What is brainspotting? It is a type of therapy that uses where you look to help your brain and body work through trauma and stress. David Grand, PhD, discovered it in 2003. A trained therapist helps you find an eye position, called a brainspot, where a feeling is strongest. You hold your gaze there and calmly notice what comes up. Research on brainspotting is still small and new.
What is brainspotting? The basic idea
The official Brainspotting website sums up the core idea in six words: "Where you look affects how you feel." It describes the method this way: "Brainspotting locates points in the client's visual field that help to access unprocessed trauma in the subcortical brain." That is the deep part of the brain, below the thinking surface.
Cleveland Clinic calls it "a relatively new brain-body alternative therapy that uses eye positioning to process difficult emotions and unresolved traumatic experiences."
The Brainspotting site says the method "helps the Brainspotting therapist locate, focus, process and release a wide range of emotionally and bodily-based conditions." It calls brainspotting "a therapeutic tool that can be integrated into many of the healing modalities."
How does brainspotting therapy work?
The theory is that some painful events never get fully processed. The brain is flooded at the time, and parts of the memory stay raw. Later, triggers can bring the old pain back. When post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops, people can relive those moments through flashbacks, feelings and memories, Cleveland Clinic notes.
Natacha Duke, a psychotherapist quoted by Cleveland Clinic, explains: "The idea is that we store trauma in our midbrain and brainstem regions, and sometimes, these distressing memories, traumas, thoughts and feelings can kind of get stuck there."
Brainspotting tries to reach those stuck spots through where you look. Its founders write: "We believe that Brainspotting taps into and harnesses the body's natural self-scanning, self-healing ability." That is a belief, not a proven fact.
You start by bringing up an issue and noticing the emotional charge in your body. Brainspotting therapists use the word activation for that charge. The eye position where activation feels strongest becomes your brainspot. The belief, Cleveland Clinic explains, is that the therapy "allows your brain to process these experiences completely rather than leaving them unfinished."
How the therapist finds your brainspot
Healthline describes three main ways to find the right spot:
Outside window: the therapist slowly moves a pointer across your visual field. They watch for a "reflexive response" you don't control, then hold the pointer there.
Inside window: the therapist guides your gaze along a pointer, side to side and then up and down. You report where the feeling is strongest.
Gazespotting: the therapist notices where your eyes drift on their own as you talk. Then they ask you to stay on that spot.
What happens in a brainspotting session?
A session can last from 30 to 90 minutes, according to Cleveland Clinic. The first visit usually starts with talk. Your therapist explains the method, answers questions and asks about your history and goals.
Next, you pick a focus: a memory, a worry or a feeling in your body, like a tight chest. Once you find the brainspot, you keep your gaze there. You let thoughts, feelings and body sensations come and go, staying "mindful of what's occurring in your body," much like in meditation.
There is less talking than in most therapy. Duke told Cleveland Clinic, "With brainspotting, the therapist is sort of like a gentle witness to it as opposed to an active participant." The same article stresses "the therapist's attunement to your needs." Grand has described this as your "conscious thinking brain" watching "the deeper unconscious brain," in an interview with his publisher.
You can ask for a break or stop at any time. Near the end, you talk about what came up and the next steps in your treatment plan.
How many sessions of brainspotting do you need?
There is no set number. Cleveland Clinic says brainspotting "will be different for everyone, sometimes, even from one session to the next." In one small 2017 study it cites, people had three 60-minute sessions.
Is brainspotting therapy legit? What the research says
It is a real method with formal training. "Over 20,000 therapists have been trained in Brainspotting," its official site reports. But the science is still thin. Cleveland Clinic notes there is "limited research on exactly how brainspotting works and the extent to which it's effective." It adds: "More research and clinical trials are needed."
Here is what the early studies show:
A 2024 study: 27 people finished five weeks of either brainspotting or usual therapy. Healthline reports that "BSP may be as effective as treatment as usual in reducing trauma-related symptoms and symptoms of depression and anxiety."
A 2022 study: 40 psychologists and doctors each worked on upsetting memories. One 40-minute session of brainspotting lowered their distress. They were healthy adults, not people with PTSD.
As Healthline puts it, "Most of the research on brainspotting has been performed in small groups." So brainspotting may help, but no one can promise how well it will work for you.
Who can brainspotting help?
Cleveland Clinic says that, so far, brainspotting seems to benefit anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic pain, sleep and creativity. The Brainspotting site adds that it can help people "find and strengthen our natural resources and resilience."
Duke says people often try these therapies when "you're having trouble accessing these feelings and you're not really making other progress in these areas." Some have had therapy before and want "additional therapy techniques," as the Brainspotting site puts it.
What are the risks of brainspotting?
Brainspotting work can stir up strong feelings. Cleveland Clinic lists a few common side effects:
Discomfort during a session, mainly when trauma is involved.
Feeling tired or having "brain fog" afterward.
Feeling worse for a while before you feel better. Duke notes this "might cause some emotional side effects and physical side effects."
Cleveland Clinic also advises talking to a healthcare provider first if you have a diagnosed condition such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or major depressive disorder. Healthline adds that brainspotting "isn't intended for use during an acute crisis or severe psychiatric health conditions." Duke also suggests waiting if you are in a stressful phase, like changing jobs or having a new baby.
Can I do brainspotting at home?
Only in a very light way. In his publisher interview, Grand described a short self-test. Think of something that bothers you. Look at an object to your right, then one to your left, and notice where you feel it more in your body.
He was clear about what to choose: "We don't want them to take a major life trauma that they're carrying that overwhelms them." He suggested "Just something that's bothering them that day."
Trauma healing is different. It can bring up a lot, and Duke stresses "working with someone who's trained and who can support you through that." Dave Saunders offers brainspotting in person, which he finds is the safest way to do it.
Brainspotting vs EMDR: what is the difference?
Brainspotting grew out of EMDR, which means eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Grand was using that method when he found brainspotting. A 2022 study notes that both "invite clients to mindfully pay attention to their inner experience." But they differ in key ways:
Movement: EMDR uses side-to-side eye movements. In brainspotting, your gaze stays on one spot.
Structure: the older method follows a set series of phases. Brainspotting is more fluid.
Talking: brainspotting involves "very little to no talk therapy," per Cleveland Clinic.
Research: the 2022 study calls brainspotting "less supported by research than EMDR."
To learn more, read What Is EMDR?
How much does brainspotting therapy cost?
Cost depends on your area, the therapist, session length and how many sessions you have, Healthline notes.
At Dave Saunders Counseling, sessions are $195. Dave is private pay and can give you a superbill to send to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement. To check your benefits, call the number on your insurance card.
Brainspotting in Brentwood, near Nashville
Dave Saunders, LPC-MHSP, NCC, has Level II training in both Brainspotting and EMDR, plus TF-CBT, a trauma-focused form of cognitive behavioral therapy. He sees adults from Nashville and nearby in person. His office is at Suite 204, 103 Continental Place, in Brentwood. Learn more about his trauma therapy in Brentwood. The first step is a free 10-minute consultation to see if brainspotting is a good fit.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please call or text 988.