What is Brainspotting Therapy? How It Helps Anxiety and Trauma

What Is Brainspotting Therapy?

It sounds a little strange at first, right? The basic idea behind Brainspotting is simple: where you look affects how you feel. Deep in our brains, we hold onto experiences that made lasting impressions. Some of these impressions help us feel safe and grounded, and others shape how we see ourselves in ways that can be limiting or painful. Brainspotting helps us access those deeper parts of the brain and work with them in a way that supports healing.

How Brainspotting Works

There are two main ways Brainspotting is often used: accessing resource spots and working with activation spots.

Resource Spots: Accessing Safety and Stability

Have you ever noticed that you tend to look in a certain direction when you’re daydreaming or talking about something that feels safe? You may be unconsciously accessing a “resource spot” - a place in your visual field that connects to a sense of calm, safety, or stability. These spots can be incredibly helpful because they allow you to feel more grounded, access internal support, and regulate when things feel overwhelming. We can also use these resource spots during more difficult processing to help you return to a place of safety when needed.

Activation Spots: Working Through Difficult Experiences

The more challenging side of Brainspotting involves working with what are called activation spots - positions that bring up emotions or sensations we usually try to avoid. This can feel uncomfortable at first. But it’s also where the deeper work happens. By staying with those experiences in a supported way, Brainspotting allows your brain and body to process them more fully—often more directly than talk-based approaches alone.

What Is It Like to Do Brainspotting?

The process can vary, but most sessions follow a similar structure. We’ll start by identifying what you want to work on. This might be a feeling, a memory, or a body sensation. You’ll rate how intense it feels on a scale from 0–10. For a first session, we usually choose something in the middle range that’s enough to notice, but not overwhelming. From there, we’ll work together to find your “spot.” I’ll guide you through this process step by step to help you track your visual field. As you hold your gaze on that spot, you may notice thoughts, emotions, or body sensations coming up, often in waves. Over time, those waves tend to settle, and the intensity decreases.

What to Expect After a Brainspotting Session

After a session, it’s common to feel tired, more emotionally sensitive, or just a little “off” for a day or two. This is part of your brain continuing to process. Most people notice that the issue they worked on begins to feel different over time. It might be less intense, less stuck, or less reactive. Some things resolve quickly. Others take more time and multiple sessions.

How Brainspotting Is Different from Other Therapies

One of the biggest differences is that Brainspotting doesn’t rely on talking things through. In fact, you don’t have to talk about your trauma at all if you don’t want to. Many people process silently, and sharing afterward is always optional. Brainspotting works by accessing parts of the brain that are often harder to reach through conversation alone, which can make it feel more direct, and for some, gentler. The beauty of Brainspotting is that you can’t do it wrong. So many of my clients who struggle with perfectionism find themselves wondering if they’re doing therapy right. With Brainspotting, you’re always doing it right.

What Brainspotting Can Help With

Brainspotting is often used to support anxiety and overwhelm, trauma and unresolved experiences, perfectionism, or feeling stuck or emotionally reactive. If you tend to experience things like high-functioning anxiety or patterns of perfectionism, this type of work can be especially helpful. It can also support creativity, confidence, or performance. Because Brainspotting accesses deep parts of your brain, it can help you work through things that have been stubborn despite years of talk therapy. It’s also excellent for working through things you don’t quite have the words for or don’t feel able to say out loud.

What If You’re Nervous About Trying Brainspotting?

That’s completely understandable. You won’t be doing this alone. I’ll be right there with you throughout the process. We’ll go at a pace that feels manageable for you, and we’ll make sure you have the tools and support you need to feel grounded before we end any session. The first time we try Brainspotting, I usually recommend starting with something relatively low-stakes - something that feels irritating rather than overwhelming. It’s a way to get familiar with the process without diving in too deep too quickly.

Is Brainspotting Right for You?

Brainspotting can be a powerful option if you feel like you’ve tried talking things through but still feel stuck, your reactions feel bigger than you expect, or you want a way to work with what’s happening underneath the surface. If you’re curious about whether it might be a good fit for you, you can learn more about working together here.