What to Expect in Your First Brainspotting Session
Your first Brainspotting session is gentle, grounded, and led entirely at your pace.
We’ll start by getting to know what’s bringing you in—whether it's anxiety, trauma, or something you're feeling stuck with. I’ll explain how Brainspotting works and answer any questions you have.
Once you're ready, we’ll identify a target—this could be a feeling, memory, or body sensation you want to explore. Then, using a pointer or your natural gaze, we’ll find a specific eye position (called a brainspot) that connects to that feeling.
As you focus on that spot, your brain and body begin to process beneath the surface. You might notice emotions, memories, or body sensations arise—and that’s all welcome. You don’t need to talk the whole time; just notice, feel, and let your system do what it needs.
The goal is never to push or relive trauma—but to gently release what your nervous system is ready to let go of.
Some key concepts involved in Brainspotting process:
Building Rapport: If you are starting with a new therapist or new to brainspotting, a trained Brainspotting Therapist will spend 1 or more sessions getting to know the client to develop a sense of trust and safety. This could include talking for your first session, answering your questions and helping you feel more at ease.
Uses Relaxation Techniques: like guided imagery or mindfulness exercises to help you feel more at ease before starting the Brainspotting session
Talking about Something that upsets you or you want to resolve: Once you relax and are in a state of mindfulness, the therapist will ask you to briefly discuss a topic that causes you distress. For example, you might talk about the traumatic event or an upsetting experience, or even simply something you feel stuck in.
“Look inward” and Notice body sensations: As a mind-body therapy, brainspotting helps people become more aware of how their body responds to thoughts. While remaining focused on the activating emotion, you will identify a place in your body that feels stressed, in pain, or uncomfortable.
The Structure: Your therapist may ask you to locate emotions hiding in your physical body and describe how they feel. You will rank these feelings on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the most upsetting and one being neutral. This ranking will be a baseline to measure the improvement in symptoms.
Find a “brainspot”: Next, the therapist will help guide you to a “brain spot.” This simply is where your eyes naturally focus and where the physical sensations can become stronger. They may use a pencil, a pointer, or their finger and have you track the object as they move it back and forth in your field of vision. As you move your eyes, you may notice a memory or strong emotion arise. It’s a “brain spot.”
Stay curious & Ride the Wave: Brainspotting involves mindfulness, which means bringing your full awareness to what you’re experiencing in the present moment, even when it’s uncomfortable. At this point, your only “job” is to allow and observe your emotions with curiosity instead of judgment. While you focus on the spot, some reflexive actions may take place, including:
Rate activation & Debrief if the client desires: At the end of the session, you can share any thoughts or feelings you became aware of during brainspotting. You will then rate your level of discomfort once again. Often, the rating will be lower than the initial number due to more comfort and release.
Next Steps given: Most people receive one to five brainspotting sessions. Your therapist may recommend a follow-up session or another type of therapy to supplement the treatment.
Note: Brainspotting is a nuanced type of therapy. The above is a simplified, structured summary for the purpose of supporting a client looking to prepare expectations.
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