Brainspotting vs. EMDR: Two Powerful Paths for Healing Trauma
by Erin Burton LCSW, Certified Brainspotting Therapist – Serving California & Oregon
When it comes to trauma therapy, two powerful approaches often come up in conversation—EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Brainspotting. Both are neuroscience-based therapies that help people process painful memories and emotional wounds stored deep in the brain and body.
Understanding EMDR
EMDR has been around since the late 1980s, developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro. It helps people reprocess distressing memories through bilateral stimulation—eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds that activate both sides of the brain.
The goal of EMDR is to help the brain “unstick” painful memories so they can be processed in a healthier way. Over time, the emotional intensity fades, and people can remember the event without feeling consumed by it. EMDR follows a structured, eight-phase protocol that has been well-researched for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
How Brainspotting Works
Brainspotting, developed by Dr. David Grand in the early 2000s, takes a more body-based, relational approach to healing. It’s based on the idea that where you look affects how you feel.
During a Brainspotting session, your therapist helps you find specific eye positions—called brainspots—that are linked to stored emotional or physical pain. When your gaze rests on a brainspot, your brain and body naturally begin to process what’s been stuck beneath the surface. The therapist provides calm, attuned support while your nervous system releases old patterns and emotions at its own pace.
Unlike EMDR’s more structured process, Brainspotting is gentle, intuitive, and deeply attuned. You don’t have to talk through every detail of your trauma for healing to occur. Many clients describe it as grounding, somatic, and transformative.
Healing Negative Beliefs and Emotional Triggers
Brainspotting is especially powerful for addressing negative core beliefs that often stem from trauma—such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m unlovable,” or “I’m worthless.” These painful thoughts often stem from childhood and run beneath the surface, shaping how we see ourselves and relate to others.
Through Brainspotting, clients can release these deep-seated beliefs, access self-compassion, and reconnect with their authentic sense of worth. The process helps the nervous system reset and heal, reducing reactivity and emotional triggers. Over time, clients often find they feel less “stuck” in old patterns of shame, anxiety, or grief—and more able to move forward with clarity and confidence.
Key Differences Between EMDR and Brainspotting
While both EMDR and Brainspotting aim to help the brain and body heal from trauma, they differ in a few key ways:
Structure: EMDR follows a set eight-phase protocol. Brainspotting is more flexible and guided by the client’s process.
Focus: EMDR emphasizes cognitive processing; Brainspotting focuses more on the body’s felt experience and nervous system regulation.
Depth: Brainspotting often accesses deeper emotional and somatic material that words alone can’t reach.
Both approaches can be highly effective, but Brainspotting can be especially helpful for clients who have already done talk therapy and still feel emotionally “stuck.”
My Approach to Trauma Therapy
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) certified in Brainspotting, I specialize in helping clients heal from trauma, grief, anxiety, and shame. I am not trained in EMDR, but I’ve chosen to focus on Brainspotting because of its profound ability to help people access and release what traditional talk therapy can’t always reach.
In my practice in Scotts Valley and Los Gatos, California, I provide a space for your brain and body to reconnect, regulate, and heal. Brainspotting helps clients move out of survival mode, release old emotional patterns, and rediscover a sense of calm, balance, and empowerment.
Choosing What’s Right for You
EMDR is evidence-based, while Brainspotting is not; however, they are both effective trauma therapies. The best fit depends on your unique needs and comfort level. If you’re curious about Brainspotting in Scotts Valley or Los Gatos, California, or virtually throughout California and Oregon, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can explore whether this powerful, body-based therapy is the right path for your healing.
About the Author
Erin is a certified Brainspotting therapist providing in person therapy in Scotts Valley, and Los Gatos, California and virtually throughout California and Oregon. She also provides in person Brainspotting Intensives in Santa Cruz County and Los Gatos, California area. She is trained in trauma-focused healing to best support clients who are looking to heal faster.