“Where you look affects how you feel.”

Developed by David Grand, Ph.D., Brainspotting is a mind, body and relationship based psychotherapy approach that uses the field of vision to find where a person is holding an experience in their brain. It is hypothesized that a brainspot is the activity in the subcortical brain in response to focused activation and eye position. Holding a relevant eye position while in a state of mindfulness can create access to where stressors, traumatic experiences, and also useful internal resources are held. This access which may otherwise be inaccessible via talk therapy. While focused on a point in your field of vision that correlates with the spot in your brain where you’re storing the issue, you may experience a variety of body sensations, emotions, memories, or deep relaxation. Together we will follow your process to create resolution.

While there are similarities to EMDR, Brainspotting is unique in that it focuses on eye position and fixation, as opposed to movement. I will use attunement to follow your lead, as opposed to following a rigid protocol and together we will create the circumstances that facilitate your natural and instinctual, neurological and body based ability for healing to take place.

Depending on the trajectory of your experience in session, processing may continue for days. You may experience mental or physical fatigue. Please plan to rest, hydrate, and continue with increased self-care following your sessions.

This Brainspotting process is often accompanied by the simultaneous use of bilateral or biolateral music, played at an extremely low volume on headphones worn by the client during session. You can prepare for engaging in the process by downloading some tracks to your mobile phone, or by bringing your own pair of corded headphones to the office for in-person sessions to plug into my MP3 player. If you will use ear buds, please make sure you have the option to turn off noise cancellation/ have ambient sound turned all the way up, since it will be important that you can still hear me while you are listening to the quiet music. For sessions on Zoom, you will need one device for our call and a separate one for your music.

I like Bilateral Stimulation: EMDR Music Therapy found on Apple Music or Spotify (but please make sure you will have no interruptions by commercials). You can also search for David Grand biolateral music or Bodhi Tree. There are great options on YouTube as well. What’s important is that there are alternating sounds to each ear, and no words. Choose tracks that you like!