What is brainspotting? Learn with Alli, a Baltimore-based trauma therapist

Maybe you’ve heard of it before. Maybe this word is brand new and sounds strange. What is it? Is it bleeding from the brain, as my husband thought? No! Nor is it surgery or anything else scary. It is actually a really cool and effective way of treating trauma and other mental health concerns.

In typical talk therapy, we think and use logic. This engages the front of our brain, or the prefrontal cortex. This is a great place to be when we need to think rationally. It can help us see things more clearly and sort out some of the brain fog.

However, when a traumatic experience occurs, the trauma is held deeper in the brain. A little part called the amygdala is responsible for our “fight/flight/freeze” response and it is located in the midbrain. Our brain kicks in from that place when it first responds to the trauma, and it is in the midbrain that much of our traumatic memory (even if we have little to no actual memory) is stored. Yet, simple talk therapy engages us in our prefrontal cortex and completely neglects the midbrain! 

It is nearly impossible to heal from a deep-seated trauma when we stay in the front. Maybe you’ve experienced this – you’ve talked about your therapy, you know logically that it wasn’t your fault, you know you should feel safer, but your body still does not feel safe. A part of you still thinks it was your fault.

Brainspotting helps us to “drop back” to our midbrain. By keeping our vision in one steady place, we suddenly access different brainspace. We also incorporate your body sensations in order to foster the mind-body connection. We work together to find the spot that works for you in that moment. Sometimes we find a place where you feel more activated; other times, a place where you feel more grounded. From there, you are able to mindfully and gently process the trauma.

Brainspotting has been proven to heal trauma faster and more profoundly than many other trauma-based modalities. It also does not only help heal trauma-based symptoms, but also can help with anxiety, depression, and other feelings or reactions of distress and pain.

More questions? Call or email me to schedule a consultation! You can also check out the brainspotting webpage here for more resources.