Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a therapeutic technique developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand in 2003 for treating trauma and other psychological issues. It works by locating different points in a person's visual field that help to access unprocessed and unresolved memories. Where your eyes look – up and down, left and right, near and far – has an overall effect on how you feel and can be used as an approach for trauma release and self-regulation.
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Reprocess, Transform & Release Trauma
Speak to UsBrainspotting was introduced in 2003 to treat trauma and help people achieve enhanced performance in different areas of their lives. Dr. Grand, the founder of Brainspotting, was originally an EMDR therapist. He explains that he discovered Brainspotting in one of his sessions with a client when he noticed that during the eye-movement exploration, there was a particular eye position that seemed to have more of a reaction than others. So he changed the protocol from moving the eyes from side to side to instead guiding the client to keep her eyes looking at that particular position. After that session, the client expressed a big breakthrough in her performance and was no longer stuck. Dr. Grand believes that by having the eyes focused on a particular position, the brain was able to access deeply held traumatic memories, to finally process them and release them.
Common Conditions Treated with Brainspotting
Brainspotting has been found to be helpful with treating a multitude of issues as well as personal development and heightened achievement.
Meet Our Specialist
Nora Sabahat Takieddine
Co-Founder, CDA Licensed Psychologist, Somatic TherapistNora is our somatic psychotherapist and holistic psychologist licensed in California and Dubai. Nora has pursued training in multiple trauma therapy methods, including EMDR, EFT and Neuroaffective Touch. In addition to being a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, she is also trained in Brainspotting Level 2.
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Message Nora TakieddineFrequently Asked Questions
Brainspotting is a form of exposure therapy. It is offered by our CDA licensed mental health therapists. The insurance reimbursement will depend on if your insurance policy covers psychotherapy sessions.
Generally, yes. Brainspotting is considered safe and non-invasive, but it’s important to work with a trained practitioner and experienced trauma therapist, especially if dealing with complex trauma or dissociation. Accessing emotional, somatic and sensory memories can, at times, be overwhelming. A skilled and experienced therapist can better contain the process to support completion and integration.
The number of sessions varies depending on the individual and the issue being treated. Some people notice significant shifts in just a few sessions, while others may benefit from longer-term work.
Not necessarily. Brainspotting allows the client to process deeply, sometimes without verbalizing. If there is talking in a session, it would be to review goals, discuss any questions or concerns, and to share a thought or experience that you may be having. But the Brainspotting technique focuses on an internal process.
While both Brainspotting and EMDR seem to work with the eyes, their approach is different. EMDR's focus is on providing bi-lateral stimulation. This is often done either with eye movement back and forth from one side to the other (left to right, right to left), or bilateral stimulation or tactile. Brainspotting differs in that the focus is not bi-lateral stimulation. Instead it focuses more on stillness and sustained attention to a “brainspot" to process stuck memories and patterns.
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