Brainspotting Therapy

Hands holding a paper cutout of a brain with simplified line drawing of brain's structure.

A deeper path to healing when talk therapy isn’t enough.

You’ve put in the work. You’ve sat across from therapists, revisited painful memories, tried to change your thoughts—but the weight hasn’t lifted. You’re still battling the same emotional patterns. You still feel disconnected from yourself. It’s like something deeper is holding on—and talking just doesn’t reach it.

That’s where Brainspotting comes in.

Brainspotting therapy offers a powerful, focused way to access and heal the emotional pain stored in your subconscious. By connecting your brain and body through precise eye positioning, it helps unlock and process trauma—even if you can’t fully explain it in words.

At Foothills Psychotherapy in Burbank, we use Brainspotting to support clients who feel stuck, burnt out, or weighed down by past experiences they can’t fully name. If traditional therapy hasn’t worked for you, it doesn’t mean healing isn’t possible—it just means your brain may need a different path.

What Is Brainspotting Therapy?

Brainspotting is a gentle, neuroscience-informed therapy that helps you process trauma, negative beliefs, and deep emotional pain—without needing to retell or even fully remember what happened.

It’s based on the idea that where you look affects how you feel. During a session, your therapist will use a pointer to guide your gaze to a specific eye position that connects to the area in your brain holding unprocessed pain or emotion. This access point allows your brain to begin its natural healing process.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting doesn’t require you to explain or analyze everything. It works through your nervous system and subconscious to release stuck energy and emotional blocks. Clients often experience a wave of relief, greater clarity, or emotional release—even without saying a word.

This is not about pushing through pain. It’s about working with your brain’s natural capacity for healing.

A man with closed eyes and relaxed expression, standing outdoors in a field with dry grass and bare trees, enjoying sunlight on his face.

How Brainspotting Therapy Works

Brainspotting sessions are quiet, intentional, and client-led. You don’t need to tell your whole story. You don’t need to relive the trauma. You simply need to be present—and let your brain do what it was built to do: heal.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Your therapist will help you identify an issue or feeling you’d like to work on.

  • Using a pointer, they’ll guide your gaze until you find a “brainspot”—an eye position that activates your inner experience.

  • From there, you’ll observe whatever arises. That may include physical sensations, emotions, flashes of memory, or subtle shifts in awareness.

  • Your therapist will remain present and grounded with you throughout the process—supporting, not directing, your experience.

This is not about revisiting pain through language. It’s about allowing your nervous system to process what words can’t always reach.

Why Brainspotting Therapy is Different From Traditional Talk Therapy

If talk therapy has left you feeling like something’s still missing, you’re not alone. Many clients come to Brainspotting after years of trying to “talk it out,” only to find the same patterns and pain resurface.

That’s because talk therapy mostly engages the neocortex—the thinking part of the brain. Brainspotting goes deeper. It taps into the subcortical brain, where emotional experiences, trauma, and early memories are stored—often beyond conscious awareness.

Rather than analyzing or explaining your emotions, Brainspotting allows your body and brain to process them naturally. It’s a bottom-up approach: no performance, no pressure to speak, just a calm, focused space where real healing can happen from the inside out.

It’s not about talking your way through healing—it’s about allowing your brain and body to lead the way.

What Brainspotting Therapy Can Help With

Brainspotting is especially helpful for clients who feel they’ve hit a wall in therapy or who struggle to verbalize what’s going on internally. This approach gently supports subconscious healing and emotional processing in areas that often remain untouched by talk therapy.

At Foothills Psychotherapy, Brainspotting may support clients in Burbank working through:

  • People-pleasing tendencies

  • Difficulty saying no

  • Constantly putting others first

  • Burnout from overcommitting

  • Struggles with low self-esteem

  • Unhealthy coping strategies

  • Feeling emotionally overwhelmed

  • Trouble setting or maintaining boundaries

  • Negative self-talk

  • Feeling stuck or unsure of who you are

Benefits of Brainspotting Therapy

Brainspotting allows you to feel emotional relief—even from experiences you haven’t been able to put into words.

Rather than forcing yourself to explain or analyse your past, Brainspotting invites your brain to release what’s been stored, stuck, or unspoken. Over time, many clients notice a softening of emotional pain, a quieting of inner noise, and a deeper connection to themselves.

With Brainspotting, clients often experience:

  • Relief from chronic emotional pain

  • A sense of calm after feeling anxious or overwhelmed

  • Reconnection with parts of themselves they thought were lost

  • Freedom from painful memories that used to dominate their thoughts

  • A shift in long-held beliefs about their worth or identity

  • Strengthened boundaries and greater self-trust

  • The release of physical tension tied to emotional blocks

This is healing that doesn’t depend on words. It depends on trust in your brain, body, and the process.

A smiling woman with curly red hair looking at a laptop in a modern café.

What to Expect During the Brainspotting Therapy Session

Our Brainspotting therapists offer a unique experience guided by your needs and at your pace. You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to relive every moment. You simply bring a willingness to explore, and your therapist will support you as your brain begins its healing process.

During a session, you might:

  • Feel physical sensations like warmth, tingling, eye blinking, or subtle movement

  • Experience waves of emotion—sometimes with clarity, sometimes without

  • See flashes of memory or images from your past

  • Notice internal shifts or quiet moments of insight

  • Or simply feel more grounded, lighter, or at ease afterward

There’s no “right” way to experience Brainspotting. Your body and brain guide the process—your therapist simply helps you stay present and supported throughout.

Begin Healing with Brainspotting Therapy at Foothills Psychotherapy

If traditional therapy hasn’t brought the relief you hoped for, it doesn’t mean you’re beyond help—it just means a different approach might be needed.

At Foothills Psychotherapy in Burbank, Brainspotting offers a quiet, focused way to access deep healing without having to explain every detail. You don’t have to go back and relive it. You just have to be open to letting your brain do what it’s naturally wired to do—heal.

FAQs About Brainspotting Therapy

  • No. You are fully awake and in control during every session. Nothing is done to you—your healing process is led by your brain, with your therapist gently guiding and supporting the work.

  • That depends on you. Some people experience physical sensations like eye blinking or warmth. Others see flashes of memory, feel emotions rise and pass, or simply notice a deep sense of calm. There’s no script—your brain leads, and your therapist follows with care.

  • Both Brainspotting and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) are effective trauma therapies that involve eye movement and body awareness. However, Brainspotting is more intuitive and client-led. EMDR uses structured, side-to-side eye movements. Brainspotting stays with one eye position to access deeper emotional processing without needing to talk through the memory.

  • Sessions typically run for 50 to 60 minutes. The number of sessions varies depending on your goals and the depth of healing you’re seeking. Some clients experience noticeable shifts within a few sessions, while others may choose longer-term work for deeper processing.

  • Yes, Brainspotting therapy may be covered under your mental health benefits, especially if it's provided by a licensed therapist. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to confirm your coverage. Foothills Psychotherapy can provide a superbill if needed.

Find the Right Therapist for Your Needs

Foothills Psychotherapy offers online therapy across California and in-person counseling in Burbank and La Crescenta. Schedule your free 15-minute consultation to get matched with a therapist and start your path toward deeper healing.