Brainspotting

Brainspotting (BSP) is a specialized, brain-body therapy designed to access and release trauma, emotional pain, and physical distress stored deep within the subcortical brain.  It is based on the core principle that "where you look affects how you feel," meaning specific eye positions (known as "brainspots") directly correlate with emotional and physiological experiences in the brain.

The 2 regions of the brain that are responsible for body-brain regulation are the agranular isocortex and allocortex (the limbic system's cortex). These two work together by bringing the autonomic nervous system back into balance, moving the body from a "fight-or-flight" state to a calm, regulated state. The eye position (Brainspot) creates a retinocollicular pathway that links the visual field directly to the agranular and allocortical regulatory centers, allowing for deep, rapid physiological healing that talk therapy often cannot reach.

Core Mechanisms of Brainspotting:

• Accessing the Subcortex: Unlike traditional talk therapy, which targets the rational neocortex, brainspotting bypasses conscious thought to reach the limbic system and midbrain. These areas store traumatic memories as non-verbal sensory data rather than logical narratives.

  
  

• The "Brainspot": A brainspot is an eye position that activates a specific neural network holding a traumatic memory or emotional charge.

  
  

• Reflexive Responses: Therapists identify these spots by observing involuntary physical cues such as eye twitches, sudden blinks, changes in breathing, or facial tics while the client scans their field of vision. The client can also notice activation in their body, such as tightness in the throat, headache, muscle pain, gut nausea, constriction in the chest/heart, etc.

During the 45-90 minute session, you can experience varied effects in the body-mind:

Physically, you might notice shivers, twitching, changes in breath or heartrate, or localized pressure. Emotionally, you can ride the waves of sudden emotion, and I'm talking the heavy-hitters like sadness, deep grief, anger, guilt, disgust, but also profound happiness or relief. You may "see" visions which can be memories or metaphorical images. If you do parts work, your parts oftentimes make themselves known. You may also be silent for long periods of time where you just stare or maybe with your eyes closed, you just remain silent...you are processing! You may also find it difficult to make complete sentences...that's ok, you are not in your prefrontal cortex, that executive part of the brain...you are subcortical!

If you feel like your brain is still "reorganizing" over the next few days, it usually means the session successfully tapped into deep processing. Be gentle with yourself during the "processing window" (usually 48–72 hours). Drink more water than usual and avoid jumping straight into high-stress meetings if you can help it.

Here is what that continued subcortical activity often looks like:

Physical Effects

• The "Brainspotting Hangover": Intense fatigue or a deep need for sleep as the nervous system resets.

• Sensory Sensitivity: Feeling more sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces.

• Somatic Release: Continued twitching, "shivers," or localized pressure/tingling in the body where you felt activation during the session.

• Headaches: A dull "expansion" feeling or mild tension as blood flow and neural pathways shift.

  
  

Mental & Cognitive Effects

• Brain Fog: Feeling "spacey" or having trouble focusing on linear, logical tasks (the prefrontal cortex taking a backseat to the subcortical work).

• Vivid Dreams: Intense, metaphorical, or strangely clear dreams as the brain continues to consolidate and "file" the material processed.

• New Insights: "Aha!" moments that pop up out of nowhere while doing mundane tasks like washing dishes or driving.

  
  

Emotional Effects

• Emotional Fragility: Feeling "raw" or find yourself crying more easily over things that wouldn't normally trigger you.

• Delayed Waves: A sudden surge of sadness, anger, or even joy 24–48 hours after the session.

• Increased Calm: Conversely, a sudden, quiet "stillness" or a sense of detachment from a previously distressing memory.

  
  

Spiritual Effects

• Connection/Disconnection: A shifting sense of your place in the world or a feeling of being more "grounded" in your body.

• Heightened Intuition: Feeling more "in tune" with your gut instincts or internal compass.

• Transcendence: A feeling of "lightness" or the sense that a heavy spiritual burden has finally been integrated or moved.

Geeze...you maybe thinking, "Why on Earth, Jamille, would I want to engage in something so intense?"

Well, here are some potential benefits:

Emotional and Mental Health Benefits

• Deep Trauma Processing: It accesses the limbic system and midbrain to release "frozen" traumatic memories that traditional talk therapy often cannot reach.

• Rapid Relief: Many individuals report significant improvements in fewer sessions compared to traditional methods; some even feel shifts after a single session.

• Reduced Verbal Demand: Because it is a "bottom-up" therapy, you do not need to retell or relive every detail of a painful event to process it, making it ideal if you find verbalizing trauma difficult.

• Anxiety and Depression Management: It helps regulate the nervous system, reducing symptoms like panic attacks, chronic worry, and the emotional "heaviness" of depression.

  
  

Physical and Somatic Benefits

• Chronic Pain Relief: By addressing the physical manifestations of emotional stress, it can alleviate chronic pain, migraines, and muscle tension.

• Nervous System Regulation: It calms the sympathetic nervous system ("fight or flight" mode), leading to improved sleep, increased energy, and a greater sense of calm.

• Physical Injury Recovery: For athletes, it helps process the psychological trauma of physical injuries, reducing "muscle guarding" and subconscious fear of re-injury.

  
  

Performance and Creativity Enhancement

• Unlocking "The Yips": It is widely used by athletes to overcome sudden, unexplained performance blocks (like the "twisties" or "yips").

• Peak Performance: By clearing performance anxiety and mental noise, it helps professionals, artists, and athletes reach a "flow state" and perform with greater focus.

• Boosted Creativity: It can identify "creativity spots"—specific gaze positions that help remove artistic blocks and enhance creative output.

If you're wondering if I have experienced this myself, then the answer is a definitive YES! During training, I volunteered to be a "client" in a demo session with an absolute expert practitioner, Dr. Pie Frey. I can't tell you the specifics of the session, not because of confidentiality, but because I really don't remember!

I can tell you that I felt sensation in my body as I never had before. Tingling in my legs from mid thigh to mid calf, a lightness in my fingers, and also nausea, like I was going to throw up, and sooooo many tears...like the type of ugly cry, face scrunched up, snot nose with deep gutteral convulsions and gasping for breath. Ok, so when that wave passed, there was deep laughter and the, what my husband and I call, "Hallmark card" realizations..."We are all one", "I can start anew in every moment", "I can choose something different from what my parents chose". OK, so maybe that last one might not appear in a greeting card, but you get the picture.

Immediately after the session, I had to just lay on the floor in savasana (yogic corpse pose) for like 20 minutes...but what does time even mean after an experience like that??? What IS time???

I felt absolutely wrung-out!!! As I came back from this altered reality, I felt qualitatively different. As the day progressed and I continued to take care of myself (keep in mind this is day 1 of 3 full days of training that include experiential learning), I felt like a new me. There was this calm center, lighter, happier, more content, more humble, more self-compassion, more connection within and more connection among my fellow colleagues.

I feel so grateful to have learned this powerful modality that aligns with my bottom-up orientation, somatic practices, and mindfulness. I look forward to holding space for you as I walk with you on your healing journey.