Brainspotting
in Sarasota, FL
What Is Brainspotting?
Although talk therapy can be very helpful with a number of mental health issues, there are deeper parts of the brain that it can’t always access. Brainspotting (BSP) is a groundbreaking therapeutic technique that gets to the root of the issue, allowing you to get in touch with deeper aspects of yourself.
Instead of engaging the prefrontal cortex (the logical part of the brain), Brainspotting activates the subcortical region (the deeper, emotional parts of the brain, where traumas are stored and long-suppressed memories are held). This approach helps you access deeper memories by identifying brain spots within your visual field that correlate with specific issues and/or memories. In this way, Brainspotting can help you rewire your brain so that traumatic memories are more integrated into BOTH the logical and emotional parts of the brain.
For many people, the Brainspotting process is life-changing. It’s like opening a third eye—suddenly, clients have access to a whole world of emotional and spiritual components that they’d never known of before. This unique approach is especially powerful for people who have been disappointed by traditional therapy, as it offers both quick relief and long-lasting healing.
How Effective Is Brainspotting?
Despite being a relatively new approach to the field of psychotherapy, there is already a wealth of research that supports the success of Brainspotting in treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and many other mental health conditions. Some research has even shown that Brainspotting is more effective at treating trauma and PTSD than EMDR, which is widely considered the gold standard of trauma therapy.
At Harmony Harbor, we use Brainspotting to help clients suffering from a wide range of problems, including:
- Trauma
- Attachment issues
- Anxiety
- OCD
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Substance abuse
- Ruminative thought patterns
- Acute, chronic, and/or complex PTSD
Not only can Brainspotting help manage emotional and relational challenges in life, but it can also enhance creativity, focus, goal-setting, and soul expansion. Because of the way it increases mindful self-awareness, many clients find Brainspotting to be a source of spirituality. It gives them a way of accessing higher wisdoms as well as a way of connecting with their innermost selves and unleashing creative freedom.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
How Does Brainspotting Work?
Brainspotting is often referred to as a Neuro-Experiential treatment in the sense that it takes both neuro-biology and lived experience into account. The Brainspotting process generally begins by identifying the issue you want to work on and helping you locate where you feel the emotional impact of that issue in your body.
For example, let’s say that you want to find a new job, but you’re anxious about leaving your current one. When asked where you feel that anxiety in your body, suppose you say your chest. Your therapist will then help you find a “brain spot”—literally, a spot in your line of vision—that makes you feel that anxiety most strongly. Once this spot is identified, you will hold your gaze, bypassing the prefrontal cortex (the thinking part of your brain), and tap into the emotional parts of your brain.
Brainspotting also utilizes bilateral stimulation music through headphones. The left-to-right musical cues provide additional integration and calm the brain so that you can go deeper into the issues at hand.
Although Brainspotting does require confronting difficult emotions, your therapist will be there to ensure that you do not feel out of your depth. Strategies like wearing goggles that keep one eye blocked during the Brainspotting process, or identifying the calmest part of your body, can help you stay grounded throughout therapy.
Although you may encounter unpleasant feelings during the healing process, it’s worth noting that Brainspotting doesn’t require you to share the details of your trauma. You are welcome to share as much or as little as you’d like.
How Can Brainspotting Benefit Your Life?
Even though Brainspotting is often a short-term form of therapy (some clients experience relief after just one session), the results of Brainspotting can last a lifetime. The benefits ultimately go beyond what we can describe here, but some of the main benefits include:
- Greater confidence and a clearer sense of self
- Decreased reactivity to traumas and triggers
- Increased insight into long-standing issues
- The ability to have deeper relationships with others
- Expanded mind-body awareness
- Deeper spiritual beliefs and connections
Brainspotting also empowers us to heal relational scars by processing our trauma in the context of a safe, supportive therapeutic relationship. It’s like getting an Uno reverse card for our trauma—we get to experience the care and compassion that we might not have received during the trauma, and this can be deeply healing and restorative. We have someone to walk with us through the fire and lead us to a higher plane of understanding and safety.
Sometimes, Traditional Therapy Isn’t Enough. That’s Why We’re Proud To Offer Brainspotting.
At Harmony Harbor, Caren Phillipi is our resident Brainspotting specialist. She has completed all four levels of Brainspotting training and received her certification through Brainspotting International. She also completed Brainspotting for developmental trauma through the Developmental Trauma Training Institute.
Caren first became interested in Brainspotting after a colleague offered it to help her prepare for a public speaking opportunity. At the time, Caren had a fear of public speaking. But immediately after trying Brainspotting, she felt significantly less anxiety around public speaking and experienced a greater awareness of how childhood events were connected to negative beliefs that she’d developed around speaking in public.
If you would like to work with Caren and experience the incredible benefits of Brainspotting firsthand, we encourage you to book an appointment with her!
Brainspotting Therapy Blog Posts
2201 Cantu Ct, Suite 104
Sarasota, FL 34232
We are located in the Live Oak Office Building