Brainspotting Therapy for Adults in the Bay Area
Brainspotting
Healing happens in the quiet moments…and so does change.
Here, we work at the root — gently, powerfully, and without the need for endless talking.
Brainspotting is a gentle but powerful way to help your nervous system do what it was designed to do — heal.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting (BSP) is a type of therapy that uses fixed eye positions to access and process emotional or physical trauma. It's rooted in the idea that where a person looks can reveal points in the brain where unresolved trauma is stored, and by focusing on these "brainspots," individuals can release stored emotions and physical tension.
Brainspotting uses the power of focused gaze to access and release deep-seated emotional and physical trauma, helping individuals move towards healing and emotional regulation. It’s a non-invasive, medication-free reset for your limbic system — the part of the brain that holds emotional and survival responses long after an experience has passed. Brainspotting can help you release stuck patterns, regulate your system, and create space for lasting change.
Brainspotting is a great option for someone looking to…
Level up their mental health, experience greater clarity and calm in everyday life, and believe in the inherent power of the body and brain to heal itself
Step outside of the weekly therapy model and explore a more flexible approach to therapy
Experience a deeper level of change — and is highly motivated to do so, especially after multiple addiction or mental health relapses, where insight and urgency often align
Experience a focused, powerful alternative to long-term talk therapy
The Brainspotting process:
Identify a Brainspot:
A therapist guides the client to focus on an issue and then move their eyes to find a specific spot in their visual field that activates a strong emotional or physical response.Focusing on the Brainspot:
Once identified, the client maintains focus on the brainspot, allowing their brain and body to process the associated trauma or emotional experience.Processing and Release:
Through this focused attention, the brain begins to process the trauma, often leading to a release of stored emotions and physical tension.Dual Attunement:
The therapist monitors the client's physical and emotional responses throughout the process, guiding them through the experience.Healing and Homeostasis:
Brainspotting aims to help the nervous system return to a state of balance and calm, promoting healing and emotional well-being..
How Brainspotting (BSP) works:
BSP is one of a few types of emerging therapies focusing on the brain-body connection, including Somatic Experiencing and EMDR. Traditional talk therapy is known as a “top-down” therapy. That is, traditional therapy tries to solve problems by working with the conscious mind.
These brain-body therapies are known as “bottom up” therapy, which aims to release the physical stress in the body, which will also aid in the release of any emotional stress found in the body.
Brainspotting therapy works on the midbrain, which controls the parts of the central nervous system that are responsible for processes such as vision, hearing, sleep, and motor control. When trauma occurs, this part of the brain typically goes into freeze mode to conserve resources for the body to get into defense mode.
This is necessary for example if you’re fighting a tiger, but is less helpful for psychological trauma—but our bodies can't distinguish between the two.
The benefits of Brainspotting:
Deeper Processing:
Brainspotting taps into the limbic system and brain stem, accessing and processing trauma that may be difficult to reach with traditional talk therapy.
A Non-Verbal Approach:
It doesn't require extensive verbal processing, which can be beneficial for individuals who struggle to articulate their experiences.
Body-Mind Connection:
It integrates body-based sensations with emotional processing, supporting a holistic approach to healing.
What you can expect in a Brainspotting session:
As your therapist I will help guide you inside the session, but you’ll be surprised how much of the session is self-directed. You’ll start with some relaxing breathing and possibly listening to bilateral sound (music designed to move from one ear to the other) in headphones.
Once you’ve settled into a more mindful state, you’ll identify a place in your body where you feel the most distress and rank it on a scale of one to ten.
I’ll help you find your “brain spot,” or, where your eyes naturally focus on when the physical discomfort is the strongest, and will help you identify the spot where you are becoming “stuck”.
From here, I’ll help you hone in on the feelings coming up, as you stick with this one area of the body.
You will then have time to process the whole experience and name what came up and what it means.
Brainspotting Intensives allow you to experience greater results without the long-term commitment
Brainspotting intensives are designed for those that don’t want to spend months talking through their struggles in weekly sessions. By working in longer, focused blocks of time, you give your nervous system the space it needs to access, release, and reset at a deeper level.
This format is efficient and powerful, and clients often notice relief within just a few sessions — along with new insights, a calmer energy, and a sense of momentum that traditional therapy sometimes takes longer to create.
An intensive works directly with the root of what’s been keeping you stuck. Whether you’re navigating burnout, recovery, relationship stress, or the weight of old trauma, intensives provide a private, judgment-free space to experience real change. You walk away with more clarity, stronger self-trust, and a felt sense of calm that carries into your daily life — all without the commitment of weekly therapy.
Brainspotting + weekly therapy is a gentle, powerful way to get to the root without the need for endless talking.
Trauma shows up differently for everyone, and so does the way we learn to cope with stress, fear, and the weight of past experiences. Weekly psychotherapy gives you a consistent space to slow down, notice what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin making sense of old patterns that no longer serve you. Over time, weekly sessions create momentum: small insights become the building blocks to lasting change.
What makes this work powerful isn’t just the techniques, but the relationship itself. Clients often tell me that therapy with me feels like sitting down with a dedicated friend who’s both “been there” and is highly trained to guide you through the harder parts.