Brainspotting (BSP) is a powerful, brain-based psychotherapy approach designed to help people access, process, and release trauma, emotional pain, and other challenging experiences. It was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand, a psychotherapist who originally trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

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How It Works

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Brain spotting is based on the idea that "where you look affects how you feel." During a session, the therapist helps the client find a specific eye position—called a brainspot—that correlates with an area in the brain where trauma or distress is stored.

Once the brainspot is located, the client holds their gaze on that spot, often while using bilateral sound stimulation (gentle tones alternating in each ear), which helps deepen processing. As the client focuses on the internal sensations, memories, or emotions that surface, the brain begins to heal itself, naturally unwinding the stored trauma or emotional charge.

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Key Features

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• Non-verbal: Clients don’t have to talk in detail about the trauma.

• Body-based: It often emphasizes body sensations as part of processing.

• Deep processing: It accesses subcortical parts of the brain where trauma is stored.

• Client-led: The process unfolds at the client’s pace, without forced interpretations.

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What It’s Used For

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Brainspotting is used to treat a variety of issues, including:

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• PTSD and complex trauma

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Depression

• Grief and loss

• Performance anxiety (e.g., athletes, performers)

• Chronic pain

• Substance use

• Attachment and relational wounds

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How It Feels

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People often describe brainspotting as intense but freeing. It can bring up buried emotions or memories, but the goal is to move through them gently and safely with the therapist’s support.