In-person in San Francisco & online across California

Brainspotting Therapy in San Francisco

Unlock your brain’s natural ability to heal and bypass the noise to release what’s really holding you back.

This burden you’re carrying feels like it’s getting heavier.

It could be a tough memory, a painful relationship, or just feelings of confusion, stress, and loneliness you don’t quite understand. Perhaps you've talked about it, but it’s still there, showing up (yet again) uninvited.

What if you could stop reliving those painful moments and finally feel more present in your life? Brainspotting can help you access what’s been hidden beneath the surface, so you can finally feel capable of achieving your hopes, goals, and dreams.

WHAT IS BRAINSPOTTING?

Brainspotting is a powerful mind-body therapy that helps you process and heal from trauma, emotional distress, and limiting patterns. It works by identifying specific eye positions—called “brainspots”—that correlate with where trauma or unresolved emotions are stored in your brain and body. By focusing on these points while in a safe and supportive therapeutic space, your brain can process and release the impacts of deeply held or painful experiences.

BRAINSPOTTING CAN BE A GOOD FIT IF YOU:

Feel “stuck” in therapy or daily life, despite having insight into your struggles.
Are dealing with anxiety, panic, or intrusive thoughts that feel out of control.
Have difficulty forming close relationships or find yourself repeating unhealthy patterns.
Feel disconnected from your emotions or have intense emotional reactions that don’t always make sense.
Have unresolved trauma and/or grief—whether from childhood or more recent experiences—that still impacts your emotions and relationships.

How it works

Unlike more structured therapies, Brainspotting allows your healing process to unfold organically. This means you don’t need to fully articulate your trauma or stress to work through it. Instead, we’ll follow your brain’s lead and its natural ability to heal, helping you feel more regulated, present, and in control of your emotions.

So what does this actually look like in a session?

We start by identifying an issue you want to focus on—this could be a memory, an emotion, a belief, or even a physical sensation that feels tied to something deeper. From there, we’ll find the “brainspot,” or eye position, that activates the issue most strongly. Since where you look affects how you feel, this spot helps us access the part of your brain where the experience is stored.

Once we’ve found the right brainspot, I’ll guide you through mindful processing: staying present with whatever thoughts, emotions, body sensations, or memories arise—without judgment or pressure to make sense of them. You can share as much or as little as you like, and I’ll be there to check in, support you, and help your brain and body move through the process at their own pace. Many people find that the intensity of their stress naturally subsides, sometimes even resolving completely.

One of the amazing things about Brainspotting is that it isn’t just for working through pain and trauma—it can also help strengthen positive beliefs, reinforce resilience, and tap into your inner resources. The best part: you’re always in control. You can pause at any time and only share what feels right for you.

Schedule a consultation

“WHERE YOU LOOK AFFECTS HOW YOU FEEL.”

—David Grand, Ph.D.

Finding peace with family dynamics, feeling more in control of your emotions, or finally letting go of lingering pain…

Brainspotting can help you make the shift you’re looking for.

Schedule Free consultation

Frequently asked questions

Both Brainspotting and EMDR are highly effective trauma therapies that engage the brain’s natural ability to heal. However, the biggest difference lies in their structure and flexibility.
- EMDR, though flexible, follows a more structured set of steps, moving through them in a guided format that helps reprocess traumatic memories.
- Brainspotting is a bit more open-ended, allowing the brain to process at its own pace with fewer structured steps. It’s particularly helpful if you struggle to pinpoint a specific traumatic event or if traditional talk therapy has felt limiting.
In my integrative approach, I use a variety of modalities to help my clients find real change and healing. Neither approach is “better” than the other—what matters most is what feels right for you. Many people benefit from using both modalities at different points in their therapy journey. If you want to learn more about my approach to EMDR, reach out HERE or if you have more questions don’t hesitate to schedule a free consultation HERE.
Yes, you can. Since Brainspotting directly targets trauma and emotional processing, it can complement talk therapy, somatic therapies, and other methods by helping resolve deeper-rooted issues that talking alone might not reach.
Yes! Many people seek out Brainspotting after feeling frustrated with traditional therapy. If you’ve done a lot of self-reflection, and other efforts heal, but still struggle with emotional triggers, relationship patterns, or physical symptoms, Brainspotting can help get to the root of what’s keeping you stuck—often in ways that feel unexpected but deeply relieving.