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What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is an innovative psychotherapy method developed by Dr. David Grand. It is based on the understanding that where you look can influence how you feel. By identifying specific eye positions, known as brainspots, this therapy can access deeper areas of the brain where unresolved trauma, stress, and emotional experiences may be stored.

 

Unlike traditional talk therapy alone, Brainspotting works with the brain, body, and nervous system, allowing healing to occur on a deeper level. Many clients find that it helps them process experiences that are difficult to fully express in words.

 

How Does Brainspotting Work?

 

During a Brainspotting session, Kerry helps identify a brainspot connected to a particular emotion, memory, or physical sensation. While gently focusing on that point, clients are encouraged to notice their internal experience—thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and emotions—as the brain naturally begins to process and release stored distress.

 

This process is designed to support the nervous system’s natural ability to heal and regulate itself.

 

Brainspotting May Help With:

 

  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Anxiety and panic attacks
  • Depression
  • Grief and loss
  • Chronic stress and overwhelm
  • Emotional regulation difficulties
  • Relationship challenges
  • Low self-esteem
  • Performance anxiety
  • Medical or chronic pain-related stress
  • Life transitions and unresolved emotional experiences

 

What to Expect in a Session

 

A Brainspotting session is collaborative, gentle, and client-centered. Sessions typically include:

 

Discussing your current concerns and goals

Identifying emotions or body sensations connected to your experience

Locating a "brainspot" through guided visual focus

Quietly observing internal experiences while the brain processes naturally

Supportive guidance from Kerry throughout the process

 

There is no pressure to relive traumatic events in detail. Clients remain in control throughout the session, and the pace is guided by what feels safe and manageable.

 

Why Choose Brainspotting?

 

Many people seek Brainspotting when they feel that traditional approaches have not fully resolved their symptoms. Because Brainspotting works directly with the nervous system, it can be especially helpful for experiences that continue to affect emotional well-being even after they have been intellectually understood.

 

Clients often report feeling:

 

More emotionally regulated

Less reactive to past experiences

More connected to themselves and others

Calmer and more resilient

Better able to move forward in their lives

 

Brainspotting can be used as an effective therapeutic intervention in the course of traditional talk therapy. Brainspotting treatment may be preferable to talk therapy or EMDR for those who:

 

  • Have difficulty opening up with a therapist or wish to remain nonverbal

  • Have complex sources of trauma or unidentified trauma

  • Would prefer a short course of treatment (typically 1-6 sessions)

  • Are feeling “stuck” in therapy or don’t feel they are making progress toward treatment goals

  • As an alternative to exposure therapy for OCD

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Client testimonial: "A Powerful and Unexpected Experience with Brainspotting"

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"My experience with Brainspotting with Kerry Phipps has been truly eye-opening. I went into it curious about how this approach could help me process things I’ve carried for a long time, and I was surprised by how deeply it connected me with emotions and feelings that I didn’t always realize were still there.

 

What I appreciate most is that Kerry creates a safe, compassionate space where I can slow down, become aware of what I’m feeling, and allow those emotions to move through me rather than continuing to hold onto them. With her guidance, Brainspotting has felt like a process of releasing, cleansing, and creating space for greater peace and clarity.

 

There can be moments that are emotional and even uncomfortable, but Kerry’s calm and supportive presence makes it easier to trust the process. I’ve found that allowing myself to experience those feelings instead of pushing them away can be incredibly freeing. I’m grateful to Kerry for introducing me to Brainspotting and for the care and encouragement she brings to each session. For me, it has become a meaningful part of letting go, gaining perspective, and moving forward with a lighter heart. If you’re open to exploring your emotions in a different way, I highly recommend experiencing Brainspotting with Kerry. It has been a beautiful journey of release and renewal for me." -MH

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Important Disclaimer

 

Brainspotting is a therapeutic intervention that should be provided by a licensed mental health professional with specialized Brainspotting training. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical or mental health advice. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek immediate assistance from a qualified healthcare provider or emergency services.

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Research:

 

Corrigan, F., & Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation. Medical Hypotheses, 80(6), 759–766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.005

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Corrigan, F. M., Grand, D., & Raju, R. (2015). Brainspotting: Sustained attention, spinothalamic tracts, thalamocortical processing, and the healing of adaptive orientation truncated by traumatic experience. Medical Hypotheses, 84(4), 384–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2015.01.028

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D’Antoni, F., Matiz, A., Fabbro, F., & Crescentini, C. (2022). Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative Study between EMDR, Brainspotting, and Body Scan Meditation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1142. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031142

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Foo, Mariana & Yudistiro, Ryan. (2023). A Study of brainspotting therapy in PTSD using 18FDG brain PET scan to evaluate glucose metabolism changes. Konselor. 11. 126-135. 10.24036/02022114121548-0-00.

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‌Horton, L. M., Schwartzberg, C., Goldberg, C. D., Grieve, F. G., & Brdecka, L. E. (2023). Brainspotting: A treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 22(2), 57–72.

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Nibel, Hildegard. (2024). Bifocal multisensoric interventions BFMS in Psychotherapy. 10.13140/RG.2.2.18251.77609.

Pushpam, Deva & Frank, J.. (2023). Brainspotting Therapy. A and V Pub Journal of Nursing and Medical Research. 2. 91-92. 10.52711/jnmr.2023.23.

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Talbot J, de la Salle S, Jaworska N. A Paradigm Shift in Trauma Treatment: Converging Evidence for a Novel Adaptation of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2023;68(4):283-285. doi:10.1177/07067437221142283

 

Teofilo, JR. (2022). The preliminary efficacy and clinical applicability of Brainspotting among Filipino women with severe posttraumatic stress disorder. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. 24. 54-64. 10.12740/APP/143015.

 

Brainspotting may offer similar effects as the yoga technique of Trataka, or fixed gaze meditation: Here is a research article explaining research on this practice:

 

Raghavendra, B. R., & Singh, P. (2016). Immediate effect of yogic visual concentration on cognitive performance. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 6(1), 34–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2014.11.030

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