"WHERE YOU LOOK AFFECTS HOW YOU FEEL"

 Brainspotting (BSP) is a form of therapy most commonly used for treating psychological trauma. It utilizes the therapeutic relationship and the client's visual field to help process blocked emotions that may have resulted from past trauma, which can hinder the person's ability to move on and improve their mental state or behaviors. It has been successful in helping patients heal and reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and grief, even after only 1 session, and is as effective as other somatic therapies. (Studies can be found here, here, and here to name a few.) 

It is built on a neuroscientific findings and theory that each individual have gazing tendencies towards spots in their visual field, and uses a technique that helps the therapist and client safely access trauma trapped in the subcortical brain, the area of the brain responsible for motion, consciousness, emotions, and learning. 

It is also seen as a "bottom up" type of therapy which accesses the nervous system to relax it before beginning to process the trauma, which is different from classic talk therapy which is seen as a "top down" approach to healing. The therapist uses a visual aid, such as a pointer, along with biolateral audio stimulation (usually soft music or nature sounds) and provides the safe and attuned container and holds the space for the client to experience the emotions as they allow the processing to happen. 

To learn more or book your BSP session with me in Dubai, get in touch with me at contact@nohakhatib.com