BRAINSPOTTING

The brain is the primary director of our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, bodily sensations, and functions. All mental health issues are brain issues, and all brain issues are body issues.

Brain-Based Therapies Vs. Talk Therapies

The field of psychiatry and clinical psychology has made huge strides in the last decades, beginning with the work of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and psychoanalysis. The top layer of the brain, or neocortex, is the thinking and logical part of our brain, and extremely important for healthy and proper functioning. Talk-based therapies (top-down) involve more of the cortical (cortex) region of the brain, and helps individuals “make sense” out of what is occurring internally and externally. Thinking (cognition) is also a “sense” that is needed to find meaning, purpose, organization, connection, and direction in our life. With the additional contributions by the field of Neuroscience clinical practitioners desiring to help those suffering with mental health issues have discovered brain-based therapy (bottom-up) techniques that are able to access the deeper more primitive parts of the brain (subcortical) and nervous system, where most of our emotions, past memories, and bodily sensations reside.

Brain-based therapies, like Brainspotting, target the unconscious and pre-conscious psychological material, which can be blocked or protected by the neocortex (thinking brain). It also helps to connect our “brain to our body, and our body to our brain”. Current research supports that positive therapeutic outcomes and personal relief can come in a shorter amount of time than with talk therapies, however, each client is uniquely different.

There are several types of brain-based and somatic (body) therapies available to clients, some of which are slightly different than the other. Brainspotting is client-driven and integrates well with relational and mindfulness approaches that lead to deep healing and personal change.

Where You Look is Where You Feel

Why Choose Brainspotting?

Window of Tolerance

The Window of Tolerance (WOT) is a graphic representation of one’s central nervous system specifically the autonomic (automatic) part of the system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for much of our emotions and memories that lie outside our conscious awareness and controlm located in the deeper regions of the human brain. Trauma and other emotionally unprocessed events and experiences can “deregulate” the nervous system leading to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and dissociation. Environmental and internal emotional cues can also “trigger” the brain and nervous system in ways that seem threatening in the present moment. When an individual is dysregulated they can become “stuck on” in a hyperaroused state in body and mind, or “stuck off” in a hypoaroused state. In some cases, individuals will cycle between the two states. Even when there is no true threat, or the stressful situation is no longer, an individual can remain dysregulated. Brainspotting is designed to help bring people back into their own window of tolerance where they thrive not just survive.

What Can Be Treated Using Brainspotting?

  • Trauma

  • Grief

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • ADD/ADHD

  • Anger Issues

  • Phobias

  • Chronic fatigue & pain

  • Substance abuse

  • Impulse control issues

  • Sports performance issues

If you are interested in participating in Brainspotting therapy, or have more questions, please reach out to me today.