— David Grand, founder of Brainspotting
Brainspotting is an evidence-based, somatic therapy that helps you process trauma, anxiety, depression, and more — reaching places conversation alone often can't. Through a simple, guided technique, we work directly with where these feelings live, at a pace your nervous system can handle.
Have you told the story, and it still wasn't enough?
Sharing a difficult experience with someone who loves you can help sometimes. Other times, it leaves you more exposed, without actually feeling any different.
Maybe you've spent years in talk therapy and you're still facing the same flashbacks, the same triggers, the same weight you started with. If that sounds familiar, Brainspotting might help you.
How Brainspotting works
Brainspotting is built on the neuroscience-based concept that where you look affects how you feel.
Your brain works in two main ways. One part handles logic and reasoning — thinking things through, making sense of what happened. The other governs your emotions and nervous system, responding instinctively to safety or danger, often without words at all.
When you recall a difficult memory, your eyes tend to settle on a specific "brainspot" connected to where that memory and its emotion are held. In our sessions, I help you find and stay with that spot, so we can work directly with where trauma, anxiety, or depression actually live.
For many people, this reaches places conversation alone doesn't, and real shifts can happen in fewer sessions than expected.
What does a brainspotting session feel like?
Name it
We start by choosing a feeling, thought, or behavior you want to focus on. From there, I help you build awareness around it, identifying cues that show how your brain is reacting.
Find it
As you think about it, your eyes will naturally land somewhere — a "brainspot" — that connects to where your brain is holding onto it. We stay there together..
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Notice it
Whatever comes up — a feeling, a memory, a sensation in your body — you're invited to notice it without needing to explain or fix it. I'm right there with you the whole time, so you're never doing this alone.
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Ground
Most people find that what felt overwhelming at the start feels noticeably lighter by the end. We close every session with grounding, so you leave feeling steady and calm.
BRAINSPOTTING INTENSIVE
Weekly sessions aren't the right fit for everyone. If your schedule doesn't allow for consistent weekly appointments, or you want to make concentrated progress on a specific issue without waiting weeks between sessions, a Brainspotting Intensive condenses that work into two focused days.
Day 1
Intake and treatment planning, followed by a Brainspotting session focused on core shame.
Day 2
A check-in on Day One's processing, a second Brainspotting session focused on core trauma, and time to reassess progress against your goals.
Follow Up
A 2-hour Zoom session 2–3 weeks later to focus on whatever's most pressing after the intensive.
10-Hour Intensive (Two Half-Days): $3,500
Frequently Asked Questions
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One Brainspotting session is often compared to approximately three traditional therapy sessions, so things can move quite quickly. Some clients experience meaningful shifts in just 1–2 sessions, while others choose to work together for 8–12 sessions or longer, depending on what we’re focusing on.
Some clients meet weekly or biweekly, while others prefer twice-monthly sessions while integrating other trauma-informed approaches. We’ll work together to create a plan that feels right for you and your goals.
For a more focused and accelerated experience, I also offer weekend Brainspotting intensives.
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Yes, there has been much research on brainspotting:
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No. You can share as much or as little as feels right for you.
With Brainspotting, we often don’t need to talk through the details of what happened—instead, we focus on what you notice in your body and gently stay connected to the part of your brain where the experience is being held. When we’re deeply activated, it can actually be difficult to find words, so there may be very little talking at times. This can take some getting used to, especially if you’re familiar with traditional talk therapy, but many clients appreciate the autonomy of deciding what they want to share and when.
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Brainspotting and EMDR are both trauma-focused approaches, but they work differently:
EMDR follows a more structured, eight-phase protocol, while Brainspotting is less protocol-driven and can adapt more organically to what emerges in the moment. Many of my clients who have struggled with dissociation or staying within their window of tolerance during EMDR find Brainspotting feels more natural and easier to stay present with. While we follow a clear treatment plan that we map out together during the intake process, Brainspotting allows us to remain flexible and responsive to what your body and nervous system are ready to process.
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Brainspotting can be deep work, and sometimes it can feel difficult to stretch the process out over weeks or months, especially with a busy schedule. I typically recommend 90-minute sessions for Brainspotting because I’ve found that having more uninterrupted time allows for deeper processing and integration. For some people, dedicating a weekend to work feels more manageable and allows them to really focus without having to repeatedly shift in and out of the process. I’ve found some of the most significant and accelerated progress through intensives, while still working within your window of tolerance and the treatment plan we create together.
Learn more about the Brainspotting Intensive.
Your eyes already know where to look.
If years of talk therapy haven't gotten you past the flashbacks and triggers, a consultation is a great way to find out if this approach is a good fit for you.