What to Expect in a Brainspotting Coaching Session
The field of coaching continues to expand and incorporate new and exciting approaches to help clients reach their goals. One such approach is Brainspotting.
Brainspotting is a dynamic approach to coaching, where a coach who’s trained in Brainspotting uses this method, along with traditional coaching methods, to guide clients into the depths of their psyche in order to overcome obstacles, and enhance performance by unlocking hidden strengths and resilience.
By doing so, clients can expand their mindset and reach new heights in their capabilities. The combination of coaching and Brainspotting can provide a unique and powerful transformative experience. If you’re just getting familiar with Brainspotting, here are the basics about what Brainspotting is and what to expect from a Brainspotting coaching session.
What is Brainspotting?
The catchphrase most associated with Brainspotting is “where you look affects how you feel.” That is because Brainspotting is a neuroexperiential approach that uses the connection between the client’s visual perception and the brain’s subcortex in order to process emotional stuck points allowing for mindset transformation and performance enhancement.
Brainspotting was founded by Dr. David Grand in 2003, who identified Brainspotting while working with a competitive ice skater. Dr. Grand was working with this athlete to help her overcome the mental obstacles preventing her from successfully landing a triple jump she had been struggling with.
In this particular session, Dr. Grand had been applying EMDR therapy, which entailed moving his finger back and forth across her visual field. While doing this, he noticed his client’s eye bobble in an unusual way when his finger moved at a certain point in front of her eyes. He then instinctively paused his finger at this point. This led to the client experiencing a catharsis that released the emotional blocks preventing the skater from her goal of successfully landing the triple jump. As a result, the skater was then able to successfully accomplish the triple jump the very next day.
What is a Brainspot?
The concept behind Brainspotting therapy is ‘where you look affects how you feel.’ This means where the client holds their gaze acts somewhat like a sort of portal that can activate the subcortex, a specific region of the brain connected with experiences, memories and emotions, both positive and negative.
You already do this naturally. For instance, you may find yourself ‘staring off into space’ or looking in a certain direction while daydreaming, perhaps feeling emotions that come up and catch you off guard. It is these particular spots, where you hold your gaze, that are brainspots in Brainspotting.
How does Brainspotting work?
Because there are 1-4 quadrillion connections in the brain, all facets of how brainspotting ‘works’ have not been identified. However, Brainspotting engages the areas of the brain whose role is associated with emotional regulation. The Brainspotting process is facilitated through dual attunement and embracing uncertainty by both the coach and client.
How do dual attunement and uncertainty work in Brainspotting?
In Brainspotting, dual attunement and uncertainty are interconnected. In a Brainspotting session, dual attunement means the coach maintains a steady physical and emotional presence with their client. The coach witnesses and holds a supportive space for the client as the client releases emotional blocks and their mindset shifts.
Uncertainty refers to being open and curious about what occurs during a Brainspotting session. As stated earlier, there are 1-4 quadrillion connections in the brain. Neither the coach nor the client can predict exactly which of these quadrillions of connections will be accessed and how they’ll be expressed through the client.
However, uncertainty does not mean chaos. In Brainspotting there is a framework the client brings into each session. The coach uses their expertise to receive, hold and shape the frame with the client to optimize the client’s transformative experience.
What does a Brainspotting session look like?
Brainspotting coaching can occur online or in person. When a client is in your session with their coach, the coach will ask about the issue that the client would like to address. Once the client chooses the issue they would like to address and convey information about the issue, the coach will ask you if the client is feeling “activated” around this issue. Activation in this case refers to any stress, uncomfortable feelings, sensations or emotions that are occurring as the issue is discussed.
If the session is focused on enhancing performance (vs. removing blocks), activation can be positive. When the activation centers around the positive feelings of performance enhancement, the activation is looking to be increased, or expanded, also known as expansion spotting.
Some coaches may use a 0-10 scale to help gauge activation levels, but not always.
What is an activation vs. a resource vs. an expansion spot?
Depending on the goals of your session, the client can brainspot using an activation, resource or expansion spot. An activation spot is a brainspot that is identified based on using the client’s activation as a gauge and tuning in to a spot that further elicits the activation the client is feeling.
A resource brainspot, or adding a resource to finding a brainspot, is identified by relying on neutral/calm/less activating sensations to find a brainspot. Adding a resource is like adding a buffer. The client is still processing the issue, but the ‘buffer’ helps to diffuse the impact of the processing if the client is starting from a more activated place. Multiple resources can be applied, if needed.
As mentioned earlier, an expansion brainspot is identified based on positive feelings. More specifically, the expansion brainspot increases the client’s connection to the sense of possibilities they feel and allows for those connections to broaden which can lead the client to further embracing those possibilities and performance enhancement.
What then?
It is at this point, depending on how a spot is chosen, the coach may bring out a pointer. The pointer is a retractable pointer that is typically used for presentations. The pointer helps to identify and maintain a precise brainspot for the client to notice, or treat as a home base during the process if their gaze naturally explores other spots.
The client can also apply Bio-lateral music, through headphones/earbuds. Bio-lateral music is music that is experienced bilaterally where the music alternates left and right though the headphones/earbuds. Bio-lateral music can assist in the brainspotting processing, but is optional.
The coach and client typically work together on which approach to take in finding a brainspot and applying Bio-lateral music for the issue being worked on.
Once a brainspot is identified, the client will gaze at it and start to process. The strength of dual attunement and embracing uncertainty become paramount here. Neither the coach nor client know what will come up from the processing, but both can sense that the client is being noticed, heard and supported.
In general, processing can bring up memories, images, feelings, emotions and/or body sensations of the deeply held (remember subcortex) experiences that are informing the issue being worked on. The expression of these memories, images, feelings, emotions and/or body sensations in the presence of the attuned coach allows for the client’s mind to engage its natural healing system.
Everyone processes differently. Some clients speak throughout the brainspotting process, others process in silence. Processing typically occurs in waves where there is an increase in feelings, emotions and body sensations and then a feeling of release or calm.
Clients lead the coach here. The metaphor for this dynamic is that the client is a comet and the coach is in the tail of the comet. The client leads the coach to where the client needs to go and the coach takes the ride with the client.
The coach may check in with the client at points during the session to see what they’re noticing and how they’re feeling. Check-ins can become more frequent toward the end of the session to ease the client out of processing. Or, the client may decide they are at a place they would like to end processing for the session. In a final check-in the client is asked to notice where they began with the issue, and how they feel now.
Coming to the end of the session
When the client is done processing or it’s the end of the session, the coach will ask if it is ok to remove the pointer (if used). Once the client gives the ok to remove the pointer, the client and coach may debrief and identify any in between session support.
Processing continues after a Brainspotting session and clients can feel tired afterward. Clients are asked to notice any new insights, thoughts, memories or dreams between sessions.
That’s it!
That’s your Brainspotting session. When the client returns for their next session, the client and coach will follow up on any insights, thoughts or shifts since their last session. They both can then collaborate on next steps…and continue to brainspot.
Brainspotting coaching is a journey of profound self-discovery and transformation. Whether you're facing challenges in your business, looking for mindset transformation or seeking boundless empowerment, remember: finding flow in your entrepreneurial journey is within reach. Brainspotting coaching can help you tap into the extraordinary potential that's been there all along, just waiting to be unleashed.
If you would like to know more about my online Brainspotting coaching for high performing entrepreneurs, feel free to contact me at carol@covellicoaching.com.