Brainspotting: A Lifesaving Therapy
After having my second baby, I was hit hard with postpartum depression and anxiety which turned very scary overnight. Being a therapist, I knew my suicidal thoughts were the depression talking, not me.
I reached out to a local EMDR therapist, who offered Brainspotting therapy instead. She was conducting a research study measuring the impact Brainspotting could have on perinatal mental health.
So I said “Hell YES”.
I had a profound shift after just one session. I completed five more sessions and then signed up for training to begin the certification process. I just had to have this tool for my clients because it got to the root of my suffering.
what is brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain and body-based therapy discovered by Dr. David Grande in 2003. In his work with clients, Dr. Grande found that our eye movements affect how we feel, and hold the secrets behind dissociative barriers.
the trauma cylce
When we experience trauma, whether it’s lowercase t trauma, such as humiliation, or capital T trauma, such as surviving sexual assault, our brains and bodies determine the threat level and respond with a trauma response to protect our survival.
These experiences then get stuck in the midbrain, rather than our hippocampus where our memories are stored.
Simultaneously, the cortisol and adrenaline that were triggered in our trauma response get launched into the nervous system which causes all sorts of ailments over time.
So here we are, carrying around these traumas and excess energy in our brains and bodies. No wonder why we are depressed and anxious.
how brainspotting works
Brainspotting allows you to get deep into the brain where the trauma is held to process it in a healthy way and release stored energy in the nervous system.
Profound healing happens through dual attunement, the neurobiological process of Brainspotting held by the therapeutic relationship.
Brainspotting can also be used to build out your strengths, or gems, to expand your potential. By visualizing yourself at your peak performance, we’ll find a Brainspot associated with that image and feeling, and help strengthen your neural connectivity around positive possibilities. This my friends, is Neuroplasticity in action!
