Brainspotting · Newington, CT
Where you look affects how you feel. Brainspotting works from there.
Brainspotting is a focused, body-based therapy that uses your field of vision to access the deeper parts of the brain where trauma, anxiety and performance blocks are held. It is quiet, it is powerful, and it is one of Sarah's primary modalities at her Newington practice.
Does this resonate?
This may be right for you if…
- You feel your anxiety or trauma in your body more than in your thoughts.
- Talking about it in detail feels impossible or re-traumatizing.
- You are an athlete, performer or professional stuck in a block or a slump.
- You have tried structured therapies and want something gentler and more intuitive.
- You want to strengthen calm and resilience, not only reduce distress.
What is Brainspotting?
Developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003, Brainspotting grew out of EMDR when he noticed that clients processed more deeply when their eyes stayed fixed on a particular spot. That spot, the "Brainspot," appears to correspond with where an experience is held in the subcortical brain: the part responsible for survival responses, emotion, and body memory, well below conscious thought.
In a session, Sarah helps you locate a Brainspot using a pointer while you notice what is happening in your body. Once you are there, your brain does the work. There is no script to follow and no need to explain yourself. Many clients listen to biolateral music through headphones, which alternates gently between ears to support processing. Sarah describes it to clients as "your brain scanning for the problem and healing it, while I stay right beside you."
Brainspotting vs. EMDR
Both are brain-based, both are effective for trauma, and Sarah is highly trained in each. EMDR is more structured and protocol-driven, which some clients find reassuring. Brainspotting is more open and body-led, which can be a better fit for people who feel overwhelmed by structure, who struggle to find words, or whose distress lives mostly in the body: tight chest, nausea, a frozen feeling.
In practice, Sarah often blends them. A client might start with Brainspotting to settle a highly activated nervous system and then move to EMDR for a specific memory, or vice versa. You do not have to choose the "right" one before you start; that is part of what the first sessions are for.
Beyond trauma: performance, creativity and resilience
Brainspotting is not only for what hurts. It is widely used with athletes, performers, and high-achievers to release the blocks that show up as the yips, freezing under pressure, or a slump that will not lift. The same technique that locates a trauma spot can locate a resource spot, a place in your vision where you feel calm, capable and grounded, and strengthen it.
Sarah offers Brainspotting to student-athletes and adult athletes, first responders, musicians and professionals across the Hartford area, both in weekly sessions and as part of a performance or trauma intensive.
Brainspotting in Newington and online
Sessions are available in person at 121 Fenn Road in Newington and through secure video anywhere in Connecticut. Brainspotting translates unusually well to telehealth because the core of the work, holding an eye position while noticing your body, happens inside you, not on a screen.
The process
What to expect
- 01
Settle in
We talk briefly about what you want to work on and how it feels in your body right now. You choose whether to use biolateral music.
- 02
Find the spot
Sarah slowly guides a pointer across your field of vision while you notice where the activation is strongest, or where you feel most grounded.
- 03
Process
You hold your gaze on the spot and simply observe what comes up. Sarah stays attuned and present without interrupting your brain's process.
- 04
Ground and close
We check how the activation has shifted, anchor a calmer state, and talk about what to expect between sessions.
Common questions
Brainspotting FAQ
Still wondering about something? See all FAQs or reach out directly.
Is Brainspotting evidence-based?
Brainspotting is a newer modality than EMDR, and the research base is still growing, but published studies and clinical outcome data show significant reductions in trauma and anxiety symptoms, and it was used extensively with survivors of the Sandy Hook tragedy here in Connecticut.
How is Brainspotting different from just staring at a spot?
The difference is the attuned presence of a trained therapist, the deliberate use of eye position to access the subcortical brain, and the frame that keeps you within a window of tolerance. It is a clinical process, not a relaxation exercise.
Will I have to relive the trauma?
No. Brainspotting does not require you to narrate or re-experience events. Many clients process with very few words, and you set the pace.
How many sessions does Brainspotting take?
It varies. Some single issues shift in a handful of sessions; complex histories take longer. Extended sessions and intensives are available for clients who want to move faster.
Is Brainspotting covered by insurance?
Brainspotting delivered in standard 45-60 minute sessions is billed as psychotherapy and covered by the insurance plans Sarah accepts. Extended sessions and intensives are private-pay.
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Ready when you are
Take the first step on your journey of healing.
Reach out for a free consultation. Sarah will listen, answer your questions, and help you decide whether working together is the right fit.