Brainspotting for Anxiety in New Mothers
Have you heard of brainspotting? It’s one of my specialities, and a powerful tool for fighting trauma and anxiety.
What is brainspotting?
Brainspotting or BSP is a relatively new type of therapy that was developed by David Grand. Grand developed the BSP method through his work with trauma survivors. With roots in EMDR therapy, Brainspotting has proven to be a successful form of therapy for various mental health concerns such as negative emotions, anxiety, and even physical pain. BSP aims to help patients learn their own self-healing methods and cope with negative emotions and past traumas.
How Does Brainspotting Work?
Brainspotting therapy works to identify, process, and release sources of pain, whether they be physical, emotional, or mental. This form of therapy heavily relies on a clinical relationship and the coping process beings and continues to strengthen alongside the aid of a counselor.
With its roots in EDMR, brainspotting uses eye movements as a trigger for traumatic events. In this form of therapy, patients are guided to position their eyes in ways that help them locate and target sources of negative emotion. With the help of a pointer, a counselor or therapist guides the eyes of their patient to find “brain spots”. Brain spots are the reference points in an eyes position that activate a traumatic event or a painful memory. Once these pain points are located, BSP heavily relies on both the physical location as well as therapeutic techniques to create a brain-body relationship throughout the process.
When To Use Brainspotting
Similar to EMDR, brainspotting was originally created to aid those suffering from traumatic events, particularly PTSD. However, as this form of therapy is becoming more and more commonly practiced, it is used for a widespread number of issues including those suffering from
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Chronic pain
- Phobias
Brainspotting in Motherhood
Brainspotting has been found to be an effective way to help individuals suffering with PTSD, anxiety, and a range of other issues. Postpartum depression is a common issue among new mothers and brainspotting can help. Entering motherhood is no easy task. While welcoming their newborns into this world, plenty of new mothers also welcome feelings of anxiety and depression. Postpartum can leave new mothers feeling sad and anxious as they charter the new territory of motherhood and leave behind the stages of pregnancy.
Utilizing brainspotting can help new mothers learn effective ways to cope with these feelings of anxiety and depression. The most important thing to remember if you’re experiencing these feelings after childbirth is that you are not alone. With the aid of a professional you can learn to navigate your feelings and learn effective coping mechanisms as you navigate this new stage of life and welcome your newborn.
What Happens in a Brainspotting Session
During a brainspotting session, clients are guided to take the reins and eventually take control over their emotions. It is the client’s decision as to what topics they want to navigate, what thoughts or feelings they would like to work on, and ultimately how they would like to work through the brainspotting process.
Like other therapies, brainspotting is a work in progress and you can expect to experience mental, physical, and emotional changes following your sessions. Brainspotting gives patients and effective tools to locate, focus, process, and eventually heal their mind from the issues plaguing them.
New motherhood is not always the easiest territory to navigate. If you are experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression surrounding the birth of your child, there are resources and aid to help. Brainspotting can be an effective and helpful way to help you navigate these feelings and learn how to cope so you can work towards mending your relationship with your child and enjoying your new journey of motherhood!
About Soul Song Counseling
Becca Hart, LPC is the founder of Soul Song Counseling, a plan for compassion and generous caring to help you become the hero of your own life. Becca specializes in brainspotting for trauma and counseling for mothers. Soul Song Counseling is located in the Washington Park neighborhood of Denver, CO at 1221 S Clarkson St #202, Denver, CO 80210. Becca can be reached via telephone at (303) 217-3688 or via email at becca@findyoursoulsong.com. For more information, please visit www.beccahartcounseling.com. Contact today to schedule a free 15-minute new client consultation!
