When therapist David Grand discovered Brainspotting in 2003, he was working with a figure skater using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). During a standard EMDR session, he noticed something unexpected: when the skater's eyes paused at a particular position in her visual field, she began to access a deeper level of trauma processing than anything he had witnessed before. That moment of accidental discovery gave birth to Brainspotting — a therapy that is, in the truest sense of the word, a direct offshoot of EMDR.
For trauma survivors in San Diego and beyond, understanding the relationship between Brainspotting and EMDR can help inform decisions about which therapeutic approach may best suit their healing journey.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a brain-body therapy based on the premise that "where you look affects how you feel." The foundational idea is that traumatic experiences are stored in subcortical brain regions that are not easily reached through verbal or cognitive therapies. By having a client hold their gaze at a specific point in their visual field — the "brainspot" — while maintaining dual awareness of both the external focal point and the internal emotional experience, the brain's own neurobiological healing capacity is engaged.
The process bypasses the cortex — the thinking, verbal part of the brain — and works directly with the limbic system and brainstem, where trauma is believed to be encoded as a physiological response rather than a narrative memory. This subcortical focus is what distinguishes Brainspotting from many other forms of psychotherapy.
How Brainspotting Emerged from EMDR
David Grand trained extensively as an EMDR therapist before developing Brainspotting. The two methods share several theoretical foundations, including the belief that the brain has an innate capacity to heal from trauma when given the right conditions, and that the body holds trauma physically as well as emotionally.
Where they diverge is in technique. In EMDR, the therapist guides the client's eye movements back and forth (or uses tapping or auditory tones for bilateral stimulation) while the client focuses on a traumatic memory, a negative belief, and the associated body sensation. The bilateral stimulation continues in sets until the distress rating associated with the memory decreases.
In Brainspotting, the therapist uses a pointer to find the precise eye position that activates the client's trauma response — identified by reflexive body signals such as a blink, a twitch, a slight change in breathing, or the client's intuitive sense that something "just feels right here." The client then holds their gaze at that fixed point while the therapist maintains a compassionate, attuned presence, allowing the brain to process the stored material organically.
Who Benefits Most from Brainspotting?
Brainspotting has shown particular effectiveness for individuals who:
- Have tried EMDR but found the bilateral stimulation overstimulating or difficult to tolerate
- Experience trauma that feels "wordless" — stored as sensation, image, or physical response rather than narrative memory
- Are performance athletes, musicians, or performers dealing with performance anxiety rooted in past experiences
- Have complex or developmental trauma that resists standard verbal therapeutic approaches
- Experience dissociation and need a slower, more contained approach to processing
Many San Diego therapists who are trained in both EMDR and Brainspotting describe them as complementary rather than competing approaches. Depending on where a client is in their treatment, a therapist may use EMDR phases for history-taking and preparation, then shift to Brainspotting for the deeper processing work — or vice versa.
The Neuroscience Behind the Brainspot
The theoretical explanation for why eye position matters in trauma processing centers on the optic nerve and its connections to the subcortical regions of the brain. The superior colliculus, a structure in the midbrain that receives direct input from retinal neurons, is involved in processing both visual information and stress responses. The brainstem and limbic system — particularly the amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia — are all interconnected with the visual field.
When a therapist locates a brainspot, they are essentially finding the visual field position that corresponds to the neural network holding a particular traumatic memory or activation. Holding the gaze at that point is thought to stimulate the focused processing of that specific network, allowing the stored emotional and physiological charge to discharge in a controlled, titrated way.
Finding a Brainspotting-Trained Therapist in San Diego
Brainspotting is taught through a structured training program with three phases of certification. Therapists who have completed Phase 1 training have learned the foundational model and can apply basic Brainspotting techniques. Phase 2 training covers advanced applications, including working with dissociation, complex trauma, and physical symptoms. Phase 3 is the advanced certification level.
When searching for a Brainspotting therapist in San Diego, look for a clinician who holds an active license (LCSW, MFT, psychologist, or LPCC) and has completed at least Phase 1 Brainspotting training. Many EMDR-certified therapists in the San Diego area have also trained in Brainspotting, making them uniquely equipped to tailor treatment to your individual needs.