Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a trauma-informed therapy approach that uses eye position, focused attention, and body awareness to explore experiences that may feel difficult to access through words alone.
In therapy, we may use Brainspotting to gently focus on a particular emotion, memory, body sensation, or pattern while noticing what emerges. The process is collaborative and can be adapted to your pace, with an emphasis on choice, curiosity, and staying within a manageable level of emotional intensity.
Brainspotting can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches and may be especially meaningful for people who feel that they understand something intellectually but still experience it emotionally or physically.
Who Is Brainspotting For?
Brainspotting may be helpful for children ages 6 and older, adolescents, and adults who are experiencing:
- Effects of trauma or difficult life experiences
- Emotional or physical responses that feel difficult to understand
- Anxiety, overwhelm, or persistent stress responses
- Relationship patterns that feel difficult to change
- Distressing memories or experiences
- Feeling stuck despite having insight into what is happening
- Disconnection from emotions or bodily experiences
- A desire to explore experiences beyond traditional talk therapy
What Style of Therapy Is It?
Brainspotting is a trauma-focused, body-oriented psychotherapy approach developed by David Grand. It is based on the idea that where we look can influence how we access and process emotionally significant experiences.
The approach incorporates focused eye positions, mindful attention, and awareness of internal experiences. Rather than requiring you to describe every detail of an experience, Brainspotting can provide another way to explore what is happening in your mind and body.
I integrate Brainspotting with my broader trauma-informed, relational, and mind-body approach to therapy. Sessions may include Brainspotting alongside talk therapy, nervous system awareness, and other approaches depending on what feels most supportive for you.
How Long Does Brainspotting Take?
There is no set number of sessions required for Brainspotting. The length and frequency of treatment depend on your goals, the experiences you are working with, and your individual needs.
Brainspotting can be incorporated into both shorter-term and longer-term therapy. Some clients may use it to focus on a specific concern or experience, while others may integrate it into ongoing therapy as one part of a broader treatment process.
We can regularly check in about your goals and adjust the pace and approach as needed.
How I Use Brainspotting
As a certified Brainspotting practitioner, I use this approach as one part of an individualized, trauma-informed therapy process.
I don’t believe you need to retell every detail of a difficult experience in order to make meaningful progress. Brainspotting can offer a different way of approaching experiences that may be difficult to put into words, while allowing you to remain an active participant in the process.
We may pay attention to what you notice in your body, emotions, thoughts, and nervous system as you explore an experience. I will support you in staying connected to your own sense of choice and pacing throughout the process.
My goal is not to force a particular outcome, but to create space for you to explore your experiences with curiosity, awareness, and greater choice.
Gabriella Lehmkuhle, LMSW, CYT | Mind-Body Therapist & Educator 