Brainspotting is a brain-body, bottom-up approach that uses specific points in client’s visual field to access unprocessed traumas in the subcortical brain. There are two types of approaches in psychotherapy; one is top-down therapies known as talk therapy such as CBT; the top-down psychotherapy approaches might not reach the subcortical parts of the brain in which many traumas and implicit non-verbal memories are stored. The bottom-up approaches such as EMDR or Brainspotting can access those material that are stored in the subcortical parts of the brain; they trigger and activate the brain’s natural healing mechanisms and help process the maladaptively stored information; the processing mostly happens in the subcortical brain and it can happen without much talking which is different from traditional talk therapies. This may result in rapid relief of distress and profound insights in people.
The unprocessed material in Brainspotting is accessed using specific eye positions, somatic awareness and focused mindfulness; then the therapist will stay closely attuned to the client’s experiences in mind, brain and body. When a brainspot is activated, the deep brain’s activation suggests that a neural network holding unprocessed trauma is found. Often brainspotting is used in conjunction with bilateral sound – music or nature sounds that move back and forth between right and left ears, which balances activation of the right and left brain hemispheres and activates the parasympathetic, or calming, part of the nervous system.
Brainspotting therapy was developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It can be used to heal trauma and abuse, depression, anxiety, relational problems, addictions, phobias and somatic pain. It is also broadly used to enhance the performance of people such as artists, athletes and others. Watch Dr. Grand talking about Brainspotting in these videos.
For more information and to find a certified Brainspotting therapist in Canada
Please visit https://www.brainspottingcanada.com
To learn more about Brainspotting you can also visit https://brainspotting.com/.