Brainspotting (BSP),Emotional parts of the Brain where Trauma,…:

Brainspotting (BSP) is a powerful therapeutic approach designed to access and resolve deeply rooted trauma and emotional pain by tapping into the brain’s processing and memory systems. It is based on the premise that where a person looks (their visual field) can affect how they feel and access memories or emotions.

Emotional Parts of the Brain Involved in Trauma and BSP:

BSP targets specific areas of the brain associated with trauma and emotional processing:

Amygdala (Emotional Center):

• The amygdala plays a key role in processing emotions, particularly fear and threat responses.
• In trauma, the amygdala can become hyperactive, leading to heightened emotional reactions and difficulty regulating fear.

Hippocampus (Memory Integration):

• Responsible for consolidating and organizing memories.
• Trauma can disrupt the hippocampus, leading to fragmented memories and difficulty distinguishing past from present threats.

Prefrontal Cortex (Executive Function and Regulation):

• Governs decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
• Trauma can weaken the connection between the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions, reducing the brain’s ability to rationally process emotional triggers.

Thalamus (Sensory Relay):

• Processes sensory information before sending it to other parts of the brain.
• In trauma, sensory processing can become overwhelmed, leading to hypersensitivity or dissociation.

Brainstem (Survival Responses):

• Controls fight, flight, or freeze responses.
• Trauma often activates the brainstem, leading to automatic survival-oriented behaviors.

Default Mode Network (DMN):

• This network is associated with self-referential thinking and internal processing.
• Trauma can disrupt the DMN, leading to rumination, intrusive thoughts, and a distorted sense of self.

How BSP Works:

BSP uses “Brainspots”, specific points in the visual field that correspond to unresolved emotional or traumatic experiences stored in the brain. These spots are identified through the following steps:

Body Awareness:

• The therapist helps the client focus on their physical sensations or emotional distress.

Eye Positioning:

The therapist guides the client’s gaze to different points in their visual field, identifying “brainspots” where emotional intensity increases or decreases.

Deep Processing:

By holding the gaze at the identified brainspot, the client accesses deeper layers of emotional and neurological processing, allowing the brain to integrate and resolve trauma.

Neuroplasticity:

BSP facilitates the brain’s natural capacity to reorganize and heal itself, promoting emotional regulation and resilience.

BSP and Emotional Healing:

BSP helps bypass the cognitive filters of the prefrontal cortex and directly access the subcortical brain, where trauma and emotions are stored. This enables the brain to process unresolved experiences more efficiently and with less resistance than traditional talk therapies. Over time, clients often experience a reduction in emotional reactivity, improved self-regulation, and an enhanced sense of well-being.

Shervan K Shahhian