Brainspotting - Brain Body-Based Relational Therapy is an evidence based therapeutic model developed by David Grand arising from his extensive clinical practice with EMDR and Somatic Experiencing body processes. Brainspotting is a treatment method that identifies, processes and releases neurophysiological sources of emotional, psychological & physical pain by focusing intently on a specific point located within a person's field of vision.

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Everyone has moments in conversations or when alone whereby they shift their gaze outwardly towards the external environment as if to focus inwardly on a thought, emotion or to recall a memory. This inward/external scanning process locates a specific area within the sub-cortical (emotional) brain where memories are stored, processed and released towards resolution. A brainspot is located deep within a person's sub-cortical brain which controls all bodily function and is the seat of instinct, thought, creativity and spirituality. It is accessed through the movement of the eyes across the person's field of vision found on the horizontal / vertical axis - which holds unprocessed memories and emotional experiences.

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The individual focuses on a spot within their field of vision whereby they notice bodily felt sensations or their eye gaze becomes fixated at a particular spot, whereby the therapist notices involuntary reflexive responses such as subtle shifts in facial movements or impulses, rapid eye blinking or changes in body shifts that indicates the presence of a brainspot.  An area deep within the brain signals to the therapist beyond the awareness of the client's neocortex (thinking) brain that an experience that contains emotions and memories has been detected. Focusing on the position of the eye gaze whether that be upwards, downwards. sideways or anywhere on the horizontal or vertical axis is how a brainspot is found, which is then processed by following the natural impulsive reflexive movements to release the emotional experience and memories. It is a practice that allows a deeper access to the inner psyche without words - a process whereby the brain does the healing.

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The individual is supported to notice any bodily felt sensations, emotional feelings or memories that may arise -  to notice any emerging internal processes with a sense of curiosity, and to allow whatever organically unfolds to be processed without engaging the neo-cortex brain, but to stay with the intention of the gaze to allow the sub-cortical brain to do what it needs to do to process the emotional material towards integration and resolution.

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