How is Brainspotting Different from EMDR?

There are a wide variety of healing modalities in therapy, and two trauma methodologies that utilize bilateral stimulation are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brainspotting (BSP). EMDR was developed in the late 1980s and utilizes bilateral stimulation to access stored up trauma connected to thoughts, feelings, and memories from a client’s past.

Brainspotting was first discovered by Dr. David Grand while performing EMDR. He discovered that there were  certain places, or "brainspots" that if he quit the eye movement and just held his fingers at that spot, a great deal of processing could happen.

Both therapies are helpful to people experiencing trauma, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and more.

Let’s dive into the similarities and differences between EMDR and BSP to see which may be the best option for you.

How are Brainspotting and EMDR similar?

Before we dive into the differences, let’s take a look at the similarities of EMDR and BSP. First, both methods use bilateral stimulation, meaning the patient experiences and engages in a side-to-side motion or perception.

Difficult experiences are stored in both the right and left hemisphere of our brains, and we want - and need - both involved to help process thoroughly and effectively. There are a variety of ways this can be done from following a therapists's fingers left to right, to tapping your feet alternatively or even having a therapist tap your knees left and right while processing. Here at Insights Counseling Center, we usually use vibrating paddles that you hold in your hands. While Brainspotting, we most often employ the use of music that you will notice moves slowly from the left side of your brain to the right.

In both therapies grounding is very important, as well as attentiveness to emotions, memories, and physical sensations. A patient may experience these sensations differently depending on the therapy set up.

Lastly, both therapies follow a protocol, though the specifics differ. EMDR is typically an 8-step process, while BSP follows a more free-form process.

How are Brainspotting and EMDR different?

One of the primary differences between BSP and EMDR is the speed of bilateral stimulation. In EMDR, it tends to be rapid, while in BSP, it tends to be much slower.  Think of the difference between holding vibrating pliers in your hands going quickly from your left to right hands, and then think about hearing an ocean wave moving slowly from one ear to the other. The pacing is very different.

Which therapy method is right for you?

It may be a therapist’s preference for one or the other that makes it a better fit for the patient as well. Though the differences may seem few, they impact the experience of each session. If you like structure in a session and have an idea of what target—anxiety, trauma, grief, etc.—you want to work on, EMDR may be a good fit for you.

If you experience symptoms of anxiety or trauma with an unclear source and are willing to explore it in a more unscripted way, BSP may be the right tool to help you uncover emotions and memories that help you progress. Since both therapies are somewhat difficult to describe in words alone, you may find it most helpful to try both for yourself and see which set of protocols and directives resonate best with you and your desires to heal.

If you’re curious about EMDR or brainspotting, feel free to contact us to discuss possible treatments.