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Learn how Brainspotting works and what to expect in your first session
When we think about an issue that is bothering us, especially a traumatic event, we often feel some discomfort in a certain part of our body. When we think or talk about what happened, we naturally look in a certain direction. You could say that our eyes choose where to look.
Brainspotting relies on these natural human processes, body sensations and eye direction.
To help you focus during a Brainspotting session, the therapist / practitioner may use a pointer to find a spot in your field of vision that most closely corresponds to the sensations in your body when you recall the traumatic memory. This point is called the brainspot.
In short, the processing of the trauma continues naturally until focusing on the brainspot no longer causes unpleasant sensations in the body. The founder of Brainspotting, David Grand, calls this focused mindfulness.
This process leads not only to overcoming trauma, but also to post-traumatic growth and expansion.
Brainspotting Session Guidelines
What to do:
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Talk as much or as little as you want during the session (silence is okay)
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Allow yourself to feel emotions and various sensations in your body
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Trust that your brain knows how to heal itself
What NOT to do:
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Worry about whether or not you are doing it right
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Judge what's happening (your thoughts or body reactions)
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Try to figure out why you are experiencing certain reactions
Your therapist may ask you questions such as:
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“What are you feeling in your body?” This is referring to sensations or pain you may be experiencing such as: tightness in your chest or stomach, tension in your neck, head or other muscles, etc.
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“On a scale of 0 (weakest) to 10 (strongest), how intense are these feelings in your body?
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“What's coming up for you? / Where are you now?” - This refers to anything that might be happening in your thoughts, feelings or body during the process.
This is a very simple yet profoundly effective way of healing trauma