28 Dec Brainspotting Vs EMDR- What’s the difference | Issa Counseling
Have you been considering trauma counseling, but are unsure which modalities would be the best fit for you? Have you been feeling stuck with your current therapist and have stopped making progress with talk therapy? Both BrainSpotting and EMDR therapy used brain- based therapy techniques to help you make better progress in your healing journey.
What is EMDR Therapy?
EMDR therapy focuses on helping people work through their traumas by giving the brain different ways to process the traumatic information in a safe space. It removes the fight or flight stress responses from the client’s memories, thus letting the brain continue healing from the trauma the way it’s supposed to. According to the EMDRIA, “our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between the amygdala (the alarm signal for stressful events), the hippocampus (which assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger), and the prefrontal cortex (which analyzes and controls behavior and emotion). While many times traumatic experiences can be managed and resolved spontaneously, they may not be processed without help.” This is where EMDR becomes a useful therapeutic method.
What happens in an EMDR session?
EMDR involves rapid bilateral movement of the eyes, while stimulating the auditory or sensory systems. EMDR follows a very specific protocol in which the therapist guides the client through a series of eight phases. To learn more about these eight phases, read Issa Counseling’s previous blog, EMDR therapy.
During your EMDR counseling session, your therapist helps you identify an event that is connected to your negative cognition or beliefs about yourself. The therapist will ask specific questions regarding body sensations, feelings, and your distress level on a scale of 1 to 10 as you think about the incident/event that occurred in your life. The therapist will help identify the best method for you to use for bilateral movement. Some of the methods used include an EMDR light, a tapping device, tapping on your thighs, bilateral music, or the butterfly tapping method.
Once the setup is complete, the therapist will instruct you to start bilateral movement. The therapist will check with you every 30 seconds to 1 minute to inquire about what is coming up in the moment. The therapist will also check your distress level occasionally or ask you to return to the target memory/incident. The therapist will continue to guide you by checking in until your distress level is low, or until your session is about to end.
To end the EMDR session, the therapist will check your distress level, positive cognition, and engage you in grounding techniques. They will also remind you about processing after the session and ask you to keep a log of any triggers, sensations, or dreams that you will need to process during the next session.
What is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting (BSP) is a neuro experiential advanced form of Brain-Body mindfulness based in relational Trauma therapy. It was developed by David Grand, PhD, through his work with trauma patients. Brainspotting has been found to be an effective form of therapy for a variety of mental health concerns, including trauma, anxiety, physical pain, and negative emotions. According to Grand, “where you look can affect how you feel.” He made these discoveries during his early work with young athletes. In Brainspotting, the client is the expert, while the therapist is merely present in a supportive role.
What happens in a Brainspotting session?
Brainspotting is an organic process and does not follow a specific protocol or guide. During a Brainspotting session, the therapist will help you set up the frame. The ‘Frame’ refers to the issue you would like to explore. As you talk about the issue, your therapist will ask you to pay attention to your body sensations and to notice any activation such as movement, pain, tightness, stiffness, chills, sweating, etc. They will check on your distress level using a scale of 1 to 10. Using one of the techniques, including Outside Window Inside Window, Resource Spot, Gazespotting, Inside-outside window, one eye Inside window, and more, the therapist will guide the session. These different Brainspotting setups will be used to connect with spots in the brain. The therapist will ask the client to maintain eye position and focus on a stressful experience.
The Brainspotting therapist believes in uncertainty and attunement. The uncertainty principle refers to the idea that “I know one thing–that I know nothing”- which was said by Socrates. Uncertainty is necessary for attunement. Attunement refers to the therapist’s attuned connection to the client, which combines relational and neurobiological connections that are happening at the same time. In a Brainspotting counseling session, the client is the head of a comet, and the attuned therapist is like the tail of the comet that follows the head.
To learn more about Brainspotting, Read Issa Counseling’s previous blog, Brainspotting.
Similarities between EMDR and Brainspotting
- Both used Brain-body somatic approach.
- Both techniques use Bilateral Stimulation.
- Both therapist require minimal talking in session.
- Both can help you process information stored in the amygdala.
- Both techniques helps you to reprocess information.
- Both techniques are client centered and allow client to decide the issue.
- Both techniques are effective to treat past trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and many other issues.
- Both can yield quick results in few session compare to talk therapy.
- Both can be used addition to talk therapy.
- Both techniques can make you tired after the session and it is recommended that client take it easy for rest of the day or engage in self-care activity.
Differences between EMDR and Brainspotting
- EMDR has a very specific protocol to follow. It can take a few sessions to start reprocessing past trauma. Brainspotting is flexible in its use and relies on the client’s attunement with the therapist.
- Brainspotting can be used within the first session, where as EMDR is not recommended until the first 3 phases are completed, which can take a few sessions.
- EMDR can feel lonely or rigid for the client, due to limited input from the therapist, whereas Brainspotting is organic; the client leads the session by maintaining the “brain spot”.
- EMDR can be tiring for your eyes where as Brainspotting allows you to change eye movement or close your eyes if needed.
- Brainspotting is friendly to the current COVID pandemic and telehealth session and can be easily conducted by using any HIPAA secured video link. EMDR requires special tools or software to conduct, in addition to a HIPAA secured video link.
There are many treatment modalities available to heal trauma. Issa Counseling offers EMDR, Brainspotting, and Internal Family System (IFS) modalities at our clinic. We believe in finding the best approach that works for each client and work with clients individually to figure out which approach is best suited to their nervous system. Clients are in charge of their treatment and dictate which modalities they prefer.
If you wish to try either Brainspotting or EMDR, please reach out to schedule a consultation. The staff at Issa Counseling will help connect you with the best therapist for your needs, so that you can start the process of healing and growth.
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