Brainspotting is a therapeutic technique. Certified brainspotting practitioners use it to help their clients deal with dissociation, mind-body pain, trauma, and other issues. These clients are typically unaware of the causes of these issues or unable to express them in words during a therapy session. Using brainspotting therapy, a practitioner tries to find and relieve the causes of the client’s distress.

A “brainspot” is an area within one’s field of vision associated with an intense emotion or bodily sensation. To locate a brainspot, the practitioner has the client follow a laser pointer with their eyes. Where the client looks when they feel a strong sensation or emotion allows the practitioner to find the brainspot. From there, practitioner and client work together to release negative emotions and resolve pain, stress, tension, and unwanted bodily sensations.

While psychological researchers aren’t entirely certain how brainspotting works, practitioners have a theory. They believe the technique allows the client to process emotions and stress that are hidden or stuck in the body due to events from the client’s past. Brainspotting, practitioners believe, allows the client to resolve unresolved issues that they’ve suppressed or pushed to the back of their minds. The technique allows for present-day solutions to problems that may have started as far back as the client’s childhood.

Practitioners often see clients for issues that include anxiety, chronic pain, and trouble sleeping. Some studies suggest that brainspotting can benefit clients with each of these issues. If any of these problems are affecting your work-life balance, your job performance may improve after you see a brainspotting practitioner.

Brainspotting can help with a variety of issues that impact your work life directly. One of these is conflict resolution. Do you carry around stress or bad feelings over a past interaction with a co-worker from a current or past job? A brainspotting practitioner can work with you to find a satisfying mental resolution to your distress.

Some brainspotting clients come to see a practitioner when they want to be more creative at work. Athletes, musicians, public speakers, and other creative professionals have used brainspotting therapy to improve their performance. Sometimes these professionals want to move beyond a creative block or feel “stuck” at their current level of performance. Working with a practitioner helps them move beyond the block. If anxiety keeps you from reaching your creative potential at work, brainspotting therapy can help you learn how to self-regulate when you feel your anxiety rising.

You may find while working with a practitioner that you have a brainspot for creativity or getting into a flow state with your work, no matter what field you work in. With the practitioner’s guidance, you can learn techniques for more easily accessing this state of mind that unlocks your performance.

A typical brainspotting session lasts between half an hour and an hour and a half. The practitioner will generally begin by asking you about the issues you’d like help with. Find a certified brainspotting practitioner near you to find out how brainspotting can help you improve your job performance.

If you have unresolved trauma in your life or need to improve your job performance, consider giving brainspotting therapy a try.