What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is an advanced and highly effective focused psychotherapy method that provides access to deeply rooted neurophysiological sources of trauma, dissociation, and a wide range of psychological and physical symptoms. It is an intensive yet structured and safe therapeutic process that enables the recognition, processing, and release of material that conventional talk therapy cannot reach, as it lies beyond the cognitive and linguistic capacities of the conscious mind.

Through eye positions, somatic (bodily) awareness, focused mindfulness, and an attuned therapeutic relationship, Brainspotting allows both therapist and client to directly access subcortical areas of the brain where unresolved emotional and somatic material is stored. The method is grounded in modern neuroscientific findings and works with the limbic and autonomic nervous systems, producing powerful psychological, emotional, and physical effects.

A distinctive feature of the method is the use of the natural connection between the visual field and internal experience. A so-called “Brainspot” is a point in the visual field that, when activated, triggers a strong bodily or emotional response. Once activated, it is as if the brain itself identifies and engages the neural network where the trauma has been trapped.

Brainspotting often incorporates the use of bilateral sound, in which alternating auditory stimulation between the left and right ear creates balance in hemispheric activation and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, further deepening the self-healing process.

The method was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand – a relational psychoanalyst, EMDR therapist, and supervisor with over three decades of clinical experience. Since then, more than 13,000 therapists and around 50 Brainspotting trainers worldwide have been trained in the method. Trainings are also available in Slovenia, where interest in Brainspotting continues to grow.

Brainspotting integrates well with various therapeutic approaches, as it supports the body’s and brain’s natural capacity for regulation, processing, and restoring inner balance. In the safety of the therapeutic relationship, clients often achieve deep relief and meaningful insights – frequently with less talking and more inner experiencing than in classical talk therapies.