Brainspotting therapy in Atlanta and online
Your body already knows where the healing is.
Brainspotting uses the direction of your gaze to find where an experience is held in the brain and body, then gives your system the space to process it. Less talking, more listening to what lives beneath words.
What is Brainspotting?
Where we look is connected to what we feel, and what we hold.
Brainspotting was developed in 2003 by Dr. David Grand, growing out of his work with EMDR. It's built on a simple observation: certain eye positions line up with stored emotional and body experience. When your gaze rests on one of those positions, called a brainspot, the deeper, older parts of the brain become more accessible.
These are the regions that manage survival, emotion, and body regulation, the same places where trauma and long held stress tend to stay stuck. Talk therapy works mainly with the thinking brain. Brainspotting lets us reach underneath it, so processing can happen even when there are no words for what you carry.
What happens in a session
Every session follows your lead. You decide what to bring, and we move at the pace your nervous system can hold.
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Notice what's here
We start with what you'd like to work on and where you feel it in your body, along with how intense it feels right now.
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Find the spot
Using a pointer, I slowly guide your gaze across your field of vision while watching for your body's natural responses. Those signals help us locate the brainspot.
- A blink
- A swallow
- A shift in breath
- Eye wobble
- A felt sense of "there"
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Hold your focus
You rest your gaze on that spot and simply notice what arises: sensations, images, memories, emotion, or quiet. Optional bilateral music can support the process. I stay closely attuned with you the whole time.
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Settle and integrate
We close by returning to the body, checking what has shifted, and making sure you leave feeling grounded.
When Brainspotting can help
Brainspotting is often a good fit when you've done a lot of talking and still feel stuck, or when what hurts sits somewhere words can't quite reach.
It can be especially supportive for adults healing from childhood trauma and Complex PTSD, because it doesn't require retelling your story in detail.
- Childhood trauma and Complex PTSD
- Anxiety, panic, and a nervous system that won't settle
- Grief that feels frozen or unfinished
- Shame and harsh self criticism
- Stress and tension held in the body
- Creative, performance, or professional blocks
- Feeling stuck after years of talk therapy
Gentle, attuned, and led by you
Brainspotting rests on what's called dual attunement: staying connected both to you as a person and to what's happening in your body moment to moment.
You don't have to explain
You can share as much or as little as you want out loud. Much of the work happens internally, which makes it a relief for people who are tired of telling their story.
Resource first
We can begin with a resource spot, an eye position where you feel most calm and grounded, so you always have a steady place to return to.
Your system sets the pace
Nothing is forced. Your body's own wisdom guides what comes up and when, within a window you can tolerate.
Deep training, held with care
Shae Ivie-Williams, LPC, SEP, has completed Brainspotting Phases 1 through 3 and previously served as a Brainspotting Consultant, supporting other clinicians in learning and refining the approach.
Her Brainspotting work is woven together with Somatic Experiencing, IFS, and more than a decade of trauma focused clinical practice, so sessions stay grounded in the body and attuned to the parts of you that have worked hard to protect you.
- TrainingBrainspotting Phases 1, 2, and 3
- ExperienceFormer Brainspotting Consultant
- Also trained inSomatic Experiencing, EMDR, IFS, Hypnotherapy
- LicensureLPC in GA, FL, CA, and SC
Brainspotting alongside your other work
Brainspotting pairs naturally with the other body based and parts based approaches offered at The Healing Spot.
Common questions
How is Brainspotting different from EMDR?
Both work with the brain's natural capacity to process experience, and Brainspotting grew out of EMDR. In EMDR the eyes move back and forth; in Brainspotting the gaze is held still on one meaningful spot. Brainspotting also tends to be less structured, following wherever your system leads.
Do I have to talk about my trauma?
No. You can process internally and share only what feels right. Many clients find that meaningful shifts happen with very little said out loud.
What does it feel like?
Experiences vary. Some people notice body sensations, waves of emotion, images, or memories. Others feel a deep quiet or tiredness. You stay present and in control and can pause at any time.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you're working on. Some people notice change within a few sessions, while longstanding or complex trauma usually benefits from ongoing work. We'll talk about your goals and check in on progress together.
Can Brainspotting be done online?
Yes. Brainspotting adapts well to telehealth and is available in person at our Atlanta office or by secure video for clients located in Georgia, Florida, California, and South Carolina.