What to Expect from Brainspotting Therapy with a San Jose Therapist

What to Expect in a Brainspotting Session with a Therapist in San Jose

Many people wonder what to expect when they go to a brainspotting session. It can be a little nerve-wracking not knowing what's going to happen there. While I can't tell you everything that will happen, I can give you an idea of what to expect. The whole mantra of brainspotting is “where you look affects how you feel.” We use your field of vision to find a brain-spot that accesses whatever is going on in your body. For example, if I were to ask you what you did on Saturday night, you probably looked up, looked down, or moved your eyes somewhere to access that information. We do the same to access our feelings, beliefs, and things going on inside our bodies associated with negative experiences or trauma.

The Process of Brainspotting Therapy in San Jose

When you come into a brainspotting session, you put on a headset with music that pans from right ear to left ear, keeping your brain busy. I'll have you pick an issue you might be struggling with, maybe a 2 or 3 on a scale of 0 to 10. Notice what you feel in your body when you think about that issue - a fast heartbeat, tense shoulders, or a stomach ache. Keep that feeling in mind as I use my pointer to find a brain spot, and I want you to put your eyes on the pointer. Let's start over here.

Just put your eyes over here and notice whatever feeling is in your body. Notice how strong it is here, then notice how strong it is here. Again, put your eyes on the pointer, just noticing. Then go ahead and put your eyes over here. Notice how strong it is here. Notice how strong it is here. Again, put your eyes on the pointer, just noticing. Let's say your spot ends up being on the left. "I don't know, my stomach hurts the most right here when I think about that terrible thing that I saw." Okay, so we would spend some time having you look at the spot. We call it focused mindfulness, where you just pay attention to what is going on in your body as you look at that spot. You can talk as much or as little as you want to. Just notice what comes next.

Reflecting on Your Brainspotting Session

After we've spent the session doing that, we'll take the pointer down, and I'll just allow you to reflect back on what you noticed. We know what happens is that because we used the spot and your physiology, we got access to something in your brain - whatever was annoying you. Maybe it's a belief about yourself, "I'm not good enough," "I don't belong." We find that our brain paths change. So in brain-spotting, we take these negative experiences, find a spot, spend some time there, and then notice how our brain may shift.

The Long-Term Benefits of Brainspotting Therapy in San Jose

Sometimes we notice a big shift, sometimes we don't notice much of a shift. But over time, we know that the brain develops new pathways, allowing us to heal our brain, reduce anxiety, and feel less consumed by trauma. We may even develop a completely different relationship with it. The loss may still be painful, but we can feel differently about it. If this is something you're interested in, I'd love to discuss it further with you.