Therapeutic Approach
BRAINSPOTTING
About Brainspotting
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Brainspotting is a therapeutic approach that uses specific eye positions to help individuals access, process, and overcome trauma, stress, and emotional obstacles.
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Brainspotting works by identifying eye positions that align with areas of emotional distress stored in the brain.
These "brain spots" correlate with unresolved trauma or psychological blocks. When clients focus on these spots, it activates deep brain processes, allowing them to access and process the trauma more effectively.
This approach works quickly to release negative emotional and physical reactions tied to traumatic memories, often leading to rapid healing.
Brainspotting can address a variety of conditions, including somatic pain, substance use concerns, and anxiety, by helping individuals break free from deeply rooted emotional patterns.
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Brainspotting is an effective treatment for a wide range of issues, including trauma and PTSD, anxiety, phobias, addictions, depression, and ADHD.
For those struggling with chronic pain or somatic issues, Brainspotting can help release the physical manifestations of trauma, leading to symptom reduction and overall well-being.
Brainspotting may also help individuals with performance enhancement, including sports performance and creativity enhancement, by helping them overcome mental blocks, stress, and obstacles in their lives. -
Brainspotting offers numerous benefits, including rapid relief from emotional and physical trauma, by helping you process and release stored trauma. As a result, you may notice a reduction in symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
Brainspotting promotes emotional healing, self-regulation, and increased resilience, allowing you to regain control of your emotions and life.
Brainspotting is also effective in enhancing personal and professional performance, by helping you improve focus and overcome obstacles.
The versatility of brainspotting makes it a powerful tool for addressing both historical and current issues + challenges.
Benefits of Brainspotting
Understanding Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a progressive therapeutic modality designed to foster deep emotional and psychological healing.
Brainspotting is a holistic approach to healing that leverages the connection between the mind & body to uncover and release stored trauma and emotional blocks, offering a comprehensive path to healing.
At Spear Wellness Centre, we use brainspotting to address trauma & PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue and chronic pain, and other issues with emotional regulation, including anger management.
By identifying specific "brainspots"— visual points that correspond with unresolved emotional pain or trauma— Brainspotting facilitates the processing and release of trapped trauma energy, contributing to overall emotional and physical wellness.
Whether used independently or in conjunction with EMDR, our brainspotting therapist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that meets your unique needs.
Our Brainspotting Therapist
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Cathy Lumsden (she/her) is a Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor with the CRPO, author and speaker with over 30 years experience in the field.
Cathy provides effective therapeutic brain based modalities, such as EMDR and Brainspotting, often combining these two powerful modalities to create a cutting-edge experience to optimize therapeutic outcomes for her clients.
Cathy has extensive experience working with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, separation/divorce and stress.
Brainspotting is used to reprocess the mid-brain, where we store every experience and trauma of our whole lives - unconscious and conscious experiences. Subsequently, the emotional triggers decrease which allows the logical brain to have more power to control anxiety, traumas and depression.
“In a significant number of situations, Brainspotting has successfully reduced, and at times eliminated, undiagnosable or intractable symptoms, including pain and fatigue”
Bridging Brainspotting with EMDR for Profound Transformation
Have you heard of combining Brainspotting with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) ?
At Spear Wellness Centre, we combine the powerful approaches of EMDR and Brainspotting to curate a comprehensive & powerful treatment option that leads to significant therapeutic gains.
Our Registered Psychotherapist, Cathy Lumsden, integrates brainspotting into the natural flow of EMDR therapy to enrich your overall experience and provide a comprehensive approach to treatment.
Brainspotting can help you identify key areas to work on within EMDR therapy, and can also be used to target specific areas of the brain associated with emotional distress, while simultaneously leveraging the benefits of bilateral stimulation (BLS) in EMDR, to provide a deep and effective healing experience.
FAQs
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While both brainspotting & EMDR focus on reprocessing traumatic memories, Brainspotting does this by using 'brainspots & specific (usually static) eye positions, while EMDR uses eye movements and bi-lateral stimulation.
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Brainspotting session typically lasts between 60 to 90 minutes but can vary based on the individual & practitioner
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No! You can only share what you are comfortable with & Brainspotting will focus on the related emotional pain that can allow your brain to process difficult memories
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Yes! Brainspotting can help treat chronic pain by identifying & processing the neurological components associated with the pain.
Brainspotting uses specific eye movements that trigger the body’s natural healing capabilities to help you release tension + trauma related to the pain using an approach that focuses on the mind-body connection.
Studies have suggested that brainspotting can help reduce chronic pain intensity, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall well-being.
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A “brainspot” refers to a specific eye position that is linked to a particular emotion or physical state. Focusing on a brainspot allows you to access and process traumatic memories, deep-seated emotions, and body sensations connected with the traumatic experience.
