Brainspotting Therapy
A brain-body approach that locates where trauma and emotional pain are held in the nervous system — and works directly with those places to support deep, lasting healing.
Healing at the Level of the Nervous System
Brainspotting is a powerful therapeutic approach developed by Dr. David Grand that works on the premise that where you look affects how you feel. By identifying specific eye positions — called brainspots — that correlate with areas of activation in the nervous system, Andrea can help you access and process experiences that are held beneath conscious awareness and beyond the reach of language.
Unlike talk therapy, brainspotting does not require you to narrate or analyze your experience. The processing happens largely in the subcortical brain — the deeper structures that store trauma, regulate the nervous system, and hold the body's implicit memories. This makes brainspotting particularly effective for trauma, anxiety, and experiences that have resisted other approaches.
How Brainspotting Works
A brainspotting session begins with identifying an area of activation — a feeling, image, memory, or body sensation you want to work with. Andrea then uses a pointer to guide your gaze to different positions in your visual field, noticing where your nervous system responds. Once a brainspot is located, you hold your gaze there while staying with whatever arises — thoughts, images, sensations, emotions. Andrea holds a steady, attuned presence throughout, supporting the process without directing it.
Identify the activation
You and Andrea identify what you want to work with — a feeling, memory, body sensation, or area of distress. You notice where you feel it in your body and how intense it is.
Locate the brainspot
Andrea uses a pointer to guide your gaze across your visual field, watching for subtle physiological cues that indicate where your nervous system holds the activation.
Hold and process
You hold your gaze at the brainspot while staying with whatever arises. The processing unfolds organically — you do not need to direct it or make it happen.
Attunement and close
Andrea remains attuned throughout, offering grounding support as needed. Sessions close with a check-in to ensure you feel settled and resourced before you leave.
Who Brainspotting May Help
Brainspotting is used with a wide range of presentations. It may be a good fit if you are experiencing:
- Trauma or PTSD — including complex, developmental, or relational trauma
- Anxiety, panic, or a persistent sense of threat that does not respond to insight alone
- Depression with a somatic or trauma component
- Grief that feels stuck, frozen, or overwhelming
- Performance blocks in creative, athletic, or professional domains
- Dissociation or difficulty staying present in the body
- Experiences that have not shifted with talk therapy alone
Frequently Asked Questions About Brainspotting
Do I need to talk about my trauma during brainspotting?
No. Brainspotting works largely beneath the level of language. You do not need to narrate or describe what happened. You simply stay with what arises in your body and mind while holding your gaze at the brainspot.
How is brainspotting different from EMDR?
Both approaches work with the nervous system and use eye positions, but they are distinct therapies. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation in structured protocols; brainspotting uses fixed eye positions and relies more heavily on the therapist's attunement and the client's own processing. Andrea is trained in brainspotting specifically.
How is brainspotting different from ART?
Brainspotting and ART are separate therapies that both use eye positions but work differently. ART uses guided eye movements and voluntary image replacement in a structured protocol. Brainspotting uses fixed gaze positions and allows processing to unfold organically, without directing the imagery. Andrea is trained in both and may recommend one or the other — or a combination — depending on what you are working with.
How many sessions does brainspotting take?
It varies. Some clients notice significant shifts in a few sessions; others work with brainspotting over a longer period as part of ongoing therapy. Andrea will discuss realistic expectations with you based on what you are bringing and how your nervous system responds.
Can brainspotting be used in an intensive format?
Yes. Brainspotting is well-suited to therapy intensives — extended sessions that allow for deeper, more sustained processing than a standard 50-minute hour. Andrea offers 2–4 hour intensive sessions that can incorporate brainspotting alongside other modalities.
Curious Whether Brainspotting Might Help?
A private consultation is a low-pressure conversation — no commitment, no obligation. It is simply a chance to ask questions, share what you are carrying, and see whether this work feels like a fit.