or addiction treatment? Unprocessed trauma may result in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and other complex mental health conditions. Brainspotting works to reprocess negative experiences stored in our memories that hold a person hostage or cause them to feel stuck. Once the unprocessed trauma is released and processed, patients can move on to heal the trauma. Brainspotting is an effective means to address unprocessed trauma, which often initiates substance abuse and results in mental health concerns.

Origins of Brainspotting

Brainspotting is a therapeutic method developed in 2003 by David Grand, Ph. D. while working with Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. In the VeryWell Mind article, What to Know About Brainspotting Therapy, the process is found to address unprocessed psychological trauma stored in the body and mind. When utilizing EMDR therapy, the individual working with a therapist recalls a trauma and attempts to reprogram their memory with a positive belief. However, moving beyond the EMDR process, David Grand found patients stuck in some places, unable to move forward. 

Furthermore, Mr. Grand explains that the body strives to maintain a stable environment or homeostasis. The feeling of being stuck or unable to move forward in healing is known as frozen maladaptive homeostasis, which prevents further healing from trauma. 

Addressing emotions and feelings stored in the brain, brainspotting trauma therapy works to process those deeply hidden cues of trauma. These cues are often sensations such as smells, tastes, sounds, sights, and touch.

How Does Brainspotting Work?

How does brainspotting work in addiction and mental health treatment? The therapist tracks eye movements, similar to EMDR, but together with the client, focuses on identifying brain spots through sensations and emotional responses. The brain spots connect to unresolved trauma. Desensitizing and resolving these trauma blocks in the limbic system leads to releasing negative beliefs and emotions, as well as physical tensions in the body. The actual brainspotting meaning points to resolving traumas blocking healing and resilience.

The Brain-Body Connection

Brainspotting trauma therapy uses the mind-body connection to process and heal trauma stuck within the brain. It uses eye movements to find and process emotions; the process begins as a nonverbal approach. Through identifying and processing stuck areas of traumatic emotions, the body releases tensions and relieves the pain the unresolved trauma causes. Holistic therapies such as brainspotting are proving to be practical components of trauma-induced care.

The Role of the Therapist

For those participating in therapy to recover from trauma-based addiction and mental health conditions, there may come a time when frustrations occur. Talk therapy has its limitations. It is imperative that the therapist find other options to move forward, and brainspotting could be the answer. Therapists must have training in EMDR and brainspotting to proceed with these therapies, and, in some cases, they may collaborate with a therapist who specializes in trauma-informed care.

Brainspotting Process

The typical therapy session that includes brainspotting can last 50-90 minutes. Explaining the brainspotting process may seem complex, but through several steps, the therapist sets up the therapy for success using all possible tools. Bilateral music is an option, which is music with alternating beats between the right and left ears played through headphones. Listening to bilateral music helps the brain process difficult memories by dual attention stimulation (DAS).

The client thinks about the negative beliefs or emotions causing issues. After identifying the area of concern, the therapist invites the client to participate in gazespotting to connect the activation of feelings in the body with a spot to focus on. Flexibility is crucial, as each individual’s feelings or emotions are different, and there is no right or wrong. The goal is to identify unconscious signals of emotion, process physical and emotional symptoms, and release the trauma through awareness and acknowledgment.

What to Expect After a Brainspotting Session

For those who still wonder how brainspotting works as an effective treatment for addiction, looking to the after-effects of the work is helpful. Many feel fatigued and want to take a nap or rest. Others report feeling an increase in anxiety, and others have vivid dreams or feel a heaviness. Talking through feelings and emotions with a therapist can help to understand processing the trauma and releasing it from the body. Moving through the processing of trauma can offer a new perspective on trauma and the emotional reactions it connects to.

What is Brainspotting Used For, and Who Can Benefit?

Addiction and mental health conditions can stem from underlying trauma, emotional pain, and unresolved issues. Anyone with a traumatic background can benefit from brainspotting. Many people who feel defeated in therapy because of being stuck in a plane where forward progress did not happen find this therapy beneficial. Innovative and holistic therapies are emerging to improve the outcomes of treatment and recovery therapy. 

Those with the following challenges may find brainspotting beneficial:

• PTSD, Anxiety, OCD, and Phobias
• Attention issues, ADHD
• Anger problems
• Grief issues
• Negative core beliefs
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Chronic pain and fatigue
• Impulsivity
• Performance anxiety, including sports performance problems

Invite New Innovative Therapies Into Your Treatment Plan in California

Improvements in therapy are at the forefront of addiction and mental health treatment, so finding a facility that utilizes best practices is an opportunity for recovery. Sierra Health + Wellness in California specializes in new therapies, such as brainspotting and trauma-induced care. These exciting new therapeutic approaches result in positive and healthy resolutions for healing and resilience. Contact Sierra Health + Wellness today for more information on their innovative treatment plans.