What is Brainspotting?

“Where you look affects how you feel…” - Dr. David Grand

At Ian Robertson Therapy & Counselling, we are happy to announce that we now offer Brainspotting therapy as part of the treatment we offer for patients affected by trauma.

Brainspotting therapy is a modern therapy method that uses focused mindfulness and spots in a person's field of vision to help them process trauma.

Brainspotting therapy or BSP was developed by Dr. David Grand, a practitioner of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), another type of trauma treatment that involves moving the eyes back and forth. He noticed that during EMDR, some clients would stop moving their eyes and stay focused on one spot.

He discovered therapeutic work using those eye positions could lead to rapid healing. He termed these eye positions, “brain spots”.

How does Brainspotting Work?

During treatment, a therapist will guide their client to look in a certain direction, guided by a pointer. A therapist will then slowly guide a person’s eyes across their field of vision to find the spots that are triggering a response.

If a particular spot activates a negative memory, they will have found a brainspot, where trauma is stored.

What is Brainspotting used to treat?

Brainspotting can help decrease depression, anxiety, phobias, and addictions. Brainspotting is used with all areas of trauma, including survivors of war, natural disasters, and abuse.

It is also being utilized with medical conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes, fibromyalgia, headaches, and preparation and recovery from surgery.

How can I learn more?

This video does an excellent job of describing the theory and techniques behind Brainspotting.

You can also contact our office to learn more about our Brainspotting treatment.

Be well,

Ian