Brainspotting Therapy

The Origins & Neuroscience of Brainspotting

Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand, a New York-based psychotherapist and performance coach. While working with a client using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Dr. Grand noticed that when the client held her gaze at a certain point in the visual field, she entered a deeper, more focused state of processing. This observation led him to develop a new approach to healing that accessed the brain’s deeper emotional and somatic networks. Thus, Brainspotting was born.

“Where you look affects how you feel.” – Dr. David Grand

What began as an innovative clinical observation is now used by thousands of trained therapists around the world and is supported by growing clinical research and neuroscience literature. It has shown effectiveness not only for trauma, but for anxiety, chronic stress, performance issues, attachment wounds, and somatic conditions.

How Brainspotting Engages the Brain

Brainspotting is grounded in neuroscience, particularly in its understanding of how trauma is stored in the subcortical brain, beyond the reach of logic and language.

Here’s how it works neurologically:

1. Subcortical Processing

Brainspotting works directly with the subcortical brain—which includes the amygdala, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and brainstem. These areas are responsible for regulating emotions, movement, memory, and survival responses. When we experience trauma or overwhelming stress, these parts of the brain store unprocessed information that can lead to symptoms like anxiety, emotional reactivity, or shutdown.

2. Dual Attunement Frame

The effectiveness of Brainspotting comes from what’s called the dual attunement frame:

• Relational attunement: the safe, grounded presence of the therapist

• Neurobiological attunement: the client’s internal, felt sense of what’s happening in their body and brain

This dual awareness creates optimal conditions for the brain to locate and process unhealed material.

3. Eye Position and the Midbrain

When a person holds their gaze on a specific “brainspot”, the midbrain becomes activated. This part of the brain is involved in orienting attention and processing sensory input. A brainspot is believed to correlate with the neurophysiological source of a problem—where unprocessed trauma or emotional pain is being held.

Holding that gaze allows the brain to stay with the issue long enough to fully process and release it, often without needing to speak or understand it cognitively.

4. Accessing the Default Mode Network (DMN)

Brainspotting is also believed to engage the Default Mode Network—the part of the brain that becomes active when we are internally focused, daydreaming, or reflecting. This allows for deeper self-awareness, emotional integration, and long-term healing.

Why Does This Matter?

Traditional talk therapy primarily engages the neocortex, which is helpful for insight and behavior change—but trauma lives deeper. Brainspotting accesses the deeper, instinctual brain regions where trauma and emotional pain are stored, allowing healing to occur from the bottom up.

This makes Brainspotting particularly powerful for:

• Experiences that feel “beyond words”

• Emotional blocks that don’t shift with logic alone

• Trauma stored in the body, such as chronic pain or fatigue

Is Brainspotting Right for You?

At Attuned Therapy + Wellness, we offer Brainspotting therapy in Ontario, both virtually and in-person in Kincardine, to support healing at the root level. If you’ve tried talk therapy and still feel “stuck,” Brainspotting may be the next step on your healing path.

This modality is especially helpful for people who:

• Feel overwhelmed by anxiety or panic

• Have a history of trauma (developmental, relational, acute, or complex trauma)

• Struggle with chronic stress, burnout, or emotional numbness

• Experience physical symptoms linked to emotional pain (e.g., tension, fatigue, migraines)

• Have difficulty accessing or expressing emotions

• Are working through grief, loss, or major life transitions

• Seek relief from performance blocks in sports, arts, or public speaking

• Want to heal deep attachment wounds or childhood experiences

• Feel disconnected from their bodies or intuition

Brainspotting is gentle but powerful. You don’t have to retell painful stories to heal. Instead, we follow your body’s cues, using specific eye positions to access stored emotions and experiences that may be holding you back.

How Our Therapists Create a Safe Frame for Brainspotting

What to Expect When Starting Brainspotting Therapy

Before beginning Brainspotting at our Kincardine clinic or through virtual sessions across Ontario, here are a few things to know:

1. You Don’t Need to “Know What to Say”

Unlike traditional therapy, Brainspotting doesn’t rely on talking or analyzing. In fact, many clients find this approach relieving because they don’t have to find the words to explain complex emotions or past experiences.

2. Sessions Move at Your Pace

We take time to establish safety, trust, and attunement before beginning any deeper processing. Your nervous system sets the pace—we follow your natural rhythm, not a scripted plan.

3. The Body Leads the Way

You may notice shifts in body sensations, emotions, or imagery during a session. That’s a sign your brain and nervous system are doing the work. You don’t need to force anything—your body knows how to heal when given the space.

4. It’s Common to Feel Tired or Lighter Afterward

Everyone processes differently. After sessions, some clients feel deeply relaxed or lighter, while others feel tired, tender, or emotional. We’ll discuss how to care for yourself post-session, and we remain available for follow-up support as needed.

Ready to Begin?

We offer virtual Brainspotting across Ontario and in-person sessions in Kincardine, making this powerful modality accessible wherever you are.

If you’re ready to:

• Heal old patterns at the source

• Reconnect to your body and inner wisdom

• Experience lasting emotional release and relief

Then Brainspotting may be the right fit for you. Book your free 15-minute consultation with one of our trained therapists.