Something I hear from prospective clients is, “I can connect what happened to me with why I am the way I am, but I don’t know if I’m actually processing it.” Or, “I logically know ____, but I can’t connect to it emotionally.” They can intellectualize, analyze, form connections, and acknowledge that they have experienced trauma, but something in the body still feels stuck, reactive, or easily triggered.
Why Talk Therapy Isn’t Always Enough
I come from a school of thought that trauma is best processed through a combination of what are called “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches. In short, this means finding a way to talk about experiences and make sense of the past while also processing the physiological responses held in the body and nervous system.
This theory of top-down and bottom-up processing was pioneered by Dr. Dan Siegel, author, professor of psychiatry at UCLA, and leading researcher in child development and neurobiology. Dr. Siegel found that the “upstairs brain” (the parts involved in reasoning, reflection, and decision-making) and the “downstairs brain” (responsible for survival and automatic emotional responses) often have trouble communicating after a person experiences trauma. In therapy, my goal is to help those systems communicate more effectively so your logical understanding and your nervous system can begin to align.
So What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a trauma-focused therapy developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand, PhD. It’s similar to EMDR in that it works with the brain-body connection and eye positions. Both therapies help process trauma, but EMDR uses a more structured protocol with back-and-forth (bilateral) movements, while Brainspotting focuses on a specific eye position and follows what naturally comes up for you.
What Does a Brainspotting Session Look Like?
During a Brainspotting session, we’ll identify a point in your visual field that corresponds with what you’re experiencing emotionally or physically. This is called a “brainspot.” We use this eye position to access aspects of your nervous system that may still be responding to unresolved emotional experiences. Rather than analyzing or explaining what happened in detail, you’ll focus on what is happening inside your body, allowing your brain to process it naturally.
One of my favorite things about Brainspotting is that you, the client, remain in control throughout the entire process. We spend time grounding, checking in with your nervous system, and making sure you feel safe before doing any deeper processing. You’re always welcome to pause, slow down, or stop. I will never pressure you to say painful details out loud, ever. My role is to help your nervous system feel supported enough to do the work it already knows how to do.
I integrate Brainspotting into our talk therapy work when you need help accessing emotions that feel difficult to put into words. Many clients find that once their nervous system feels less activated, the insight and skills we’ve been working on in therapy become easier to apply in everyday life.
research/case studies about brainspotting
Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Corrigan-and-Grand-2013-MedHyp80-759-766.pdf
Brainspotting as a treatment modality after trauma, for emotional regulation, or to unlock potential https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Baumann-Springer-2025-English.pdf
Brainspotting after singular stressful/traumatizing experiences: Evaluation of a combination of Brainspotting and cognitive behavioral therapy https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Glantschnig-Springer-English-2025.pdf
Brainspotting: A Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IBPJ-Volume-22-Number-2-2024.pdf
The preliminary efficacy and clinical applicability of Brainspotting among Filipino women with severe posttraumatic stress disorder https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/54Palsimon_Archives_PP_1_2022.pdf
Psychotherapeutic Techniques for Distressing Memories: A Comparative Study between EMDR, Brainspotting, and Body Scan Meditation https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Psychotherapeutic-Techniques-for-Distressing-Memories-A_ijerph-19-01142.pdf
Brainspotting – the efficacy of a new therapy approach for the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in comparison to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Hildebrand-Grand-and-Stemmler-2017-MediterJrnlofClincPsychMJCP-Vol5-1.pdf
Report of Findings from the Community Survey September 2016 (Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation, Inc.) https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2016-NSHCF-Community-Assessment-Report.pdf
Effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Anderegg-2015-Effective-treatments-for-generalized-anxiety-disorder.pdf
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Em Scott Therapy 