Brainspotting Therapy

At Atlanta Specialized Care, we use brainspotting therapy to help clients process and move through distressing experiences without the need to verbally relive them. This makes brainspotting especially helpful for those who’ve felt blocked, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted by more conventional therapy approaches.

What Is Brainspotting Therapy?

Brainspotting therapy is a cutting-edge, brain-body technique that helps identify and release unresolved emotional wounds stored deep in the subcortical brain (the part of the brain beneath conscious awareness that controls instinct, emotion, and survival responses). Developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003, this therapeutic method uses fixed eye positions, or “brainspots”, to access trauma and stress at their neurological source.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, which engages the logical, thinking brain, brainspotting works with the regions responsible for emotion, regulation, and reflex, often the same places where trauma becomes “stuck,” leading to chronic anxiety, emotional reactivity, or physical symptoms like tension or fatigue.

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How Brainspotting Therapy Works

Brainspotting therapy helps the brain and body access unresolved trauma by focusing your gaze on specific “brainspots”,  points in your visual field that activate emotional or physical responses. Here’s how a typical session unfolds:

I. Grounding and Preparation

To begin, your therapist will guide you into a calm, focused state. This may include:

  • Light breathing or mindfulness exercises
  • Listening to bilateral music (soothing tones that alternate between your ears to support relaxation and brain integration)
  • Gentle conversation to set intentions for the session

This initial phase helps prepare your nervous system for deeper processing.

II. Locating the Brainspot

Next, your therapist will use a pointer or their finger to guide your eye movements slowly across your field of vision. During this process:

  • You’ll pay close attention to any changes in physical sensations or emotional responses
  • The therapist will also observe for subtle cues,  such as eye twitches, facial shifts, or body movements,  that may signal activation
  • Once a response is noticed, you and your therapist will identify the corresponding “brainspot”

This is the access point to unresolved emotional material stored in the subcortical brain, where trauma often gets stuck below conscious awareness.

III. Focused Processing and Attunement

Once the brainspot is found, you’ll hold your gaze on that fixed point while allowing thoughts, emotions, and body sensations to rise and pass. During this phase:

  • The therapist maintains dual attunement,  staying emotionally connected while letting you lead your internal experience
  • You may feel waves of emotion, physical sensations like tingling or tension, or vivid memories
  • Verbal processing is minimal unless you choose to share

This method engages your body’s bottom-up healing system, rather than relying on conscious insight like traditional talk therapy does.

IV. Releasing the “Stuck” State

Brainspotting therapy also targets what Dr. David Grand called “frozen maladaptive homeostasis”, a survival-oriented brain state where trauma has locked the body and nervous system into hypervigilance or emotional shutdown. Through brainspotting:

  • These stuck patterns begin to loosen
  • The brain resumes its natural ability to process and regulate emotional experiences
  • You may experience a sense of lightness, calm, or even physical release (like deep sighing or gentle shaking)

V. Integration and Closing

Toward the end of the session, your therapist will help you return to a grounded state. This might involve:

  • Rechecking your level of distress (often lower than at the start)
  • Reflecting on any insights or emotional shifts
  • Discussing whether additional sessions would be beneficial

What makes brainspotting therapy unique is that you don’t have to retell your story or relive traumatic memories. Instead, the process honors your brain’s innate ability to find the path toward resolution, at your pace, and with your body as the guide.

Benefits of Brainspotting Therapy

While brainspotting can feel intense or draining in the moment, that emotional release often becomes the gateway to meaningful, lasting change. By helping the brain and body finally process what has been locked away, clients frequently report shifts that extend far beyond the therapy room.

Some of the most common benefits include:

  • Reduced emotional reactivity, Triggers that once felt overwhelming may lose their charge
  • Improved regulation, Fewer emotional “ups and downs” and a stronger sense of control
  • Physical relief, Tension, fatigue, and chronic discomfort often lessen as the nervous system stabilizes
  • Better sleep and energy, Clients frequently report deeper rest and more mental clarity
  • Faster access to underlying issues, Brainspotting helps bypass the need to “figure it all out” cognitively

For individuals who have felt stuck in other forms of therapy, brainspotting often provides a level of access and insight that feels both surprising and affirming. Though results vary, even a handful of sessions can begin to create movement in areas that once felt immovable, whether related to trauma, anxiety, grief, or persistent stress. This growing sense of internal freedom often leads clients to wonder why they couldn’t access these shifts before, and that’s the point: brainspotting works where the brain has been holding back, not just what it’s been holding onto.

Up next, we’ll look at who this approach may be best suited for, and how to know if it’s the right fit for your healing journey.

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Who Can Benefit from Brainspotting Therapy

Not everyone responds to traditional talk therapy, especially when the pain they’re carrying lives deeper than words. Brainspotting therapy is particularly helpful for people who have tried other approaches but still feel stuck, dysregulated, or disconnected from themselves.

This therapy may be a good fit for those experiencing:

Trauma and PTSD, especially when events are difficult to talk about or recall clearly
Anxiety or chronic stress that feels rooted in the body
Emotional numbness or dissociation, when it’s hard to feel anything, even in therapy
Performance blocks in athletes, artists, speakers, or high-achievers
Persistent patterns of overreaction, shutdown, or self-sabotage
Somatic symptoms like tension, migraines, or digestive issues without clear medical cause
High sensitivity, overwhelm from traditional therapy formats, or a feeling of having "talked things to death" without meaningful change
Because it works beneath the level of conscious thought, this approach can create space for healing even when a client doesn’t have the words, memory, or full understanding of why they feel the way they do.
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Getting Started with Brainspotting Therapy in Atlanta

Because brainspotting requires specialized training, it’s essential to work with a clinician who understands both the technical and emotional aspects of the process. Certified brainspotting therapists have completed advanced coursework and logged extensive hours using the method with real clients, but just as important is their ability to stay present, attuned, and responsive to your needs in-session.

At Atlanta Specialized Care, our brainspotting therapists are deeply experienced in trauma-informed care and body-based modalities. Whether you’re seeking relief from long-held anxiety, grief, or patterns that feel hard to explain, we provide a grounded, compassionate space for healing to unfold.

To get started, we recommend:

  • Reaching out for an initial consultation to determine if brainspotting is the right fit
  • Asking questions about the therapist’s training, approach, and experience with issues like yours
  • Trusting your own response, feeling emotionally safe and seen matters just as much as clinical expertise

If you’re ready to explore how brainspotting therapy can support your healing, we’re here to help. Contact us or request an appointment to get started with one of our trained, compassionate clinicians.

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FAQ About Brainspotting Therapy

How does brainspotting therapy work?

Using fixed eye positions, brainspotting helps access emotional and physical distress stored in the subcortical brain. By maintaining focus on a brainspot, the nervous system is given space to process and release unresolved material.

What happens during a brainspotting session?

You’ll work with a therapist to identify a brainspot, a visual point that activates distress, and hold your gaze there while noticing sensations, emotions, and thoughts. The session is mostly quiet and client-led, with the therapist providing support and attunement throughout.

Is brainspotting like EMDR?

Brainspotting and EMDR share some similarities, but brainspotting is less structured and more intuitive. It typically involves less verbal processing and works at a deeper, subcortical level where nonverbal trauma is stored.

How many sessions do I need?

Every client is different, but many people begin to notice shifts within just a few sessions. Treatment can be short-term or ongoing, depending on your goals and what comes up during the process.