Brainspotting Trauma Therapy in NYC
A gentle, effective approach to healing what the body remembers
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind — it lives in the body, in the nervous system, and in the emotional patterns you’ve used to survive. If you’ve tried talk therapy and still feel stuck, overwhelmed, or easily triggered, brainspotting trauma therapy may offer a deeper, more accessible path to healing.
Brainspotting helps you access the internal places where trauma is held, without forcing you to retell your story or push through memories you’re not ready to revisit. It’s a grounding, somatic-based method that allows your system to unwind trauma at the pace your body chooses.
If you’re feeling disconnected from yourself or overwhelmed by emotions you can’t quite name, Brainspotting offers a gentle, attuned path back to clarity and internal safety.
What is Brainspotting trauma therapy?
Brainspotting trauma therapy is a mind–body treatment that uses eye position to help you access and process unresolved emotional and somatic material. The premise is simple: where you look affects how you feel. By identifying a “brainspot” a point in your visual field connected to an emotional or physical activation — your brain naturally begins to process and release what has been stuck.
Brainspotting trauma therapy is especially helpful for:
PTSD and complex trauma
Dissociation or emotional numbing
Chronic anxiety or panic
Persistent shame or self-protection patterns
Somatic symptoms: tightness, heaviness, trembling, shutdown
Feeling “stuck” even after years of talk therapy
It’s a deeply attuned process that allows the body to guide the healing, rather than the mind having to explain or justify the pain.
What are the downsides of Brainspotting?
While brainspotting trauma therapy is powerful and often transformational, it’s important to understand its limitations so you can choose the right modality for your needs.
Emotional intensity
Brainspotting can bring up strong emotions, memories, or sensations as trauma begins to release.
Less structure than talk therapy
If you prefer clear steps, homework, or verbal processing, brainspotting may initially feel uncertain or unfamiliar.
Not ideal for early stabilization
Clients with severe dissociation or a fragile nervous system may need preparatory work before engaging in deeper trauma processing.
Potential downsides include:
Whatever brought you here, it matters. And it’s worth paying attention to.
What’s the difference between EMDR and Brainspotting?
Many clients exploring brainspotting trauma therapy also consider EMDR. Both modalities are used to treat trauma, but they work differently.
Key differences include:
Structure vs. intuitive flow
EMDR follows a highly structured, eight-phase protocol using bilateral stimulation.
Brainspotting is more open, allowing your nervous system to guide the process.
Processing style
EMDR actively moves the brain through distressing material using rapid eye movements or taps.
Brainspotting uses stillness and focused gaze to let deeper trauma surfaces emerge naturally.
Client experience
EMDR: more directive, therapist-guided.
Brainspotting: quieter, more internal, and often felt deeply in the body.
Exposure vs. presence
EMDR typically involves naming or recalling the trauma.
Brainspotting does not require retelling the story.
What is the difference between Brainspotting and CBT?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is one of the most commonly used approaches in mental health care, but it differs significantly from brainspotting trauma therapy because they aim to treat trauma in entirely different ways.
Key differences:
Cognitive vs. subcortical
CBT: Works with thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors — the logical, conscious mind.
Brainspotting: Works with the midbrain and limbic system — where trauma is stored.
Talk-based vs. somatic
CBT: Relies heavily on verbal processing and cognitive reframing.
Brainspotting: Relies on internal awareness and body-based processing.
Skill-building vs. trauma release
CBT: Teaches coping skills and strategies.
Brainspotting: Facilitates deeper healing by releasing trauma held in the nervous system.
Pacing
CBT: Planned, structured, predictable.
Brainspotting: Fluid, intuitive, and often faster for trauma resolution.
How to Start
You don’t need to be in crisis to deserve care. You don’t need to have it all figured out to ask for help.
If you're feeling disconnected, uncertain, or simply ready to make space for your relationship again, couples therapy can help you move forward, with more clarity, more connection, and more choice.
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Based in Brooklyn, NY and Queens NY | Offering secure virtual sessions across New York
LGBTQIA+ affirming | Trauma-informed | Inclusive care for all relationships