Brainspotting Therapy Deep Brain Trauma Processing
“Where you look affects how you feel.” Online Brainspotting therapy at Reconnect Center is a focused, brain-body approach to trauma, delivered in secure video sessions.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a focused trauma therapy developed by David Grand, Ph.D., in 2003. It aims to identify, process, and release the deep, often wordless sources of emotional and physical pain, trauma, dissociation, and other difficult symptoms.
The foundational principle of Brainspotting is that “where you look affects how you feel.” A Brainspot is the eye position that correlates with the physiological activation of a traumatic or emotionally charged issue within the brain. Locating this spot is key to accessing, processing, and releasing the stored trauma.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting works less through words and more through focused attention on the body’s responses. It is thought to engage deeper, subcortical brain-body processes that are hard to reach by talking alone.
How Brainspotting Works
Brainspotting combines precise eye positioning with focused mindfulness and, often, bilateral sound. Your therapist helps you find a “Brainspot” and then stays closely attuned while your brain and body process what comes up.
Sessions begin with a check-in and grounding and close with integration. The approach is gentle and client-led: you do not need to tell the story of what happened in detail, and your therapist paces the work so it stays manageable.
- Identifying the Issue — The therapist helps you identify the issue or traumatic memory you want to work on, noting the emotional activation and body sensations.
- Locating the Brainspot — Using a pointer, the therapist slowly guides your gaze across your visual field to find the eye position that correlates with the highest activation.
- Focused Processing — While maintaining the fixed eye position, you allow your brain to process naturally, with the therapist providing attuned, supportive presence.
- Bilateral Sound Enhancement — Biolateral music or sounds are often used through headphones, alternating between ears to further engage deep brain processing.
- Integration — The brain processes and integrates the material, which many clients experience as a reduction in emotional distress and physical symptoms.
Brainspotting vs. EMDR
Brainspotting grew out of EMDR. David Grand, Ph.D., developed it after years of practicing EMDR therapy, when he noticed that holding the eyes still at a particular spot could deepen a client’s processing.
Neither is simply “better.” EMDR has a much larger research base, especially for PTSD, and follows a structured eight-phase protocol. Brainspotting is newer and less structured, and some clients find its open, slower pace a better fit, particularly when trauma is hard to put into words. At Reconnect, your clinician may use either or both.
- Eye Position — EMDR uses rhythmic back-and-forth eye movements; Brainspotting holds the eyes still on one spot.
- Structure — EMDR follows eight defined phases; Brainspotting follows your process more openly.
- Research Base — EMDR is widely studied and recommended for PTSD; research on Brainspotting is still early.
- Shared Ground — Both can use bilateral input, and neither requires a detailed retelling of trauma.
Does Brainspotting Work?
Brainspotting is practiced internationally, and many clients report meaningful shifts in emotional distress and body symptoms. The research, however, is still early: studies so far are small, and there is far less evidence than for EMDR. That is why at Reconnect it is used within a broader, trauma-informed treatment plan rather than on its own.
It is often valued for its gentleness. Because processing happens at the brain-body level, clients do not need to narrate traumatic experiences at length, which can help people living with PTSD and complex trauma. Our guide to the differences between CPTSD and PTSD explains why pacing matters. With careful pacing, Brainspotting may also be part of care for dissociation, including dissociative identity disorder.
- Brain-Body Focus — Works with where distress is felt in the body, not only with thoughts and words.
- Bilateral Sound — Biolateral music through headphones may support processing during sessions.
- Gentle Approach — Minimal narration required — processing happens at the brain-body level.
- Paced by You — Your therapist follows your process and slows down whenever you need.
Can Brainspotting Be Done Online?
Yes. Brainspotting can be done over secure video. Your therapist guides your gaze through the camera, often with a pointer, until you find the eye position linked to your activation, and biolateral music can play through your own headphones.
Many clients find processing trauma feels safer in their own familiar environment, which can support deeper self-awareness. Reconnect Center delivers Brainspotting through secure virtual sessions, with the same attention to pacing and safety as in-person care.
- Home Comfort & Safety — Process trauma from a familiar environment where you already feel grounded and secure.
- Consistent Access — Virtual sessions allow for more frequent appointments during intensive treatment phases when needed.
- California-Wide Service — Specialized trauma treatment reaches communities that may have limited local access to brainspotting.
- No Travel Barriers — Eliminate commutes and scheduling conflicts so therapy fits into your life, not the other way around.
Conditions Treated with Brainspotting
Brainspotting may help with a range of conditions, particularly those rooted in deep-seated or pre-verbal experiences.
Why Choose Reconnect for Brainspotting
At Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Center, Brainspotting is part of a trauma-informed, integrative plan. Founder Dr. Karol Darsa, Psy.D., is a certified Brainspotting therapist, and our clinicians trained in Brainspotting include Bailey Phillips, who has completed Brainspotting Phase 1, Phase 2, and Expansion training, Cibele Sousa, who is certified in Brainspotting, and Ellen Hair.
Our approach prioritizes stabilization and resourcing before deeper trauma processing, as part of the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM). To see which level of care fits you, read our program comparison.
- Trained Practitioners — Clinicians trained in Brainspotting, with deep trauma specialization.
- Trauma-Informed Care — Safety, pacing, and attunement guide every session — no rushing, no overwhelm.
- Integrative Approach — Brainspotting alongside EMDR, somatic therapy, and mindfulness for comprehensive healing.
- Secure Virtual Sessions — Brainspotting delivered over secure, private video from wherever you feel safe.
How to Start Brainspotting Therapy
Getting started takes a few simple steps. A care coordinator answers your questions, reviews your insurance benefits with you, and helps you find the right level of care, from individual Brainspotting sessions to a structured outpatient program.
Coverage depends on your plan, so a good first step is to verify your insurance.
- Initial Inquiry — Reach out by phone at (310) 903-8349 or through our contact form to speak with a care coordinator. We will answer your questions and outline what Brainspotting therapy at Reconnect looks like.
- Verify Your Insurance Benefits — Complete our secure online insurance verification so we can review your coverage. Our team explains what your plan may cover.
- Schedule Your Virtual Evaluation — Book a virtual evaluation to discuss your goals, history, and current symptoms. This conversation helps us recommend the right level of care, from individual Brainspotting sessions to a structured outpatient program.
- Personalized Trauma Assessment — Complete a personalized psychological assessment with a clinician trained in the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM). We tailor your plan and identify whether Brainspotting fits best alone or alongside EMDR or somatic therapy.
- Begin Brainspotting Therapy — Start your first Brainspotting session over secure video, guided by a clinician trained in Brainspotting.
Related Care at Reconnect
EMDR Therapy
Bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge.
Learn MoreSensorimotor Psychotherapy
Body-based therapy that works with how trauma is held in posture, movement, and sensation.
Learn MoreSomatic Therapy
Online body-centered therapy that helps calm a nervous system shaped by trauma.
Learn MoreThe RITTM Model
Reconnect’s integrative trauma model, which paces stabilization before deeper processing.
Learn MoreVirtual IOP
Intensive outpatient care that fits around work, school, and family commitments.
Learn MoreVirtual Outpatient
Individual virtual therapy that fits around work, school, and family.
Learn MoreBrainspotting Therapy FAQs
EMDR therapy uses rhythmic bilateral eye movement, while Brainspotting holds the gaze on a single fixed eye position that correlates with activation in the body. David Grand, Ph.D., developed Brainspotting after years of practicing EMDR therapy. Many clients find Brainspotting feels more open and less structured.
Yes. Over secure video, your therapist guides your gaze through the camera, often with a pointer, to find your Brainspot, and biolateral music can play through your own headphones. Many clients find it easier to settle into the work from their own space.
The number varies based on the complexity of what you are working through, your trauma history, and how your nervous system processes. Some clients notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions, while complex trauma typically calls for a longer course of care. We discuss expectations during your initial assessment.
No. Processing happens at the brain-body level, so you do not need to retell a traumatic experience to release its hold. This can be especially supportive for clients living with PTSD and complex trauma, pre-verbal trauma, or dissociative experiences, where reliving the story can feel destabilizing.
Yes, when delivered with proper pacing and clinical care. Our approach prioritizes stabilization and resourcing before deeper trauma processing, as part of the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM). If you are unsure whether Brainspotting is appropriate for your situation, a virtual evaluation can help clarify next steps.
Sessions begin with a check-in and grounding, followed by identifying the issue and locating the brainspot. Once the eye position is set, the work becomes quieter. You may notice emotions shifting, body sensations moving, or memories surfacing. Sessions close with integration. Many clients describe it as inwardly focused.
Some people do and some do not. Emotions, body sensations, and memories can surface during processing, and tears are a normal part of that for some clients. Your therapist helps you stay grounded and never pushes you faster than you can manage.
You may feel tired, emotionally tender, or unusually quiet for a day or two after a Brainspotting session as your nervous system continues to process. Some clients also notice vivid dreams or new insights. We provide grounding tools and ongoing support so you feel resourced between sessions.
Brainspotting has a smaller research base than established trauma therapies such as EMDR, and most studies so far have been small. Early findings are promising and many clients report benefit, but more research is needed. At Reconnect, it is used within a broader, trauma-informed treatment plan.
Brainspotting is designed as a therapist-guided method. Processing trauma can bring up strong emotions, body sensations, or dissociation, so it is best done with a trained clinician who can pace the work and help you settle. Your therapist may teach grounding skills to use on your own between sessions.
It is often described as a brain-body approach because it pays close attention to body sensations as well as emotions and memories. It is its own method, distinct from Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and it can be combined with them.
Many commercial insurance plans cover Brainspotting when it is provided by a licensed clinician as part of mental health treatment, but coverage depends on your plan. You can verify your benefits online before your first session.
Dr. Karol Darsa,
Psy.D. · Last reviewed April 2026
Dr. Darsa is a licensed clinical psychologist with 28 years of clinical experience in trauma and mental health treatment. She is the founder of Reconnect Center and the creator of the Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model (RITTM) — the evidence-based framework that anchors every program and therapy at Reconnect Center. A certified Brainspotting therapist with advanced EMDR training and extensive Somatic Experiencing training, Dr. Darsa lectures on trauma treatment at USC, UCLA, and Cal Lutheran, and oversees clinical standards across all of Reconnect's virtual care.
Access Deeper Healing
Brainspotting works with trauma held deep in the brain and body. Our Brainspotting-trained therapists will guide your process.
