Part 2: How Does Brainspotting Work?
In Part 1 of my post on Brainspotting, I discussed how it was developed and what issues it’s used to support. In this post, we will explore what an individual Brainspotting session looks like, and why it’s so effective in helping people heal and release trauma.
1. Dual Attunement
One of the most important features of Brainspotting is ‘Dual Attunement.’ Brainspotting Therapy requires the therapist to establish a close bond with each individual to establish a safe, secure environment where trauma can be experienced and processed. So many of our traumas are often linked to difficult childhood experiences or betrayals in our closest relationships.
Dual Attunement allows areas of the brain associated with such ruptures to activate, which aids in the healing process. The client explores their experiences, sensations, and trauma. The therapist follows along behind the client’s train of thought and felt experience, providing security, reassurance, and validation.
2. Focus on the Amygdala
When you experience a traumatic event, your body often responds with the memory of that experience even when you’re safe. Think of a child who was bullied in middle school, an individual who witnessed an overwhelming event or someone who survives a car accident. In many cases, both the memory of the event itself and the memory of the sensation of that event are suspended in time. Those memories are still in there, stored by the amygdala. And they pop up as a sense of discomfort, overwhelm, stress, tension, nausea, or overall anxiety. We might not even know why we feel those things, just that we do. Our amygdala means well. It’s trying to keep us safe, but sometimes even when we’re ready to let go of those memories, we find that we struggle to do so without support.
3. Fixed Eye Positions
During a Brainspotting session, your therapist will guide you through moving your eyes to various fixed eye positions. As you move your eyes as guided by your therapist, you may feel a sense of discomfort or relief. That’s the feeling you get when the part of your brain that’s storing that trauma is activated. By observing you and helping you listen to your body’s cues, your therapist will help to identify those positions so that the memory of the traumatic experience can be safely released and integrated.
4. Staying Focused
Once you and your therapist have identified a Brainspot, your therapist will walk you through the process of exploring the feelings and sensations stored there. You’ll do this by holding your eyes on that position for an extended period of time, letting those sensations move through you. You may feel tension, warmth, or discomfort at times though you may also feel strength, expansion and light. You and your therapist will work in tandem to ensure you are processing in an environment that feels safe, peaceful, and emotionally secure.
5. Natural Healing
Once you have given your amygdala time to process and release stored trauma, rest assured that a natural healing response is occurring. Instead of hiding from these feelings and reliving them whenever faced with a trigger, your brain will intuitively understand that you are in fact safe, in the here and now, and that you’ve survived this historical memory. In this way, you’ll be able to move forward from the past.
Telehealth \ Remote Sessions
Because Brainspotting relies primarily on the client’s experiences and ability to move their eyes freely, it works great for online tele health and remote sessions. As long as you have a laptop with a working camera and microphone or a similar device, you should be able to find a therapist who can work with you.
Schedule a Consultation
I would love to help you on your journey if you’re interested in exploring Brainspotting! As a diehard neuroscience junkie, I’m always excited to help clients reconnect with themselves and move towards freedom of old wounds. Too often, we get trapped in the past because we’re holding onto fears and pains we can’t articulate. Brainspotting is an amazing therapeutic tool, and it’s thrilling to use it to help people heal.
I hope to hear from you soon!