Brainspotting Therapy in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Brainspotting is a trauma-focused therapy that helps the brain and body process experiences that feel difficult to access through words alone. Many clients seek Brainspotting after noticing that insight, logic, or traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully resolved emotional distress, trauma reactions, or a sense of feeling “stuck.”

As a licensed counselor and trauma therapist trained extensively in Brainspotting, I offer this fascinating and adaptable therapy to adults in-person in downtown Grand Rapids, and virtually to clients across Michigan via telehealth. Brainspotting can be especially effective for complex trauma, emotional overwhelm, and experiences that live more in the body than in conscious memory.

What Is Brainspotting Therapy?

Brainspotting is a brain-based therapeutic approach that uses eye position to access and process trauma stored in the subcortical regions of the brain. These areas of the brain are thought to be involved in survival responses, emotion, and implicit memory, and are not as easily accessed through traditional talk therapy. That’s why many folks come to Brainspotting after years of “regular” talk therapy hasn’t quite helped them heal in the way they want; they need something that goes deeper than words, that offers whole-body healing.

How Brainspotting Works

Brainspotting works by engaging the parts of the brain that are responsible for automatic responses rather than conscious reasoning. A brainspot refers to a specific point—or “spot—in your visual field (aka where your eyes and head naturally want to look) that connects to an activated neural network in the brain.

That activated neural network is thought to link to memories and/or bodily sensations that are associated with trauma, pain, or other challenging emotions. When attention is gently focused on that brainspot in the presence of an attuned therapist, the brain can begin to process unresolved experiences without forcing narrative or detailed verbal recall.

Brainspotting is not about analyzing or intellectualizing trauma. It is about allowing the brain and nervous system to complete processes that were interrupted by overwhelm, terror, or system shutdown. It doesn’t require you to retell your story in detail, nor does it require you to have to remember every last detail. There is no “wrong” way to do brainspotting!

Eye Position and Neural Access

In Brainspotting, it’s theorized that specific eye positions correlate with stored emotional and somatic (body-based) experiences—both traumatic and non-traumatic. Typically, the brainspots we work on in therapy are those experiences that are connected to trauma, difficulty, or other challenging emotions that need to be processed. Locating a brainspot helps access these neural pathways directly, without needing to involve the “thinking” part of the brain. A brainspot can be located either through your own intuitive sense of where it is (inside window) or through assistance from your therapist (outside window).

Subcortical Processing

Brainspotting engages areas of the brain involved in survival and regulation, allowing trauma to process at a level below language. We call this part of the brain the subcortical region, as it rests below the cerebral cortex, which is thought to be the home of thought, reasoning, and explicit memory.

Accessing memory through the subcortical brain means we don’t need to rely on words, telling stories out loud, retelling painful parts of our history. You don’t have to try to remember aspects of your life that your thinking brain can’t quite access, in order to achieve healing.

Attuned Therapeutic Presence

My role as your therapist is to provide a container of safety, attunement, and regulation while your brain does the work it is designed to do. I’m here as a fellow traveler and guide, trusting that your brain knows what to do and where to go in order to achieve maximum healing.

What Brainspotting Helps With

Brainspotting can be effective for a wide range of concerns, including:

• Complex trauma and developmental trauma

• PTSD and single-incident trauma

• Anxiety and panic

• Chronic stress and emotional exhaustion

• Chronic pain and health anxiety

• Performance blocks and performance enhancement

• Grief and loss

• Trauma-related physical symptoms

It is particularly helpful for clients who feel overwhelmed, shut down, or disconnected from their emotions during traditional talk therapy. There are many different ways to engage with Brainspotting that allow your nervous system the time and space to regulate, process, and even expand into greater spaces of healing and growth than most types of traditional talk therapy can offer.

What Does a Brainspotting Session Feel Like?

Brainspotting sessions are often quiet and internally focused. Clients may notice:

• Emotional shifts or memories surfacing

• Physical sensations such as warmth, tension, or release

• Changes in breathing or posture

• A sense of deep processing without needing to explain everything

Typically, it will look like you and me sitting across from each other (in person or virtually) and I will either be using a pointer to help you find a brain spot, or you will have found one intuitively and I will maintain the therapeutic container for you to allow for the greatest amount of processing possible. I may encourage you to follow certain sensations,

The pace is guided by your nervous system. You remain in control of what is shared and how deeply the work goes.

Brainspotting vs EMDR vs Talk Therapy

While all three approaches can be helpful, they work differently.

• Talk therapy emphasizes insight and verbal processing

• EMDR uses bilateral stimulation and structured protocols

• Brainspotting is less directive and follows the brain’s natural processing rhythm

Brainspotting can be well-suited for clients who:

• Feel overwhelmed by structure

• Dissociate easily

• Have complex or developmental trauma

• Struggle to put experiences into words

Is Brainspotting Evidence-Based?

Brainspotting is an emerging trauma therapy with growing clinical support. It is widely used by trauma therapists and integrates principles from neuroscience, attachment theory, and somatic psychology.

As with all trauma therapies, effectiveness depends on therapist training, therapeutic relationship, and individual nervous system capacity. You can read more about the research and case studies for Brainspotting on the official Brainspotting website.

Who Is Brainspotting Best For?

Brainspotting may be a good fit if you:

• Feel “stuck” despite understanding your patterns

• Experience strong emotional or physical reactions

• Shut down or dissociate when talking about difficult topics

• Want a gentle, non-forcing approach to trauma healing

• Aren’t interested in retelling your story for the hundredth time

• Are interested in a somatic approach to healing, as opposed to a cognitive approach

Brainspotting Therapy in Grand Rapids and Online in Michigan

I provide Brainspotting therapy in Grand Rapids and offer telehealth sessions for clients located anywhere in Michigan.

About Me as a Brainspotting Therapist

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan with specialized training in Brainspotting and trauma-focused care. My approach is collaborative, paced for the nervous system, and grounded in respect for each client’s lived experience.

Frequently Asked Questions About Brainspotting

Do I have to talk about my trauma?
No. Brainspotting does not require detailed verbal processing.

Is Brainspotting intense?
It can be emotionally meaningful, but sessions are paced to avoid overwhelm.

Can Brainspotting be done online?
Yes. Brainspotting can be effective via telehealth when clinically appropriate.