The Complete Guide to Brainspotting for Anxiety

I was in a training the other day and heard an athlete say “The more I fall the less afraid I am of falling.” 

She’s an elite climber and if you’ve spent any time at a climbing gym, you know that fall can be long and hard. While there is a mat to cushion her landing, I can imagine the pain of falling on the mat could easily take her out of the headspace she needed to be in to succeed. 

As I reflected on that statement, I thought about how I celebrate the “falls” my kids take, especially in the sports they love. 

Both of my kids have found their sport and they are excelling every day. Which scares the living daylights out of me because I want them to struggle so they can learn and get even better and understand that getting better requires work. 

When my son misses every hit when he is at bat or my daughter just can’t land the gymnastics move she has been practicing I celebrate these supposed failures and encourage them to reflect on what made it hard and what was going on in their head or how much they had (or hadn’t) been practicing. 

These “failures” are opportunities for them to grow and get better and that makes them better athletes. I fully believe that every mistake my kids make will help them become more well-rounded humans in their future. 

What this Fear of Falling and Trauma Have in Common

Let’s talk about trauma work for a second. Remember that blog I wrote about therapy being similar to foam rolling? 

It’s not always easy leaning into that pain: it’s uncomfortable, awkward, and sometimes the pain can feel unbearable and you just need to attack your IT band another way. But the more you do the foam roller, the easier it is. 

Similarly, the more you fall, the less afraid you become. Trauma work asks you to lean into those uncomfortable memories and embrace your fear of doing the work. 

A New Way to Treat Trauma: Brainspotting

Historically we have been told to talk and talk and talk about our traumas in order for things to improve. (Imagine the depiction of Freud sitting on a chair while a client lays on a couch and talks and he writes things down in his notebook.) 

At Foothills Psychotherapy, people are rarely laying on our couches at our Burbank office while we sit back and analyze. Instead we have found that maybe you don’t always need to talk to find relief. 

We use Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, and other somatic interventions to help clients heal their traumas. Sometimes that’s a straightforward process and a client is able to access their trauma and dive into the healing. Other times we are helping a client be okay with the fear of addressing their trauma. 

We aren’t the Freuds of the past, sitting on a couch analyzing every word you say, we are in the muck with you, helping you lean into your discomfort and supporting you through your fear of falling. 

• Brainspotting has techniques we can use called resourcing that acts as an extra cushion around the “fall.” 

• EMDR gives you space to go into the trauma slowly and more gently. 

• IFS helps you find and embrace those protector parts that have served such an important role in your survival thus far. 

How Can Brainspotting Help With Anxiety?

I’ve shared about trauma, but what about anxiety or depression? Yes. Brainspotting for anxiety works in much the same way. 

Your anxiety is run by alarm systems in your head that go off at the most inopportune times. 

Perhaps you are moving your way up the metaphorical climbing wall and then the anxiety takes over. 

• What if I fall (what if I don’t do well at work)? 

• What if I make a fool of myself in front of the class? 

• What if I miss the next hold? 

Brainspotting or EMDR can help you recognize those anxious thoughts and the belief that you are going to make a boatload of mistakes, and help you reframe that to the celebration that mistakes are okay and that you might not even make them. Or maybe you will but you will survive them and could your alarm system please be quiet now? 

Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, and other somatic interventions can address your anxiety and help you recognize how to shift it from a fear of falling to a celebration of your mistakes or your opportunities for growth. 

Ready to Try Brainspotting for Your Anxiety?

If you are ready to get into the muck, fall down off the climbing wall and get back up again, and dive into your healing—we’re ready to support you! 

Let me introduce you to some of our Brainspotting and EMDR therapists at Foothills Psychotherapy:

• Rozerik is trained in Brainspotting and EMDR and can support you in the muck of parenting. 

• Debbie is trained in Brainspotting and excels at helping you navigate the fears around feeling like you are the only one who has it together. 

• Regina is trained in Brainspotting and EMDR and is wonderful at supporting women who are overwhelmed with doing it all. 

• Olivia is trained in Brainspotting and can support your LGBTQ+ teen as they navigate their own fear of falling. 

In fact, our whole team is able to help with your anxiety and trauma. When you’re ready, we’re here for you.