BrainSpotting Therapy in Denver, Colorado
What is Brainspotting Therapy (BSP)?
It was brought to light by Dr. David Grand, founder of Brainspotting, “Where you look affects how you feel.” Brainspotting therapy is a method that uses a specific eye position to access unprocessed trauma in the brain. This eye position is found in the client's field of vision and is called a brainspot. It helps activate the deeper parts of the brain, known as the subcortex. This allows the client, guided in support by the therapist, to detour around the neocortex to help better access the subcortical emotional, and body-based parts, of the brain.
Brainspotting is a relational, brain-body, focused mindfulness-based therapy. It uses a dual attunement approach to therapy, in which the brainspotting therapist supports the client to engage in mindfulness to help move the client's shift away from dysregulation to regulation in response to the symptoms that are negatively impacting their lives.
Who does Brainspotting Help?
Brainspotting can be an effective tool for anybody, as it helps target an active nervous system. However, just because it could be of service to anyone does not mean it is always effective for each person. If a client seems to struggle with brainspotting therapy, a therapist can be of support in helping a client find alternative forms of therapy such as EMDR to help heal from unresolved trauma. Outside of engaging in trauma-specific therapy, brainspotting can offer benefits for those seeking support with difficult emotional, and somatic, experiences as well.
What a Session May Look Like
Although there is a brainspotting therapist there guiding you, much of this is self-directed. You will start with some relaxing breathing and possibly listening to bilateral sounds (music designed to move from one ear to the other) in headphones.
Once you have settled into a more mindful state, you will identify a place in your body where you feel the most distress and rank it on a scale of one to 10.
With the therapist’s help, you will then find your “brain spot,” or, where your eyes naturally focus on when the physical discomfort is the strongest. You will be guided to focus on this point by a pointer rod or the therapist’s finger, and they will help you identify the spot where you are becoming “stuck” and would like to work on it.
The brainspotting therapist may take either an “Outside Window” or “Inside Window” approach. In the “Outside Window” approach, the therapist observes the client’s gaze and recommends a point. On the other hand in the “Inside Window” approach, the client is the one identifying the point to process.
From here, you and the brainspotting therapist will hone in on the feelings coming up, as you stick with this one area of the body.
You will then take some time to process the whole experience of what came up and what it may mean.
What Brainspotting Therapy Can Help With
Though Brainspotting therapy is primarily focused on discovering and alleviating trauma, it can help many different types of issues, especially since trauma’s effects are so far-reaching.
Attachment issues
Posttraumatic stress disorder
Chronic pain
Begin Brainspotting Therapy In Denver, CO
You can start overcoming past trauma with nothing but the power of your own eye movements. Our therapists have the training and experience to provide this treatment. We would be happy to support you from our Broomfield and Denver, CO-based counseling practice. To start Brainspotting therapy, please follow the simple steps below:
Meet with a caring brainspotting therapist for a free consultation
Start overcoming the symptoms that are impacting your life
Other Therapy Services Offered At WellMinded Counseling in Colorado
Brainspotting therapy isn't the only service our therapists offer. Our practice offers services in Broomfield, Denver, and throughout Colorado. We see clients of a wide age range for a variety of mental health concerns. This includes the following counseling services:
