Finding Healing with Brainspotting: A Path Through Trauma

By Jude Johnson, MA, LMFT – A Keen Mind

Trauma is something we carry, often quietly beneath the surface. As we move about our lives taking care of everyday tasks, we may not notice the weight of our trauma until we’re suddenly triggered by a thought, image or situation that brings a flood of emotions to the surface. If you’ve been through something traumatic, you probably know what I mean—it can sneak up on you when you least expect it, whether it’s a sudden feeling of anxiety, a sleepless night, or a wave of sadness. It’s like the trauma lives in the background of your life, influencing how you feel and navigate the world. 

What if there was a way to move through trauma—not just cope, but actually heal? Talk therapy can be incredibly helpful, but treatments like Brainspotting go beyond talking by helping us connect with what we’re experiencing on a deeper, subconscious level. While the conscious mind processes around 40-50 bits of information per second, the subconscious mind is capable of processing an astounding 11 million bits per second. This allows therapies like Brainspotting to tap into a vast, hidden reservoir of thoughts, emotions, and memories that influence how we feel and respond to the world. 

So, What Exactly Is Brainspotting?

Imagine  trauma is like a knot inside your brain. Brainspotting is a therapy that helps you find that knot and gently begin to untangle it. It’s based on the idea that your brain and body know how to heal naturaly, but trauma can get in the way and block that process.

In a Brainspotting session, your therapist helps you focus on a specific point in your field of vision—called a “brainspot”—which is connected to your trauma. As Dr. David Grand, the creator of Brainspotting, says, “where you look impacts how you feel.” It may sound simple, but this process allows you to access deep emotions stored in your body and mind, often without even realizing they were there.

Why Does Brainspotting Work for Trauma?

Trauma doesn’t just live in our minds. It lives in our bodies too. When something overwhelming happens, our brains go into survival mode, often leaving those experiences unprocessed. Brainspotting helps access the places in your body where trauma is stored and gently brings them to the surface, where true healing can take place.

What makes Brainspotting so effective is that it bypasses the part of your brain that overthinks. You don’t need to figure out why you feel what you feel, or explain everything out loud. Instead, Brainspotting works directly with the emotional core of your brain—the part that holds onto trauma, fear, sadness, or pain—allowing you to release it naturally.

What Happens in a Session?

Your therapist will help you find a brainspot, which is a specific point or “spot” in your visual field.  As your therapist explores different spots, you and the therapist work to find a spot where you feel the strongest emotional or physical response.  This brainspot is where you hold emotions, memories and past traumas that need to be processed.  Sometimes people have difficulty noticing their emotions as they may be experiencing a freeze response, making it difficult for them to notice emotions. When this happens the therapist will often use facial expressions and visual cues from the client as a way of finding a brainspot. 

Once you and your therapist find a brainspot, you’ll gently focus on it. You don’t need to “do” anything except allow yourself to stay present with whatever emotions, memories, or sensations come up. This is a safe space where you can explore without judgment.

As you stay focused, your brain naturally begins to process whatever is being held in that spot. You may feel emotions, sensations, or memories may arise. This is a normal part of the healing process. Your therapist will guide you through the process and offer support as needed.

Your brain has an incredible ability to heal itself, and Brainspotting helps to activate this natural process. There’s no need to force anything—just letting the brain do its work is key to the process.

The session will gradually come to close when you feel ready. Your therapist will check in with you to discuss how you feel and what you noticed. You may feel lighter, calmer, or just more aware of what was processed during the session.

After Brainspotting, you might feel tired or emotional, or you might feel a sense of relief. Everyone responds differently, and it’s okay to take some time to rest, reflect, or journal about your experience. Each session is different, but the goal is always the same: to help you move through your trauma, not just around it.

Small Steps Lead to Big Healing

Healing from trauma is a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about reclaiming small pieces of yourself that trauma has taken. Maybe it’s the first time you feel truly relaxed in your body. Or maybe it’s finally feeling like you can trust someone again after years of keeping people at a distance.

With Brainspotting, these small moments of healing add up over time. Little by little, they open the door to a life where trauma no longer controls how you feel or how you live.

Could Brainspotting Help You?

If you’ve tried other forms of therapy but still feel stuck, or if you’ve been carrying trauma for so long that you’re not even sure where to begin, Brainspotting might be the right fit. It’s especially helpful for people who feel overwhelmed by trauma or who haven’t found relief through traditional talk therapy.

The truth is, trauma may be part of your story, but it doesn’t have to define you. Brainspotting gives you a way to process and release it so you can move forward with more peace and strength.

At A Keen Mind, I am here to provide trauma-informed support to those who need it.If you’re interested in learning more about Brainspotting and how it might help you heal, reach out. We’re here to support you on your journey toward feeling more whole, more grounded, and more at peace with yourself.

Learn more: https://akeenmind.com/services-3/brainspotting-therapy/

Request an appointment: https://jude-johnson.clientsecure.me/