Brainspotting—How Does Brainspotting Work?
How does Brainspotting work? Is Brainspotting legit? Can I do Brainspotting on myself?
Do you find yourself feeling stuck? Maybe you’re battling intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm that just won’t go away—even after talk therapy—that’s where Brainspotting therapy can help. Brainspotting is unlike any other therapy you’ve ever experienced or heard about, utilizing things called “brainspots”, attunement, and mindfulness to support with processing memories and feelings.
How does Brainspotting work? Is Brainspotting legit?
Brainspotting is a cutting-edge therapy that uses your visual field to access unprocessed trauma, stress, or emotional patterns stored in the brain. The core idea: where you look affects how you feel.
Certain spots in your visual field—called brainspots—are believed to be connected to unresolved emotions, memories, or subconscious beliefs. When we focus your gaze on these spots, your brain can begin to process and release what’s been stuck.
Brainspotting has been around since 2003, discovered by David Grand in the course of an EMDR session. Over 25,000 therapists have since been trained in it and have seen results in many clients who testify to the answer to the question of “Is Brainspotting legit?” with a resounding yes!
As we grow and age, we collect a lot of “rubbish” in our brain. This rubbish is things like negative thoughts about ourselves or the world, anxieties about every day things, or just maladaptive thought patterns that we pickup and have a difficult time shaking.
That doesn’t sound real…How does Brainspotting work, really?
So, we are telling you that you are going to look at a spot in your visual field, stare at it, and you are going to feel better. That sounds like magic or something that isn’t real. Yes—you really will stare at a spot in your visual field. And yes—that spot can lead to emotional release and deep healing. So…is Brainspotting legit…really?
It may sound unusual, and you would not be the only person to ask us “But…how does Brainspotting work?” or “Is Brainspotting legit?”. We are used to healing from big things in complex ways—but healing doesn’t have to be hard! Brainspotting therapy is grounded in neuroscience and has been used successfully for over 20 years. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which relies on verbal processing, Brainspotting taps into the deeper, non-verbal areas of the brain where trauma and emotional patterns are stored. Brainspotting therapy also relies heavily on the attunement between the therapists and the client.
At our clinic, offering Brainspotting therapy online across eight states, we use this technique to help clients work through:
PTSD and trauma
Anxiety and panic
Grief or emotional numbness
Stress and burnout
Negative self-beliefs
Compulsions and phobias
By identifying a brainspot and holding that visual point with guidance from a certified Brainspotting therapist, your brain begins to reprocess emotions—without needing to relive the trauma through storytelling.
Can I do Brainspotting on myself?
We always recommend starting with a licensed therapist that is trained in Brainspotting, but “Can I do Brainspotting on myself?” is a common question once individuals run through the steps and experience the healing of Brainspotting.
The answer to “Can I do Brainspotting on myself?” is — Yes! Your therapist can walk you through what is appropriate to do Brainspotting on yourself and appropriate techniques for self-spotting.
How long does Brainspotting take to work? Is Brainspotting effective?
By now you may be wondering how long Brainspotting takes to work and if Brainspotting is effective.
How long Brainspotting takes to work depends on the individual person and how their brain works. Some people notice relief within minutes, while others notice that it takes a few sessions to start feeling better about a particular topic. But—regardless of how long Brainspotting takes to work—most clients do receive the relief that they have been searching for by using Brainspotting.
Is Brainspotting effective?
The answer to “Is Brainspotting effective?” is: yes! Brainspotting is a somatic modality, meaning that it focuses heavily on how you are feeling in your body. This is unlike typical talk therapy which means a lot of individuals are seeking out Brainspotting, wondering about how Brainspotting works and is Brainspotting effective, because they are seeking something more.
If you’ve been through regular talk therapy, or maybe you are new to therapy but notice that you do need to get out of your head and into your body to heal—Brainspotting is likely to be a good modality for you!
Benefits of Brainspotting Therapy:
Wondering if Brainspotting is right for you? Here is what clients often experience:
Reduced emotional intensity around triggers
Fewer intrusive thoughts
A sense of internal release or clarity
Increased emotional regulation
A deeper connection to their body
And perhaps, most importantly—relief.
Can Brainspotting be done online?
Now you may be wondering “Can Brainspotting be done online?” and the answer is: yes!
There are a lot of benefits to doing Brainspotting online such as:
You’re in your own space with your own things
You can have your pets with you
You can eliminate anything that may be distrating
You can have anything that may make you feel grounded (scents, objects, etc)
You don’t have to drive anywhere!
You can have therapy where you are with where you are in your day
Two of the most common questions we get are “Can Brainspotting be done online?” quickly followed by “Can I do Brainspotting from…?”. We have folks that do therapy during their lunch break, during their kids naps, from their car, from their bedroom, etc. Brainspotting therapy online makes therapy flexible and able to meet you where you are at, physically and emotionally!
How do I get started?
Want to learn more about how Brainspotting works or have more questions around “Is Brainspotting legit?”, or maybe you are just ready to jump in and get started!
We encourage all potential clients to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to talk with our therapists to learn more about the therapist, their approach, and how they could hopefully help with what you are coming in for!
The really cool thing about Brainspotting is that it typically is very quick going, most clients able to do Brainspotting in just a few sessions after building a relationship with their therapist and getting some history taken.
Our clinic is also a proud partner of Brainspotting Help that connects individuals that have gone through unprecedent events to therapists that offer to support with free Brainspotting sessions.