PTSD Treatment: Brainspotting vs. EMDR for Resolving Trauma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex mental health condition that arises when someone witnesses or experiences a traumatic event. It can profoundly affect individuals, leading to intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, anxiety, and emotional numbness. While PTSD can feel overwhelming, various therapeutic methods have been developed to help with healing. Two such methods, brainspotting (BSP) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), are gaining recognition for their effectiveness.
What Is Brainspotting?
Brainspotting is a relatively new method based on the concept that where you look affects how you feel. The therapy is designed to access parts of the brain that hold trauma and emotional pain.
Key elements of brainspotting:
Eye positioning: In brainspotting, the therapist helps the client identify a “brainspot,” a specific position in the eyes that correlates with areas of the brain where trauma is stored. When the person looks at this spot, it activates and releases the emotional and physical tension associated with the trauma.
Awareness: Brainspotting places an emphasis on the client/therapist relationship. The therapist’s awareness of the client’s emotional state helps create a safe space for deep emotional processing.
Body stimulation: The therapist encourages clients to focus on sensations in their body while working through the trauma. This allows for a deeper understanding of the physical manifestations of trauma.
Brainspotting taps into the brain’s capacity to process traumatic memories and uses the body’s physical sensations to guide the process.
What Is EMDR?
EMDR is an evidenced-based treatment for PTSD. It aims to reduce the distress of traumatic memories by using stimulation, often through eye movements, to help the brain reprocess these memories.
Key elements of EMDR:
Stimulation: EMDR uses side-to-side eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues to stimulate both sides of the brain. This helps the brain process traumatic memories that were not properly processed originally.
Phases: EMDR typically follows eight phases. It begins with preparation, where the therapist builds rapport with the client, and then moves on to processing the memories using stimulation. The final phases focus on desensitizing emotional responses and, finally, reprocessing.
Desensitization: EMDR helps reduce the intense emotions connected to traumatic memories. Over time, these memories become less distressing and lose their power.
How Do Brainspotting and EMDR Compare?
While both are effective for trauma treatment, they differ in approach. However, understanding these differences can help you determine which method is particularly more suitable for your healing journey.
1. Approach to Trauma
EMDR: It follows an eight-phase process that addresses trauma from identifying target memories to reprocessing. It is ideal for those who want structure and to work on a specific memory.
BSP: It allows for a more open-ended exploration of trauma, tapping into areas the client may not even consciously be aware of. Clients can explore multiple layers of trauma at once, making it ideal for people who prefer more flexibility.
2. Focus on Physical Sensations
EMDR: Its primacy focus is on the emotional and cognitive aspects of traumatic memories. The desensitization process reduces the emotional reactions to memories, but does not focus as heavily on body awareness.
BSP: Places a significant emphasis on body sensations and awareness. Clients take notice of where they feel trauma in their body and use that as a guide to access stored trauma. It works through the trauma both mentally and physically.
3. Therapeutic Relationship
EMDR: While the therapeutic relationship is important, the focus is more on following the phases of the therapy and less on the therapist’s awareness of their emotional experience.
BSP: The therapist is highly attuned to the client’s body language, emotional state, and verbal cues, creating a deeper therapeutic connection. This relationship is essential for helping the client feel safe enough to access and process trauma.
Which Therapy Is Right For You?
Finding the “right” therapy is solely dependent on personal preference. It can be beneficial to seek guidance from professionals and do research on each therapy to see which one will be the most helpful for you!
