What is Brainspotting and How Can It Help with Trauma?
If you’ve been struggling with the lingering effects of trauma, anxiety, or emotional pain—and traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully helped—you may be wondering if there’s another way. Brainspotting is a powerful and gentle therapy that allows your body and brain to process and release trauma stored deep in your nervous system.
At Inner Lantern Therapy, we specialize in Brainspotting to help clients access deeper healing. But what exactly is Brainspotting, and how does it work?
Understanding Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a brain-body therapy developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It grew out of his work with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), when he discovered that certain eye positions could access traumatic memory networks in a uniquely effective way.
As Dr. Grand explains, “Where you look affects how you feel.”
Brainspotting helps us bypass the thinking brain (neocortex) and access the subcortical brain—where trauma, intuition, memory, and emotion live. This part of the brain processes much faster than our conscious thoughts, allowing for deep and often rapid healing.
How Does Brainspotting Work?
In a Brainspotting session, you’ll be guided to focus on a specific issue—such as anxiety, panic, a traumatic memory, or even a stuck feeling. With the help of your therapist, you’ll find a “brainspot”—a particular eye position that correlates with where the trauma is stored in your body and nervous system.
Once we locate the brainspot, we hold it with mindful, compassionate attention while tuning into your body’s sensations, emotions, and images. This allows your nervous system to naturally reprocess, release, and reintegrate the trauma.
Unlike talk therapy, Brainspotting doesn’t require you to retell or analyze your story. The healing happens from the inside out.
What Does Brainspotting Help With?
Brainspotting is highly effective for a range of emotional and physical concerns, including:
Trauma and PTSD
Childhood abuse or neglect
Anxiety and panic attacks
Grief and loss
Shame and self-worth issues
Creative blocks
Performance anxiety
Medical or chronic pain
Because Brainspotting taps into the body's natural ability to heal, it’s also well-suited for clients who feel disconnected from their emotions, overwhelmed, or stuck in patterns they can’t explain.
Why Choose Brainspotting Over Other Therapies?
While modalities like EMDR and somatic therapy are also helpful for trauma, Brainspotting offers a more flexible, client-led experience. It’s especially gentle for people who find it difficult to verbalize their trauma or those who are highly sensitive.
Clients often report feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected to themselves after Brainspotting sessions—even after just a few sessions.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve tried traditional therapy but still feel held back by old wounds or nervous system overwhelm, Brainspotting might be the missing piece. It’s a profound and intuitive approach to healing that honors your brain, body, and story.
At Inner Lantern Therapy, we help clients in Washington, Texas, and Colorado access healing through Brainspotting, hypnotherapy, and trauma-informed care.
Ready to explore Brainspotting? Schedule your free consultation here and begin the journey back to your inner light.
