Brainspotting Therapy Online — Utah and Washington

What is brainspotting?

Brainspotting was developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003 while he was working with EMDR. He noticed that when his clients' eyes paused at certain positions, deep emotional material seemed to surface. He called those positions "brainspots" — eye positions correlated with unprocessed emotional content stored in the brain and body.

The premise is that "where you look affects how you feel." By locating a relevant brainspot and holding sustained focus there, you create the conditions for the brain and nervous system to process material that talk therapy often can't reach. Brainspotting works at the subcortical level — the parts of the brain that hold trauma, instinct, and emotion, beneath the reach of language.

Compared to EMDR, brainspotting tends to feel slower, quieter, and less protocol-driven. There's no scripted phase structure. The therapist's job is to attune to your process and follow what's already happening in your nervous system, rather than direct it.

Who is it for?

• Trauma — single-incident, complex, or pre-verbal
• Performance blocks — athletes, performers, creatives, public speakers
• Anxiety that resists cognitive interventions
• Chronic pain or somatic symptoms with an emotional component
• Grief, especially grief that feels frozen
• Stuck states that you can feel but can't articulate
• Clients who've done a lot of talk therapy and want a different entry point

What does a session look like?

We meet via secure video. We start by talking about what you'd like to work on — sometimes a specific memory, sometimes just a feeling or a body sensation you've been carrying. I'll then help you locate a brainspot, usually by tracking your eyes across the screen until we find a position where the activation feels strongest.

Once we have the spot, you simply hold focus there. I stay attuned and present, mostly in silence, occasionally checking in. You notice what arises — images, sensations, emotions, memories — without trying to control the process. Sessions feel less like "doing therapy" and more like the body finally getting room to process what it's been holding.

Sessions are usually 50–60 minutes. Some clients prefer 75 minutes for deeper work.

My training & approach

Training: Certified Phase 1 and Phase 2 with Melanie Young and Cherie Lindberg, beginning 2023.

I work relationally — meaning the felt sense of safety between us is itself part of the treatment. Brainspotting is most effective when the nervous system trusts the room, and I take that part of the work seriously. I move at the pace of your body, not a timeline.

Frequently asked questions

How is brainspotting different from EMDR?

Both are body-based trauma therapies, but the mechanism differs. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation in structured sets and follows a specific 8-phase protocol. Brainspotting uses sustained focus on a single eye position (the "brainspot") and follows the body's lead more loosely. Many clients find brainspotting feels gentler and less structured.

Does brainspotting work over video?

Yes. The eye position is the key element, and that translates fully to video. I help you locate your brainspot on the screen, and we work from there. Many brainspotting practitioners now do most of their work online.

What kinds of issues does brainspotting help with?

Trauma, performance anxiety (athletes, performers, public speakers), creative blocks, chronic pain with an emotional component, grief, and any feeling that "lives in your body" but resists being thought through.

Will I cry, shake, or have a big release?

You might. Brainspotting often produces somatic discharge — tears, trembling, a deep exhale, a yawn. These are signs the body is releasing held activation. You also might not — some clients have quiet, internal sessions and still process deeply. Both are normal.

How long does brainspotting take?

It varies widely. Some clients feel meaningful shifts within a few sessions; deeper or more layered material takes longer. Brainspotting is often used both as a primary therapy and as an adjunct to other work.

Do I need to know what I'm working on for brainspotting to help?

Not always. Brainspotting can access feelings or sensations you can't put words to — sometimes that's exactly the material that needed body-based work because language wasn't the right entry point.