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Inner Harmony and Growth
What Is Brainspotting?
A short video about brainspotting
Brainspotting is a gentle, focused therapy approach that supports the brain and body in processing experiences that have felt stuck—such as stress, trauma, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and long-standing patterns that limit ease or clarity.
It works by using eye position, mindful attention, and a supportive therapeutic relationship to access parts of the brain where experience is held beneath conscious thought. From there, the nervous system can do what it naturally does: reorganize, integrate, and settle.
Brainspotting is not only used to work with distress or activation. It is also used to strengthen internal resources, expand awareness, enhance intuition, and support creativity and performance. By helping the nervous system regulate and integrate more fully, many people notice increased clarity, presence, emotional range, and access to inner knowing.
Rather than focusing on analyzing or fixing, Brainspotting allows the brain and body to complete processes that may have been interrupted—sometimes related to past stress, and sometimes related to unrealized potential. Many people experience it as less about talking through something and more about creating the conditions for deeper alignment, focus, and flow.
Research and clinical use suggest that Brainspotting engages neural networks involved not only in threat and survival, but also in attention, integration, and performance. The same focused-attention mechanisms used to process trauma are also used in sports psychology, performance training, and creative flow states. Clinicians and performance coaches have used Brainspotting with athletes, artists, musicians, executives, and creatives to support focus, intuition, emotional flexibility, and expanded capacity—alongside its use in trauma and stress recovery.
International Website on Brainspotting
Why Eye Position Matters
Research in neuroscience shows that the visual system is closely connected to areas of the brain involved in emotion, memory, and survival responses. Where you look can influence which neural networks become active.
In Brainspotting, certain eye positions—called brainspots—connect with specific internal experiences. When attention gently rests at a brainspot, the nervous system gains access to information that often sits outside everyday awareness.
This is why people sometimes notice:
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Body sensations shifting
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Emotions rising and settling on their own
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Images, memories, or insights appearing without effort
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A sense of relief or clarity afterward, even without many words
The brain does not need to be told what to do. It already knows.
A Bottom-Up Approach to Healing
Traditional talk therapy works mainly from the top down—using thinking, insight, and language. Brainspotting works from the bottom up, starting with the nervous system itself.
Modern research shows that:
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Stress and trauma are stored as sensory and emotional patterns, not just stories
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These patterns live in deeper brain regions involved in survival and regulation
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Change happens most effectively when these systems feel safe enough to reorganize
Brainspotting allows this process to unfold without forcing emotion or reliving events. The pace is set by the client’s system, moment by moment.
The Role of the Therapist
In Brainspotting, the therapist’s role is not to analyze or direct the experience. Instead, they offer:
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Attunement and steady presence
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Careful tracking of the client’s nervous system
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A clear, supportive frame that helps the brain stay engaged without overwhelm
This relationship is part of what makes the work effective. Research consistently shows that relational safety and attunement play a central role in nervous system regulation and healing.
Brainspotting combines this relational safety with focused attention, creating conditions where change can happen naturally.
What Happens During a Session
Each session looks a little different because each nervous system is different.
You might notice:
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Physical sensations shifting or releasing
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Emotions moving through in waves
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Thoughts becoming quieter
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A sense of grounding or spaciousness afterward
Some people gain insights right away. Others simply feel lighter, calmer, or more settled. Often, changes continue to unfold in the days following a session as the brain integrates the experience.
There is no right way for Brainspotting to work. The process follows you.
What a Brainspotting Session Is Like
A Brainspotting session is calm, focused, and collaborative.
At the start, we check in about what feels important to work on that day. This might be a specific issue, a body sensation, an emotional pattern, or a general sense of stress or heaviness.
There are many ways to practice Brainspotting, and sessions are not limited to staring at a single point for the entire session. Sometimes we work with a single visual point, and other times we explore several. Brainspots can be found and accessed in different ways, depending on what your nervous system is responding to in that moment. The process stays flexible and responsive rather than fixed or rigid.
Music is often part of Brainspotting as well. The sound supports focused attention and helps the brain stay engaged in a steady, regulated way. Many people find that music allows them to go inward more easily while also feeling supported and grounded.
Music
Brainspotting often includes specially designed music created for this method. The music is steady and non-directive, helping the brain stay engaged and regulated during focused attention. It supports the nervous system without guiding or controlling the experience.
From there:
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We gently follow what your system responds to
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Your attention rests where it feels most connected
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I remain present with you, tracking the process and offering support as needed
There is space for silence. There is space for words. The session follows your nervous system’s pace rather than a set script.
You remain aware and in control throughout the session. Many people describe feeling deeply focused, grounded, or inwardly engaged. Others notice subtle shifts that feel more physical than emotional. All of this is part of the process.
Sessions often end with a sense of settling or clarity, even if the experience feels challenging at moments. Integration continues afterward, and it’s common to notice changes in the days that follow.
Brainspotting is not about performing, reliving, or doing something “right.”
It is about creating the conditions under which your system can process data in its own way.
What Research and Clinical Experience Suggest
Brainspotting was developed by Dr. David Grand, who came from a strong background in EMDR, one of the most well-established, evidence-based trauma therapies. EMDR helped demonstrate that eye position, bilateral stimulation, and focused attention can support the brain’s ability to process and integrate distressing experiences.
Brainspotting grew out of this work, expanding on the idea that where we look can influence how the brain accesses and processes experience. Rather than following a structured protocol, Brainspotting places more emphasis on the nervous system’s own timing, depth, and direction.
Current understanding suggests that Brainspotting draws from and aligns with research in several overlapping areas:
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Neuroscience of trauma and stress, which shows that overwhelming experiences are stored in deeper brain systems involved in survival, sensation, and emotion
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Mindfulness and focused attention, which help regulate the nervous system and support integration
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Somatic and body-based therapies, which recognize that the body plays a central role in how experiences are held and released
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Attachment and relational regulation, highlighting the importance of attuned presence and safety in healing
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The brain’s natural capacity for self-organization, where change emerges when conditions feel supportive rather than forced
In addition to research conducted in the United States, international studies and clinical reports continue to explore how Brainspotting supports emotional regulation, trauma recovery, and performance under stress. While research is still developing, these findings align with what clinicians observe daily in practice.
Across the world, therapists use Brainspotting with anxiety, trauma, performance stress, grief, chronic tension, and emotional overwhelm. Many people experience it as a respectful, noninvasive approach that works with the nervous system rather than trying to override it.
A Different Way of Thinking About Healing
Brainspotting views symptoms as signals, not problems. They reflect intelligent survival responses that have been working hard to protect you.
Rather than trying to change or override these responses, Brainspotting offers space for the nervous system to finish what it started—so more energy becomes available for presence, connection, and ease.
Healing, in this view, is not something done to you.
It is something that unfolds from within.
What Is Happening in the Brain?
Neuroscience continues to evolve, and while the brain is complex, researchers and clinicians are gaining a clearer understanding of why Brainspotting appears effective.
Here’s our best current understanding.
When a person experiences stress or trauma, the brain shifts into survival mode. Deeper brain areas—often involved in threat detection, emotion, and bodily regulation—become more active, while the thinking part of the brain steps back. These survival responses can stay activated long after the original experience has passed.
Brainspotting appears to work by helping the brain access and reorganize these deeper networks.
Eye position plays a role because the visual system is closely connected to emotional and survival circuits in the brain. Certain eye positions naturally activate specific neural pathways. When attention gently rests at a brainspot, those pathways remain engaged long enough for the nervous system to process what has been held there.
During this process:
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The brain shifts out of automatic survival patterns
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Sensory and emotional information becomes more integrated
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The nervous system begins to regulate itself more efficiently
This happens without forcing recall or analysis. Instead of re-living events, the brain completes unfinished processing in a way that feels manageable and contained.
Many clinicians describe this as the brain doing what it has always known how to do once the conditions feel right.
Resources
Key Research and Articles on Brainspotting
These studies and reports reflect the emerging research base around Brainspotting. They vary in type—from pilot studies and comparative research to clinical observations.
Effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorder.
Anderegg, J. (2015).
A clinical study compared Brainspotting, EMDR, and cognitive behavioral therapy for treating generalized anxiety. All three approaches helped reduce anxiety symptoms, while people who received no treatment showed little change. Brainspotting and EMDR produced greater improvements than CBT by the end of treatment. At a six-month follow-up, people who received Brainspotting continued to improve even without additional sessions. These findings suggest Brainspotting may support deeper, longer-lasting nervous system regulation rather than short-term symptom relief.
Newtown–Sandy Hook Community Foundation. (2016).
Report of findings from the community survey.
Sandy Hook School Support Fund, Newtown, CT.
A community-wide assessment following the Sandy Hook tragedy examined long-term emotional health and treatment effectiveness among nearly 1,000 residents. Participants reported persistent symptoms such as anxiety, stress, fear, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating years after the event. When evaluating treatment experiences, many respondents identified brain-based therapies as especially helpful. Brainspotting was rated as highly effective by a majority of individuals who used it, alongside EMDR and neurofeedback. These findings suggest that therapies addressing the nervous system directly may be particularly supportive in healing long-term trauma and community-wide stress.
Brainspotting vs. EMDR & Other Techniques
D’Antoni, F., Monti, A., Di Trani, M., Renzi, A., & Speranza, A. M. (2022).
Frontiers in Psychology
This controlled study compared a single 40-minute session of EMDR, Brainspotting, and body-scan meditation for processing distressing memories. Both EMDR and Brainspotting showed significantly greater reductions in emotional distress compared to control conditions, suggesting that focused-attention approaches may support memory processing and regulation.
Pilot Research on PTSD and Symptom Reduction
Corrigan, F. M., & Grand, D. (2013).
Medical Hypotheses
This pilot investigation explored Brainspotting’s impact on trauma-related symptoms and proposed neurobiological mechanisms. Findings and clinical observations suggested reductions in trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress, particularly in populations with significant trauma histories
Comparative Clinical Study
Hilton, L., et al. (clinical pilot data cited in Brainspotting training literature)
Clinical reports and comparative outcome observations
An early comparative clinical study suggested that three Brainspotting sessions were associated with significant decreases in post-traumatic stress symptoms in trauma survivors, with outcomes comparable to those seen in EMDR-based interventions. These findings are often referenced in professional Brainspotting trainings as preliminary clinical evidence.
Brainspotting Pilot Data from Providers
Brainspotting International – Case Series and Pilot Data
Compiled provider outcome reports
Pilot data collected from Brainspotting providers showed that 22 clients experienced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and trauma-related disturbances after three Brainspotting sessions. These findings are reported as early clinical evidence and are not randomized controlled trials.
Emerging Efficacy Study Across Time Points
Zaccagnino, M., Cussino, M., Callerame, C., & Civilotti, C. (2021).
Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
This quasi-experimental study conducted in the Philippines examined PTSD symptoms before, after, and following Brainspotting interventions. Results suggested symptom improvement across time points, supporting further investigation into Brainspotting’s clinical usefulness in trauma treatment.
Important Notes About the Research Landscape
Some newer trauma-informed approaches, including Brainspotting, were developed first through clinical practice rather than academic research settings. Therapists began using these methods because they consistently observed meaningful shifts, especially when talk-based approaches felt limited. As a result, these approaches often spread within the clinical community before large research studies are completed.
Academic psychology often favors therapies that are highly structured and easily standardized, as these align more effectively with conventional research methodologies and funding frameworks. Experiential, nervous-system-based, and relational approaches are more complex to study. Research in these areas often takes longer to design and conduct, particularly when healing unfolds in nonlinear and individualized ways.
The academic world is also shaped by institutional and political influences that affect which approaches are studied, funded, and formally recognized. This is especially true for therapies that fall outside of CBT-based models. Similar patterns can be seen in nutrition and medical research, where what is researched and promoted often reflects systems and priorities, not just clinical outcomes.
Brainspotting Research & Clinical Literature
D’Antoni, F., Monti, A., Di Trani, M., Renzi, A., & Speranza, A. M. (2022).
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, and body scan meditation: A comparison of three approaches for processing distressing memories.
Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 883502.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8835026/
Corrigan, F., & Grand, D. (2013).
Brainspotting: Recruiting the midbrain for accessing and healing sensorimotor memories of traumatic activation.
Medical Hypotheses, 80(6), 759–766.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.005
Corrigan, F. M., Grand, D., & Raju, R. (2015).
Brainspotting: Sustained attention, spinothalamic tracts, thalamocortical processing, and the healing of adaptive orientation truncated by traumatic experience.
Medical Hypotheses, 84(4), 384–394.
Free PDF (Brainspotting.com):
https://brainspotting.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Corrigan-Grand-and-Raju-2015-MedHyp84-384%E2%80%93394.pd
Zaccagnino, M., Cussino, M., Callerame, C., & Civilotti, C. (2021).
The preliminary efficacy and clinical applicability of Brainspotting among Filipino women survivors of trauma.
Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 23(3), 7–16.
https://www.archivespp.pl/The-preliminary-efficacy-and-clinical-applicability-of-Brainspotting-among-Filipino%2C143015%2C0%2C2.html
Brainspotting International.
Research and case studies on Brainspotting.
https://brainspotting.com/about-brainspotting/research-and-case-studies/
Corrigan, F. M. (2015).
Neurobiology of Brainspotting.
Clinical presentation and published summaries.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23570648/
This resource explains Brainspotting through a neurobiological lens, written by a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who collaborated closely with David Grand.
https://brainspotting.com/about-brainspotting/research-and-case-studies/
A centralized, professional collection of published studies, pilot research, and clinical summaries related to Brainspotting.
Van der Kolk, B. (2015).
What psychotherapy can learn from neuroscience.
https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/
This article helps understand why body-based and experiential therapies are effective for trauma,