What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting (BSP) is a psychotherapy modality that uses specific eye positions—called “brainspots”—to locate and process trauma, emotional distress, and unresolved psychological material held in the subcortical regions of the brain. Based on the principle that “where you look affects how you feel,” the method operates on the premise that the visual field correlates with underlying neurophysiological activation, and that maintaining a fixed gaze on certain points can facilitate deep processing of stored experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which engages primarily the neocortex and language centers, brainspotting aims to access subcortical structures—the amygdala, hippocampus, and brainstem—where traumatic memory is believed to be encoded somatically rather than narratively.
During a session, a trained therapist guides the client to identify a brainspot by observing shifts in the client’s physical or emotional activation (such as changes in breathing, eye reflexes, facial tension, or subjective distress) as the eyes move across the visual field. Once a brainspot is located, the client holds their gaze on that position while maintaining mindful awareness of bodily sensations, emotions, or memories that arise. The therapist provides attunement and presence throughout, creating what practitioners call “dual attunement”—to both the relational dynamic and the client’s internal experience. This process is designed to allow the brain’s inherent capacity for self-regulation and neurobiological integration to unfold without forced narrative or cognitive reframing.
Origins & Lineage
Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by David Grand, Ph.D., a psychotherapist based in New York. Grand had been trained in psychoanalysis in the 1980s and in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in 1993. In 1999, he was exposed to Somatic Experiencing (SE), and he integrated psychoanalysis, EMDR, and SE into what he called Natural Flow EMDR.
The pivotal discovery occurred in 2003 when Grand was working with an ice skater who had experienced performance issues after a traumatic fall. He observed that when she looked in a specific direction while thinking of the fall, her distress level rapidly dropped and her performance improved. This single case led Grand to hypothesize that fixed eye positions—rather than the bilateral eye movements used in EMDR—could serve as direct access points to unprocessed trauma. Through further experimentation, he developed the Brainspotting approach.
Grand’s first book on the subject, Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change, was published in 2013. By the time of the book’s writing, over 6,000 therapists from around the world had been trained in Brainspotting. As of recent reports, over 20,000 therapists have been trained in Brainspotting across the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and Africa.
How It’s Practiced
A brainspotting session typically begins with the therapist and client identifying a target issue—this may be a traumatic memory, a distressing emotion, a physical symptom, or a performance block. The client is asked to notice how the issue feels in their body and to rate the intensity of activation on a subjective scale. The therapist then uses a pointer or their finger to guide the client’s gaze slowly across their visual field, watching for involuntary physiological responses such as eye wobbles, pupil dilation, facial tension, or shifts in breathing. The client is also asked to report changes in their internal experience.
Once a brainspot is identified—a position where activation intensifies or where the client feels “stuck”—the client is invited to hold their gaze on that spot and remain present with whatever arises: sensations, emotions, images, memories, or insights. The therapist maintains a relationally attuned presence, offering minimal verbal intervention, allowing the client’s nervous system to process at its own pace. Sessions may also incorporate bilateral sound (called BioLateral Sound), which alternates between the left and right ears to deepen processing.
Brainspotting does not require extensive verbal recounting of trauma. The work is largely somatic and observational. Sessions are typically 60 to 90 minutes in length, and clients may experience emotional release, physical shifts, or integration of previously fragmented experiences. The method is considered flexible and can be combined with other therapeutic modalities.
Brainspotting Today
Brainspotting is used in clinical psychotherapy practices, trauma treatment centers, and performance coaching contexts. It is most commonly applied to PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and dissociation. It has also been adopted by performance coaches working with athletes, actors, musicians, and public speakers to address blocks related to anxiety, perfectionism, or past performance failures.
Training in brainspotting is offered through Brainspotting Trainings LLC and affiliated international trainers. Practitioners are required to complete at least Phase 1 training before offering the modality clinically. Advanced trainings and certifications are available for those seeking deeper mastery. The method has been translated into multiple languages and is taught on six continents.
Individuals seeking brainspotting can find trained therapists through the official Brainspotting directory at brainspotting.com. Sessions are typically conducted one-on-one in private practice settings, though the technique has also been used in group formats and in humanitarian crisis response (including work with survivors of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Sandy Hook shooting).
Common Misconceptions
Brainspotting is not a form of hypnosis, though the deep focused state may resemble a trance. The client remains fully conscious and in control throughout the session. It is also not a technique that “erases” traumatic memories; rather, it aims to metabolize the emotional and somatic charge associated with those memories so that they no longer trigger dysregulation.
The evidence base for brainspotting is limited; small pilot and comparative studies suggest possible benefits, but its theoretical foundations have not been empirically validated. Several psychologists characterize brainspotting as a pseudoscience or fringe medicine, though some consider it to be an emerging therapy. Much of the clinical support for brainspotting is anecdotal or comes from case studies rather than large-scale randomized controlled trials. Critics point to the lack of peer-reviewed research and note that many published studies are authored by Grand and his collaborators, raising concerns about bias.
Brainspotting is not a replacement for medical or psychiatric treatment, nor is it appropriate as a sole intervention for individuals in acute crisis or with severe dissociative disorders without additional stabilization support. It is also not a “quick fix”; while some clients report rapid shifts, trauma processing often requires multiple sessions and integration time.
How to Begin
For those curious about brainspotting, the most accessible entry point is David Grand’s book Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change (Sounds True, 2013), which provides context, case examples, and an overview of the method’s philosophy and techniques. The book is written for general readers as well as clinicians.
To experience brainspotting firsthand, seek a certified brainspotting therapist through the directory at brainspotting.com. Therapists are listed by location and specialty. It is advisable to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your goals and determine whether brainspotting is a good fit for your needs. Many therapists integrate brainspotting with other modalities such as Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, or psychodynamic therapy.
For clinicians interested in training, Phase 1 training is typically a three-day intensive that covers the foundational theory and practice of brainspotting. Additional phases and specialty trainings (such as Brainspotting for performance or Brainspotting with children) are available for advanced practitioners.