How Does Brainspotting Work?
Brainspotting sets and holds
a Dual Attunement Frame around the client relationally and neurobiologically
Brainspotting Set-up
The Brainspotting Set-Up
1. The beginning - choose the issue
2. Check on activation
3. SUDS Level (10 to 0)
4. Location of activation in the body
5.Locate eye position of greatest observed or perceived activity – Outside or Inside Window
6. Focused Mindfulness (Processing)
7. Go back to the beginning to assess change
8. Squeeze the lemon
Outside Window
Therapist observes the client’s eyes while tracking micro-slowly,
searching for reflexes outside the client’s awareness (eye wobbles, freezes, blinks, tics, head nods & body shifting)
Inside Window
The therapist and client participate together to locate Brainspots through the client’s felt sense of the highest intensity of somatic activation. In Inside Window Brainspotting eye positions are divided
into two axes, X and Y.
Gaze Spot
Fixed gazing while thinking or speaking is a natural form Brainspotting that can be observed and harnessed
Brainspotting contributions of Damir Delmonte
Felt sense, Body awareness
Dual Attunement
Visual focus,
orienting
Focused awareness - activation Focused Mindfulness - Processing Self-organization
Regulation
Dual Attunement is the process of increasing self-dialogue in the brain
Granular IsoCortex
Contributes to higher order processing
Not Regulation
The granular isocortex has 6 layers and the 4th is granular. This contributes to higher order processing but not to regulation.
Granular Layer IV
The agranular isocortex has 3 to 5 layers with no granular layer. It accordingly is highly involved in regulation.
Limbic Cortex
AlloCortex
Contributes to regulation
Agranular Isocortex is part of the Allow Cortex
Behind the Eyes and bridge of nose
Brainspotting Accesses the Regulating Capacities of the
AlloCortex and the Agranular Isocortex (Part of AlloCortex)
By holding Dual Attunement Frame
Theory - BSP Accesses
Produces Coherence of
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System
1st layer (visual)
3rd layer (tactile)
of Superior Colliculi
Bilateral Sound May Access
2nd layer (auditory)
One Eyed Inside Window BSP
- Choose issue
- Determine activation
3.Take SUDs level – Level of intensity of activation (O – no
intensity, 10 max intensity) - Identify location of activation in the body
- Determine which eye carries higher activation level
6.Starting with activation eye, find highest activation tracking left and right horizontally at eye level (X axis).
7.Then track up and down the Y axis (above/below eye) for the highest activation to locate brainspot. - Process on primary activation eye until SUDS is 0
- Squeeze the lemon until there is no activation
10.Switch to opposite eye and explore X and Y axes to find Brainspot on resource eye
11.Process to 0 SUDs, then squeeze the lemon until there is no activation - Finish process with both eyes open.
Z Axis - Some dissociative clients or non-responders will respond to this
- Determine the Brainspot (usually done on Inside
Window). - The client starts by gazing at the tip of the pointer. Guide the client to look straight through the pointer to
the furthest place in the room (usually the far wall). - Guide the client to determine where the activation is
highest; close or far. - Start with the lower activation distance (usually far), and after about 5 minutes shift to
the opposite distance. - Progressively less time is spent on each distance (3, 2, 1 minute).
- Eventually the back and forth is rapid about 3 to 10 seconds at each distance (called vergence).
Vergence Therapy
Calms Down Client
Can reactivate an issue
- Determine the Brainspot (usually done on Inside Window).
- The client should be gazing at the tip of the pointer.
- Guide the client to look straight through the pointer to the furthest place in the room (usually the far wall).
- Guide the client to flow back and forth between the pointer and far spot every 3 to 10 seconds and observe their processing. This can be slowed down if client reports nausea or dizziness (occasional side effects).
Outside/Inside Window
- Client chooses which issue to work on. Then ask for activation, take a SUDs, asking for location of body activation
- Then instruct the client that you will be scanning their field of vision at eye level stopping when you observe a reflexive response.
- Inform the client that each time you stop you will be asking them for feedback on what they experience on that spot. Also, guide the client to be mindful that they will decide which spot they choose to process on and that they may make an intuitive choice of the spot they feel will help them the most.
Rolling BSP
- Rolling Brainspotting (RB) entails slow eye tracking with stopping briefly on each Outside Window Brainspot
- Holding on it for a period of time, either momentarily (a second or two) or for more extended periods of time (one to two minutes).
- A second alternative is to ask the client on each Rolling Brainspot what they are experiencing.
- Where more intense activation is present, stay longer on the Brainspot.
- If a Brainspot is very powerful, shift over to full Outside Window BSP and stay on the spot until it is released.
Eyes Open - Eyes Closed
When Clients Appear Stuck
Guide while on a BSP to go between eyes open and closed every 3 to 10 seconds.
Promotes change Brain State
Brainspotting can be done not only with eyes open or “Shades Up”
or with eyes closed
“Shades Down”
Attuned, mindful, witnessing, non-judgmental presence the therapist is a resource
A Brainspot (activation spot included) is a neurological resource
Provides an attuned, focused, framed accessing anchor to the midbrain
Grounded in the body experience
Essential Resource
Survival Instinct
Resource Spot
Inside window eye position that gains access to the body resource
Resource Frame Combined one Eye and Z Axis
Clients with CPTSD, Dissociation and Attachment Issues
Attuned presence of the Therapist is Core for Advanced Resource Model
1.Issue, Activation, SUDs level, Identify Body Resource
2.Find the eye with the lower SUDs (the eye that matches the Body Resource)
3.Find the Resource Spot on the Resource Eye, first on the X Axis, then on the Y Axis
4.Find the Resource Distance on the Z Axis, far or close
5.Process on the Resource Eye, the Resource Spot, the Resource Distance and the Body Resource
