What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain-based therapy that uses the brain’s memory capsules [R. Scaer. R. (2007), The Body Bears the Burden] or brainspots that store memories and traumas from a person’s life. Brainspotting accesses specific areas of the midbrain that allow for reprocessing and releasing of core neurophysiological reactions to trauma-related and other psychological experiences. Brainspotting is built on a model that emphasizes therapist-client attunement in the healing process. Brainspotting is adaptable to many different areas of specialization and can be integrated with other treatment models.
I’ll admit I’d never heard of brainspotting before but after trying it I can say it’s been a VERY powerful tool for me to access parts of myself that needed healing. Bonnie does a great job setting up a safe, kind, empathetic environment for this healing to happen, and is constantly looking for different resources to offer—you can tell she cares deeply about both her clients and for continuously building her own repertoire of services. I’ve been recommending her to all the folks in my office, and I highly recommend her to you as well!
-Rachel R, Denver
“I was hesitant to try Brainspotting at first; the idea that "staring at a pointer" would be as good as traditional therapy seemed strange at first. However, Brainspotting with Bonnie has enabled me to engage with my traumas in a personal way without having to externalize them. It gave me a way to think deeply and meditate on these thoughts so that I could process and move beyond them.”-
Zane, Chicago
Bessel van der Kolk listed Brainspotting among the methods he claimed had “great success.” And trauma specialist Gabor Maté later remarked that after just one Brainspotting session, he was able “to relax the grip of a burdensome perspective and its associated emotions, both of which I had carried for a long time.”