Brainspotting Counseling in Edmond: What is it?
You may have already heard a little bit about brainspotting and want to know a bit more on what this approach is. This blog is here to help answer some of your questions and provide a basic breakdown of what brainspotting is.
What’s brainspotting?
Brainspotting at it’s core is simply a name used for a modality or type of therapy approach that is used by therapists just like CBT, EFT, Prepare/Enrich, etc. That is to say that the name alone means very little to non-therapists. These are the names that often mean something to a therapist but don’t worry if you find yourself completely lost, these are not necessarily user friendly titles.
The best way I know to describe brainspotting is that it is an approach used by therapists to assist clients in moving through stuck points as well as access internal resources. Let’s break it down.
“Where we look affects how we feel”
Brainspotting uses where you look to help you process that issue. You are likely unaware of it right now but you can probably remember having had a moment where you find yourself staring at one spot as you talk about something and getting transfixed on it. Or perhaps you can go back to your days in school and being told that the answer isn’t going to fall from the sky because you kept looking up. The whole premise of brainspotting is that where we fix our eye impacts how we feel.
Basic Science of Brainspotting
Our bodies are wired to keep us safe! All of you works hard to come back to a resting state after stress occurs. It is normal for some experiences get “stuck”. You likely notice this when you find yourself coming back to a moment in your life and respond with ” I don’t know why I keep going back to that”; “why can’t I just let that go ” etc. Brainspotting works in helping you find a fixed point in your field of vision that allows you to process those experiences differently and work on resetting your “resting state” in a way that promotes your health.
Your eyes are directly linked to the part of the brain responsible for the fight, flight, freeze response in a way that our thinking and problem solving part of our brain is not.
Where is the research?
The research on brainspotting is small and growing. Other therapies like CBT have been around for many years and therefore have been researched more extensively. So newer ways of doing therapy can’t compare with the amount of research done around older models. For those of you that have been around research you know the amount of resources that go in to approving and getting funding for studies, which is not a tangent for me to get into today. I love that the therapy field is constantly growing and evolving in new ways. If you need more research before you give brainspotting a try then you’ve got some waiting to do. I encourage you to do your own research and see how that feels.
Brainspotting counseling in Edmond because it sticks
Though there is not as much research in brainspotting as older modalities, the research that is out there is promising. One in particular shows that brainspotting had more lasting and long-term effects than CBT and EMDR. I won’t get into the details on this blog. Click here for one article on the matter if you’d like to read it on your own time.
Brainspotting may or may not be the right fit for you. There are so many different ways for us to transform. You will find that what is a good fit for you may not be the fit for someone else. I hope you let yourself explore what will help you on your transformative journey. If you find yourself wanting more then, book your free discovery call with me. Let me help you uncover the transformative potential of counseling when guided by a clear plan and the expertise of the right therapist can help you now, tomorrow and well into your future.
