Brainspotting
When talking about it isn't enough to change how you feel.
Stuck in patterns of fear, anxiety, or sadness, Stuck worried you’re “too sensitive” or irritable with those you are closest to. Stuck with an inner critic who tells you you’ve never done enough. Stuck in thought spirals that can keep you awake at night. You know you overthink, over-give, over-analyze yet no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to change your patterns. Maybe you’ve felt stuck for so long, you’ve just accepted it as The. Way. Life. Is.
It’s not because you haven't tried hard enough. Not because analyzing your patterns hasn't helped. But because understanding a pattern and shifting what your body does automatically are two different things — and talking alone only reaches one of them.
The anxiety doesn't live primarily in your thoughts. It lives in your body. In the tightening when you consider saying no. The flood of guilt when you try to rest. The activation that happens when someone seems disappointed in you.
These responses aren't thoughts you can argue yourself out of. They're physical. And they don't fully shift through being understood — they shift through being processed at the level where they live.
That's what Brainspotting changes.
Caroline Wessling, LMFT is a therapist based in San Francisco who provides Brainspotting sessions online throughout CA.
Are you tired of feeling stuck?
Brainspotting is most usefule when...
You understand your patterns but can't change them. You know why you're anxious, but knowing doesn't stop the overthinking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing. The automatic responses keep running.
Your emotions sometimes feel out of control or disproportionate to the situation. You worry that you are “too sensitive” or that you need “too much.”
Talk therapy has reached a plateau. There's something deeper that conversation isn't touching — and you want to heal it.
You want to remove mental blocks and strengthen what's working. Brainspotting isn't only for processing difficulty. It can also deepen feelings of calm, confidence, and groundedness.
Is Brainspotting right for you?
Brainspotting is a good fit if you need help with:
Emotional reactivity
Anxiety & Burnout
Shame or low self-esteem
Medical trauma, diagnosis, or chronic illness
People-pleasing & perfectionism
Performance or creativity enhancement
Money trauma or financial anxiety
Traumatic events or other painful memories
Relationship patterns you want to change
The pain of experiencing chronic discrimination and microaggressions
What if things could be different?
Brainspotting a powerful, brain-body therapy that works with the parts of you that can't be reached through talking alone—so change happens at a deeper level than just understanding.
Imagine Getting Unstuck
Imagine nailing that task, project, or skill that has felt out of your reach
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Imagine no longer feeling reactive to stress and overwhelm around you, able to make decisions with calm and confidence.
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Imagine releasing yourself from the shame and guilt you feel over your past that was never yours to carry
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Imagine feeling calm and secure in relationships rather than constantly preparing for the worst
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Imagine feeling like you’ve found yourself. Finally.
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All of this is possible for you.
What Brainspotting actually is
Brainspotting is a unique somatic therapy built on the belief that the body already knows how to heal itself, it just needs a little help getting unstuck. We’re not always aware of how our body stores the memories of the things we experience. And we can’t stop it – it happens automatically without our knowledge or input! So sometimes, even if we think we’ve come to terms with a past experience, our bodies may still be holding on to the memories.
Those stored memories can then start to sneak their way into other experiences, interactions, and decisions in our lives. Have you ever had a really strong emotional reaction that seemed out-of-proportion to what was happening? That’s your trauma memory showing up and misfiring an alarm even though you’re not in danger.
Brainspotting allows you to access those memories, process them, and release them. And it doesn’t require rehashing painful events over and over. Your brain does the processing. You don't have to find the words.
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Brainspotting is gentle yet deeply effective, using specific eye positioning and focused mindfulness to access the areas of the brain where anxiety is stored. This process often leads to profound shifts in how individuals feel and perceive their past experiences, while unlocking greater emotional freedom and creativity.
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Have suffered (complex) trauma or grief
Whether it’s a one-time incident or chronic distress, trauma and grief can leave a lasting imprint on the brain. Brainspotting helps to access and heal these deep wounds, offering relief from symptoms like anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and the pain of loss.
Live with Financial Shame or Self-Worth Issues
Money struggles can often be tied to deep feelings of unworthiness or financial trauma. Brainspotting can help heal these issues, whether it's financial abuse, overspending, under-earning, or a sense of never having enough.
Struggle with anxiety, stress, or feeling stuck
For those who feel overwhelmed by stress or stuck in patterns in relationships, Brainspotting provides a focused, effective way to calm the nervous system release emotional blocks, and help you move forward.
Are dealing with physical pain or chronic illness
Brainspotting has been shown to alleviate chronic pain and symptoms often linked to unresolved emotional issues, helping you achieve physical and emotional well-being.
Face creativity or performance blocks
Many individuals find themselves blocked or unable to access their full potential. Brainspotting can help you reach new heights in your work or craft by unlocking the subconscious barriers that hinder flow and creativity.
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Brainspotting is a highly effective therapeutic approach for those looking for:
Deep Emotional Healing
Reduction in PTSD Symptoms
Improved Emotional Regulation:
Relief from Chronic Pain:
Enhanced Sense of Safety and Peace
Brainspotting is also a powerful tool for unlocking creativity and overcoming blocks. Brainspotting can help you to:
Reignite Creativity
Reduce Performance Anxiety
Increase Focus and Productivity
Boost Self-Confidence
Cultivate Deeper Creativity
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Brainspotting is one of the methods I use alongside Mindfulness-Based Insight Therapy to work beneath the surface of anxiety and internal pressure. It can be especially helpful when overthinking won’t quiet, when burnout has set in, or when financial or relationship stress feels stuck in your body rather than just your thoughts.
Talk therapy - I use Mindfulness-Based Insight Therapy which works with your thoughts, patterns, and conscious understanding. It's valuable for making sense of your experience, building insight, and understanding where the patterns came from.
Brainspotting - works with your nervous system — the parts of your brain that store emotional memories and automatic responses. It reaches what talking doesn't.
Many clients get the best results from using both.
With personalized therapy that's customized for you, we tailor each session to what you need in the moment.
You don't have to choose.
Learn more about my approach to therapy for anxiety & overthinking →
What happens in a Brainspotting Session?
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Prepare
We start with what you want to work on—maybe it's anxiety about a specific situation, a relationship pattern, or the knot in your stomach when you think about money. I'll help you find the eye position that works best for what you need in that moment. Sometimes that's where you feel the issue most strongly, sometimes it's where you feel more grounded and resourced.
02
Engage
You hold that eye position and notice what happens—physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, memories. You don't have to do anything or make anything happen. Your brain processes automatically. I'm there the whole time, helping you stay grounded and safe as the work unfolds.
03
Integrate
The session ends when you notice a shift—the intensity decreases, your body relaxes, something feels different. We'll talk about what you experienced and what you notice has changed. Between sessions, your brain continues processing, so shifts often deepen over time.
Ways We Can Work Together
Flexible format options available. You choose the one that works for you.
Weekly Therapy
50-70 minute weekly sessions
Reserve your weekly Brainspotting sessions to support your goals and provide consistent ongoing support.
This format works well if you want:
- Consistent support as patterns show up in real time
- Space to integrate processing between sessions
- Gradual, sustainable change
Investment: $250 / 50 minute session
Therapy Intensive
Extended sessions over 1-3 days
Brainspotting Intensives allow for deeper, more sustained work. When you have more time, your brain can process multiple layers in one session.
This format works well if you're:
- Dealing with a specific stuck point that needs deeper focus
- Limited on time but ready to go deep
- Looking for momentum on a particular issue
Investment: $1,200-3,400
Learn more about Therapy Intensives →
Adjunct Therapy
Weekly or intensive sessions alonside current therapy
Adjunct sessions add Brainspotting to your current treatment — no need to switch providers or start over.
This format works well if you’re:
- In talk therapy but feeling like something deeper isn’t shifting
- Working with a therapist who doesn’t offer Brainspotting
- Looking to add body-based processing to your existing support
Investment: $250 / 50 minute session or from $1,200 for an intensive
Not sure which format is right for you? Schedule a free 15-minute consultation and we'll figure it out together.
How is Brainspotting different from talk therapy?
Brainspotting is one of the methods I use alongside Mindfulness-Based Insight Therapy to work beneath the surface of anxiety and internal pressure. It can be especially helpful when overthinking won’t quiet, when burnout has set in, or when financial or relationship stress feels stuck in your body rather than just your thoughts.
Talk therapy, Mindfulness-Based Insight Therapy works with your thoughts, patterns, and conscious understanding. It's valuable for making sense of your experience, building insight, and understanding where the patterns came from.
Brainspotting works with your nervous system — the parts of your brain that store emotional memories and automatic responses. It reaches what talking doesn't.
You don't have to choose.
Unlock your brain's healing potential
Brainspotting can help you go deeper.
Common Questions about Brainspotting
If you don't see your questions here, check out my Full FAQs-
Yes. Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand and has growing research support, particularly for trauma, anxiety, and performance issues.
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Yes, it works well via video sessions. I use a pointer on screen, and you follow it with your eyes just as you would in person.
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Yes. Some clients work with me specifically for Brainspotting while continuing talk therapy with their existing therapist. We can coordinate care if needed, or keep the work separate—whatever makes sense for you.
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Some people have dramatic releases. Others have quiet, subtle shifts. Both are valid. Your brain is processing either way.
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No. While Brainspotting is effective for processing anxiety, trauma, and stuck patterns, it can also be used for expansion—strengthening positive feelings, enhancing confidence, and deepening resourced states.
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No. Brainspotting processes experiences without requiring you to talk through traumatic details. You can share as much or as little as you like.
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It varies. Some people notice shifts in one session. Others work on an issue over several sessions. Complex patterns take longer. For concentrated work on a specific issue, therapy intensives (extended 1-2 day sessions) can provide deeper, sustained processing. Learn more about intensives →
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Just click the “Contact Me” button to book our initial call. During our call together, we’ll have a short conversation about what’s bringing you to therapy now, answer any additional questions you might have, and overall get a chance to see if we’re a good fit.