Brainspotting: Where You Look Affects How You Feel (Seriously, It’s Science)

You know that weird thing where you look off into the distance when trying to remember your ATM PIN, the lyrics to a song from 2006, or why you walked into the kitchen? Turns out, your eyeballs might know something your brain is still processing.

Welcome to the world of Brainspotting — a therapy that’s part neuroscience, part mindfulness, and (just a dash) part Jedi mind trick.

What Is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting (BSP) was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand. It’s a brain-body therapy that uses eye position to access unprocessed trauma in the subcortical brain — that’s the deep, instinctive part of your brain that doesn’t care how smart you are, how many podcasts you’ve listened to, or how many crystals you have charging under the full moon.

Dr. Grand put it best:

“Where you look affects how you feel.”(Grand, 2013)

In BSP, we find the “brainspot” — a point in your visual field that seems to correlate with stored trauma or emotional activation. When you fix your gaze on that spot while tuning into your internal experience, the brain starts doing what it does best: processing, healing, and reorganizing.

Wait… So I Just Stare at a Stick?

Kinda. I mean, yes, there’s a pointer — a literal pointer. But no, it’s not hypnosis, and I’m not going to make you cluck like a chicken (unless that’s your thing, in which case — no judgment).

The pointer helps you and your therapist find the “spot” — a visual location that triggers a felt sense of activation. Once we find it, you hang out there. Your brain takes the wheel. You don’t need to talk, analyze, or explain. You just observe and allow your brain to do the heavy lifting. (Think of it like trauma CrossFit for your nervous system.)

Why Does It Work?

Brainspotting works directly with the subcortical brain, where trauma is stored. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which taps into the logical neocortex (aka the “overthinking” part), BSP gets to the stuff beneath the surface — the emotional, sensory, nonverbal memories.

This is why clients often say things like:

“I don’t even know what just happened… but I feel lighter.”“My jaw’s not clenched for the first time in a decade.”“That thing that used to feel like a 10/10 anxiety now feels like a 2.”

But Is It Just Woo-Woo?

Not even a little bit.

Brainspotting is grounded in neuroscience and draws from concepts like:

• Dual attunement frame – therapist-client relationship + neurobiological attunement

• Polyvagal theory – regulating the autonomic nervous system (Porges, 2011)

• Somatic experiencing – noticing body responses to trauma (Levine, 1997)

Research is catching up, too. A 2021 randomized controlled study by Hildebrand et al. showed that Brainspotting significantly reduced symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression after just a few sessions.

What Does It Help With?

• PTSD and complex trauma

• Anxiety and panic

• Chronic pain

• Sports and performance anxiety (yes, even your fear of karaoke)

• Creative blocks

• Depression

• Grief

• “I don’t even know what’s wrong but something is off” syndrome

Is It Weird? Yes.

Is It Magical? Also yes.

Is It Worth Trying? Definitely.

If you're tired of rehashing the same story, or your trauma lives in your body like a freeloading roommate who won’t move out, Brainspotting might just be your eviction notice.

And if you're still skeptical? That’s okay. The best way to understand Brainspotting is to experience it. Because sometimes, healing doesn’t come from more talking — it comes from finding that one tiny spot, holding it gently, and letting your brain do what it was always designed to do. Heal.

Ready to give your brain the spa day it deserves?

Book a session. Bring your eyes. Leave your defenses at the door.

📚 References:

• Hildebrand, A., Grand, D., & Stemmler, M. (2021). Brainspotting – the efficacy of a new therapy approach for the treatment of PTSD. Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 9(1).

• Grand, D. (2013). Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change. Sounds True.

• Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. Norton & Company.

• Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.