• Information gathering. I’ll ask you questions about what led you to make an appointment for Brainspotting, as well as questions related to your medical and mental health history. We’ll discuss the process of Brainspotting and address any questions or concerns you have.

• What to focus on. When gathering information, I’ll ask you about your intentions for Brainspotting and if there’s any specific focus or goal you hope to get out of the therapy. Sometimes, people come to Brainspotting knowing what they want to work on, but this isn’t always the case. Someone might want to process something around their childhood or they may come to Brainspotting for help with a recent conflict, stressor, physical ailment, anxiety, or depression. If you’re not really sure what you want to focus on, that’s ok! You’ll practice focusing on the sensations in your body.

• The pointer. I use a pointer to have you focus your gaze on. I have a pink heart topper that I usually use, but I have other toppers if you prefer something different. I’ll ask you to follow the pointer with your eyes while I move the pointer around. As I move it, I’ll ask you to pay attention to any thoughts or feelings (physical, emotional, or mental) that come up for you. When you feel them at their strongest, you can let me know. I’ll also be watching for signs and facial expressions that indicate a reflexive response like eye twitches, fast blinking, eyebrow movement, breathing differences, sniffs, swallows, coughs, and body shifting.

• The Brainspot. Once you and I have identified the location of your Brainspot, you’ll hold your gaze on the pointer for as long as needed. While you hold your gaze, you’re simply processing your thoughts, feelings and emotions, as well as any physical symptoms that come and go. I’ll check in periodically to see what you are noticing in your body and mind. Are the sensations in your stomach? In your throat? What do those sensations feel like? Do you notice any emotions or thoughts coming forward? You can talk as much or as little as you like. Some people like to verbally process the entire time and other people don’t feel a need to say anything. This is totally up to you! The healing can happen without verbal processing. There’s not a way to do this wrong, and I’ll be right there with you!

• Physical discomfort. In brain-body therapy, you might experience some physical symptoms associated with anxiety, stress, tension or discomfort as you allow yourself to experience these pain points and process these thoughts and emotions completely. I’ll ask you to allow yourself to notice these things without trying to stop them. Sometimes old memories come forward that may seem random, but they come forward for a very good reason. Your body knows what it needs to heal, and it is trying to do that. I will be right there supporting you the entire time. Some physical symptoms are expected and normal. They usually will decrease in intensity or go away completely before the end of the session. But if these sensations become too strong and overwhelming, we will shift to find a different spot that feels “lighter” and more peaceful. You can stop Brainspotting at any time if you would like.

• Closing out. At the end of the session, I’ll allow you a little time to process your experience. I might ask if there’s anything you want to discuss in terms of what thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations came up for you. People usually feel much better at the end of a Brainspotting session than they did when they began.

What can you expect from Brainspotting?