Brainspotting in Atlanta

Where you look affects how you feel.

Brainspotting was developed by David Grand, PhD, from a deceptively simple observation: the direction of your gaze changes what you are able to reach emotionally. Certain eye positions seem to hold a direct line to material the thinking part of the brain cannot easily get to.

What a brainspot is

Specific eye positions — “brainspots” — are connected to experience stored deep in the subcortical brain. In session, your therapist uses eye position to locate, focus, process and release emotional and physical symptoms, working with the body’s own capacity to scan and heal itself.¹ By releasing what the body has been holding, Brainspotting can help reset painful memories in both body and brain: easing physical pain and stuck thought patterns, and improving sleep and energy.

What a session feels like

Deep breathing and bilateral sound help you settle into a mindful state and connect with what you are feeling in your body. When you are ready, your therapist guides you to find the brainspot, notice where you feel stuck, and stay with whatever surfaces.² Sessions are usually quieter and slower than talk therapy. You may say very little for long stretches, and that is the work rather than a sign it is not working.

Brainspotting and EMDR

The two are relatives and are often confused. Both work with the relationship between brain and body rather than through discussion alone, and both are used for trauma. The difference is structure. EMDR follows a defined eight-phase protocol with bilateral stimulation and a clear sequence. Brainspotting is more open-ended and follows where your attention actually goes, which some people find gentler and less prescriptive.

Neither is better in the abstract, and plenty of people do some of each. If you would like the more structured version, you can read about EMDR therapy here.

What it can help with

• Trauma and painful memories that stay physically activating
• Chronic pain and persistent physical tension
• Negative thought patterns that have not shifted with insight alone
• Sleep and energy affected by unresolved experience
• Performance blocks, in sport, work, or creative practice

Take the next step

A free consultation call is the simplest way to find out whether this is a fit. It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and gives you a sense of how the work actually feels before you decide.