Brainspotting Therapy
Brainspotting therapy in London
Are you struggling to understand the roots of past trauma? Have you been talking about your issues in circles and need something more? The Brainspotting therapy might be the right intervention for you.
What is brainspotting therapy?
Brainspotting is based on the revolutionary discovery that where we look actually affects how we feel. We unconsciously orient our eyes in a certain direction when we talk about certain experiences or beliefs.
The ‘gaze spot’, where we feel most emotionally activated around a specific issue, can be consciously maintained to help bring forgotten emotions and memories to the surface. This process may support the body and mind in gradually processing these experiences, potentially leading to improved emotional well-being.
Is brainspotting good for anxiety?
Our anxiety can stem from a childhood where we had to be on guard because life seemed dangerous or we felt unsupported. With brainspotting, you can relieve emotional charge around difficult past experiences and traumas, reducing your anxiety.
What is a session like?
In a brainspotting session, your therapist will create a calm, balanced environment for you to feel safe, then together you will choose a situation or memory you wish to work on. When you look at a situation, they will observe where your eyes naturally go, then point out the exact ‘gaze spot’ you feel most emotionally connected to.
You will be supported by your therapist as you maintain your gaze on this spot and mindfully observe your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. In addition to gently pointing out your reactions, they may remind you to breathe, helping you to process and perhaps reach an ‘anchor memory’, a deeper root of the problem.
What are the benefits of brainspotting therapy?
Bring up forgotten, difficult memories and process stuck emotions
Trauma can be addressed without needing to recount distressing details.
Your body can feel more relaxed and at ease.
Can support clients in addressing long-held beliefs
It may help reduce anxiety and improve performance
Phobias and fears: how to deal with them
Unblock your thinking and creativity.
Process your past and move forward at Expert Therapy
Our psychotherapist who has worked with individuals, couples, and families in both the UK and America for over 15 years. His expertise includes addiction, trauma, and relationships, and he creates a warm, supportive space for you to work on mental health issues like anxiety. He also offers cognitive behavioural therapy, emotionally-focused therapy, systemic psychotherapy, narrative therapy, and Gestalt therapy.
What is the difference between EMDR and brainspotting?
These are both short-term therapies that help you release trapped emotions and memories from traumatic experiences. The movements of the eyes are involved in both. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) involves moving your eyes from side to side as you talk about your memories.
In brainspotting, you keep your gaze fixed on a single point. In the event that sharing details of your trauma is uncomfortable for you, you can instead share with your therapist any thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise when you stare at a fixed point.
What is ‘somatic processing’?
Meaning ‘of the body’, somatic refers to the body. Unlike conventional therapies, somatic therapies focus on the feelings associated with the past, not just the content. Brainspotting is considered a form of somatic processing. Keeping your eyes on a brain spot generally causes you to feel bodily sensations first (tension, heat, discomfort) before remembering thoughts and feelings.
Do you offer brainspotting near me?
On the prestigious Harley Street in central London or online, we provide brainspotting sessions with Stefan Walters, a highly experienced, registered therapist. We can help you decide what’s best for you, or you can book your first session now online.
Who created brainspotting?
David Grand, a psychotherapist from the United States, created Brainspotting. While working with a client using EMDR, he noticed her eyes kept getting stuck at a certain point, which led to the creation of a new technique.
What is the science behind brainspotting, and how does it really work?
It is possible to think of your brain as having two main parts. A newer part of the brain, called the ‘neocortex,’ only found in primates, is responsible for thoughts, language, analysis, planning, etc. Our brain’s more primitive and deeper parts are known as the sub cortex. Emotions and self-preservation instincts are handled by the brain stem and limbic system.
It is now known that remnants of trauma can be trapped in the subcortex when the brain creates a dissociative barrier to protect us. We are still affected by the memories and feelings of these dissociated remnants. Normally, therapy goes top down, trying to access the subcortex by thinking. As a result of Brainspotting, the subcortex is directly accessed and is more efficient. Some therapeutic approaches suggest that the body may begin to process stored information when certain sensory or visual areas of the brain are engaged, which can support emotional healing over time.
